Both lines of guards tensed to the absolute breaking point. Misha did not move a single muscle, her ancient form anchored to the spot. Varos looked from the glowing edge of the ancestral blade to the young woman holding it with such terrifying poise. For the very first time since entering the valley of Elias, his patronizing smile was entirely gone.
He stared up at her for a long, agonizing moment, measuring something far beyond the physical steel aimed directly at his throat. Then, slowly, deliberately, he took a step forward.
Every guard in Elias shifted their weight instantly. Every Urella soldier tightened their grip on their polearms. Misha’s cane lifted a precise half-inch from the stone floor, ready to strike.
Camron moved fluidly beside Azaliyah without even being asked, his hea
