CHAPTER 55:
We left at first light, before the sun had cleared the eastern peaks. Five of us — me, Kael, Cole, Zane, Micah — riding hard and light, no heavy packs, no extra supplies, only what we needed to survive three days in the high country. Knox and Jax stayed behind, taking command of the ridge, their faces grim but determined. We didn’t say much at the gate. There was too much to say, and too little time to say it.
The road south rose steadily, winding through pine forests that grew darker and denser with every mile. The air turned colder, sharper, carrying a faint, metallic tang that made my teeth ache. By mid-morning, the trees began to thin, giving way to grey, rocky slopes where nothing grew but lichen and tough, wind-bent scrub. The mountains loomed ahead — jagged, snow-cappe
