Smoke clung to the air, thick with the scent of charred wood and blood. Bodies littered the battlefield—some breathing, some not. The rebels were breaking. I could see it in the way they faltered, their lines scattering like dry leaves in the wind. Victory was within reach.
But the bastard leading them was gone.
I scanned the chaos, my grip tightening around my sword. I’d seen him fall, watched him hit the ground like a broken marionette. And yet, the space where he should’ve been was empty.
“Asher,” Kael called, shoving his way toward me. His armor was dented, his knuckles raw. “They’re running.”
“Not all of them,” I said, my jaw clenching.
Kael followed my gaze. His breath hitched. “That son of a—”
A sharp cry cut through the noise.
I turned fast enough to make my vision spin. Ari
