The moment the guards stepped into the alley, everything stilled.
Definitely not the kind of stillness that came with peace.
Phaeryl didn’t move.
Her body remained relaxed—deliberately so—her senses sharpened instantly, stretching outward, calculating distance, exits, and timing.
There were five of them.
No—six.
Two at the mouth of the alley.
Three behind them.
One lingering slightly off to the side, watching rather than advancing.
Not careless.
Not random.
Intentional.
Her jaw tightened.
This wasn't a coincidence.
Behind her, the woman shifted slightly, the soft rustle of expensive fabric too loud in the tension-filled space.
Phaeryl resisted the urge to sigh.
Of course.
Of course, this would happen now.
“Step away from her.”
The calm, measured voice came from the guard
