Petal's Pov

The forest was quiet on the way back to Silvercrest, but it wasn't a peaceful quiet, it was the kind that followed after something ancient had stirred, the kind that felt like a warning humming beneath your feet. The warriors moved in a protective formation around us, their breaths heavy, their clothes stained with dark dust and smoke.

Aslaan walked slightly ahead of me, shoulders drawn tight, every sense sharpened. His earlier vulnerability was looked away again, hidden beneath ...