(Aria’s POV)

The night smelled of blood and smoke. The ground was churned with dirt and crimson where wolves had fallen, and the cries of the wounded carried into the trees like a haunting dirge. I could still hear the echo of Kaelen’s growl in my head, the way his voice had commanded not just me, but the battlefield itself.

The rogues had been driven back—at least for now. But peace hadn’t returned. The air buzzed with unrest, with fear, with questions whispered and never ...