His eyes turned to polished ebony, his gaze steeled with the kind of deadly focus that sent a chill through my spine. Every ounce of his being shifted into that of a predator in full battle mode, his aura thick with menace and purpose. There was no room to falter now; trembling would only slow us down. Besides, I had long since learned that fear could be as deadly as any weapon if you let it sink its claws into you.

“Let’s soldier on,” I said, trying to sound braver than I felt. The ...