Ronan

Asher narrowed his eyes. "So they're infiltrating the kingdom from the inside?"

"Looks that way," Ronan muttered. "And if that's true, then this place won't be safe for long."

Serena folded her arms. "If the king and Volfang don't want them here, why not just wipe them out?"

Ronan scoffed. "Because you don't fight shadows with a sword. They don't operate openly. If Volfang's forces struck at them, they'd just disappear and resurface somewhere else."

Asher tapped his fingers on his knee. "Then what's their end goal?"

Ronan hesitated, then muttered, "War."

Serena blinked. "War?"

Ronan nodded. "The Blood Cross isn't just a cult, kid. They're a religious army. And Malfus? He's a god of slaughter. You think they're just gonna stop at one kingdom? No. They want to turn the entire continent into a battlefield."

Asher and Serena exchanged glances.

Serena sighed. "You were right. We really did get ourselves into a mess."