Chapter 118 - A Fight They Weren’t Ready For

The first sound was the distant snap of breaking branches.

It should have meant nothing. A shift in the wind. A restless animal. 

But Taryn was already awake. Her fingers curled around the hilt of her blade, her breath slow and measured, her body too tense for someone who should have been asleep.

Then—the second sound.

Boots on frozen earth. Close. Too close.

Taryn was on her feet before her mind caught up, the covers pushed aside, her heart slamming against her ribs.

The air was thick, too still.

A beat.

Then—a war horn sounded.

It split through the early dawn, a low, haunting call that sent ice rolling down her spine. The sound barely had time to settle before the first war cries echoed from the trees, followed by the pounding of feet.

Kah'el was already reaching for his blades. Lucien didn't need to be told.

The cult had come.

And they weren't waiting.