Chapter 214

• Deric
• The forest was quiet in a way that felt unnatural, the kind of silence that pressed against my ears and made my own heartbeat thunder in response. Even the wind had stopped, leaving the branches to sway without sound. I hated it. I hated the stillness. It always meant someone was waiting or watching. And I had learned the hard way that enemies never announced themselves politely.
• Elvira’s voice echoed in my mind, soft and clear from earlier that morning: “Be careful, Deric” She had no idea just how personal this one was, how much it cut deeper than any fight I’d faced before.