Chapter 49

• CHAPTER 49: blood and Shadows
• Darius crouched behind a jagged outcrop, the weight of his sword balanced in his hand, every muscle taut with anticipation. The forest around him was unnaturally silent, as if holding its breath. Moonlight filtered through the dense canopy, painting the clearing ahead in a ghostly glow. And in that clearing stood Aria, her back pressed against a gnarled tree trunk, her golden hair tangled and her emerald eyes wide with fear. Before her loomed the rogue—a creature of shadow and sinew, its form shifting unnervingly, its red eyes burning like coals.
• Darius’s breath came in measured beats, each inhale fueling his resolve. Aria had been tracking this rogue for days, determined to stop it before it reached the nearby village. But the rogue had outmaneuvered her, drawing her into its lair. Darius had arrived just in time to see her disarmed and cornered. Now, it was his turn to act.