Natalia’s POV
The silence that followed in the wake of the battle was so much worse than the noise of the battle itself.
The battle had already been over for an hour, maybe more. The sounds of fighting above us had faded, then stopped entirely, but we couldn’t be certain it was safe to leave the catacombs until Mila came stumbling down the stairs.
She was breathless and covered in blood, and the sound of her footsteps broke through the deadly silent cavern. Her eyes flicked to the three dead rogues, which I and some of the others had moved to a secluded area out of sight of the children, then she looked at the knife at my hip.
Mila didn’t ask what happened to the rogues. She could see it in my eyes—that visceral, angry hunger.
She simply nodded. “It’s done.”
The tension immediately s
