The forest went silent all at once.
No wind. No birds. Not even the sound of breathing.
Then the air began to hum. Low, steady, and growing louder.
A shimmer of silver light flickered through the trees, spreading fast, until everything around us glowed.
That’s when they appeared.
Three tall figures stepped out of the darkness, cloaked in light and shadow. Their movements were smooth, almost too perfect, like they weren’t part of this world at all. The glow from them was blinding, but not warm. It was cold, sharp, like moonlight on ice.
Eryx froze. His entire body went still, and for the first time since I’d met him, he looked afraid.
“Asher.” I whispered, instinctively stepping closer to him.
He moved in front of me without a word, shoulders squared, a low growl building in his che
