I shivered. “So it wasn’t just an attack—it was a test?”
Arlo nodded. “Exactly. And the voice—the one you heard. That wasn’t part of the shadows. It’s someone—or something—controlling them. Something intelligent. And it knows the heirs exist. It knows the bonds exist. And it wants them… or fears them.”
Gage’s eyes went wide. “Fears them? Or wants to destroy us?”
Arlo rubbed his temples. “Probably both. But there’s more. Look at this.” He pointed to a map. “There are patterns in the forest where the attacks started. Places where energy from bonds is unusually strong. The shadows only appear near these spots. Someone is using the energy lines to guide them, to direct them toward the heirs.”
I frowned, tracing the lines with my finger. “So they’re not random. They’re following something…
