The ground began trembling before any of us heard the footsteps. A thin shiver rippled through the soil, lifting loose dirt in tiny puffs around our boots. Leaves rattled in the branches overhead, shaking loose and drifting down in slow spirals. Even the birds abandoned the trees, bursting upward in a frantic rush that cut through the silence like a warning siren.
Felix moved first.
His blade flashed upward so fast the light barely caught it. He stepped in front of Ember and Lira without hesitation, shoulders squared, posture tense and braced as he stared into the shifting shadows ahead.
Riven grabbed Leah by the arm, pulling her behind him with a force that left no room for protest. His stance widened, one hand slipping to the hilt of the curved blade at his hip as his eyes narrowed in
