The Hunter snorted. “The Hallowed isn't some prize for you to restore your tarnished honor. Consider yourself fortunate thatIclaimed her before one of Osin's shades could. If they had, you’d be dealing with far worse than just a blow to your pride.”
Shades?Was that what it was? The word spun through Elara’s mind, dredging up half-remembered pages and sketches from the archives, bits and pieces of lore she’d studied long ago. But nothing matched...
Dario’s face drained of color, a visible reaction that gave her a flicker of satisfaction as she stood. “I am not a possession to be handed over. I belong to no one.” It wasn’t entirely true, but she wanted it to be. She’d tasted freedom—just a flicker—but she wasn’t ready to give it up. Elara fixed Dario with a fierce glare, then turned to the Hunter, her gaze cold and unyielding.
He studied her through the flickering firelight, and for a brief second, his usually stark, steel-black eyes softened, the hard edges blurring as if touched by a whisper of light. “Maybe so,” hesaid, “but in this world, everyone is bound to someone, willingly or not.”
A shiver rippled down Elara’s spine, the faint ring of amber in his eyes flaring briefly, like the final spark of a dying ember. But just as quickly, it was gone. Snuffed out as Yoni lunged from below and drove a knife deep into the Hunter’s heel.
Chapter 18
Fury blazed in the Hunter’s eyes as he snarled.
Embers scattered across the forest floor flared to life, drawn to his rage, their orange glow licking at the shadows around him.
Yoni moved first—blurring aside as a searing orb tore from the Hunter’s palm, scorching the earth where Yoni had lain seconds before.
“Elara, move!” Dario bellowed, yanking a dagger from his bandolier.
The acrid scent of smoke and burning pine choked the air, the flames coming off the Hunter licking dangerously close. Elara sprang back, but every direction she turned, the searing heat and roar of the fire blocked her way.
She gasped as her gaze locked onto Dario. He moved with deadly precision, launching dagger after dagger at the Hunter, showcasing years of rigorous training. The blades sliced through the air, swift and true, as he sprinted toward her. But the Hunter was faster.
With a flick of his wrist, fire erupted—a scorching barrier that swallowed the daggers mid-flight, spitting molten drops across the forest floor.
Elara’s stomach knotted as Dario charged straight through the flames, weapon raised, fury carved into his face. Her heart clenched, torn between running to him and cursing his name.
Betrayer.
Defender.
Fool.
He’d lied to her—again and again—yet here he was, fighting as if she were his to save. Part of her wanted to believe there was a reason behind every broken promise. But even if he survived this, Osin would never forgive him. He was gambling everything for her—his life, his loyalty, his station—and she didn’t know whether to scream at him, run, or collapse into his arms and weep over the ruin of it all.
Amid the fray, Yoni moved like a wraith. His dagger flashed cold in one hand while an unnatural glow pulsed in the other. His voice threaded through the noise, words older than the forest. The ground beneath the Hunter shifted, almost imperceptibly at first—a tremor he barely noticed. But then it came alive. The earth lurched and split open, hurling stones and leaves into a screaming spiral, a storm of dirt that howled as if the land had finally chosen sides—and it wasn’t his.
Elara’s heart pounded so fiercely she could feel it in her throat as she lunged for the nearest tree, fingers digging into the rough bark. The ground beneath them writhed, hungry and wild, pulling everything within reach toward its gaping maw. Trees groaned, boulders tilted, all drawn toward the chasm that that clawed at the Hunter’s feet.
She couldn’t move. Could barely breathe as the earth consumed him inch by inch, relentless, unstoppable. Until it wasn’t.
A sound tore from him—half roar, half something primal and broken—and with a burst of power, his fist slammed into the earth.
A bone-deep shudder rippled out, a violent quake that cracked the ground, split the silence, and ripped the spell to shreds.
The Hunter rose with a snarl, raw power rippling through him as flames erupted in his hands, curling like living serpents eager to strike. A whip cracked through the air so fiercely Elara flinched. It was a sound that stole the breath from her lungs, the sharp tang of smoke filling her nose as he lashed the fiery arc toward Yoni.
She hit the ground instinctively, the blistering heat licking just over her head as Yoni twisted away, rolling. She barely had a moment to think before Dario blurred into motion, faster than she could track. His blade gleamed—a single, merciless arc—and plunged into the gap beneath the Hunter’s arm where steel met flesh.
A harsh grunt of pain escaped him.
It was the sound of opportunity, and Elara did not hesitate.
Her heart thundered in her chest as she ran, each beat a frantic rhythm that drove her forward. Dario loomed to her left, Yoni closing in on her right, both like wolves circling their kill. But she didn’t slow, didn’t hesitate. Her body moved before her mind could catch up, veering swiftly toward Yoni.
There was no time for second-guessing, no space for a glance over her shoulder to gauge Dario’s reaction. The choice was made the moment her feet left the ground.
Yoni’s hand flashed to his belt, a blur of motion as he drew another weapon, his expression fierce and laser-focused."Faster, faster,"his eyes seemed to scream.
