Empty space.
The cloak was hooked carefully on a branch.
Rell’s grin faded.
Then came the sound—rushed, hurried footsteps pounding away through the trees. He snapped his head up and gave chase, instincts firing, boots hammering the forest floor as he followed the sound of her sprint.
But something was wrong.
The pattern was off. Too consistent. No breath, no shift of weight. Just rhythm.
He slowed, realization blooming in his chest. “You little—”
A decoy shard.
She’d used one ofhistricks. The same kind he’d used back in the alley to throw Fane off their trail.
Rell pivoted hard, eyes scanning the treeline just in time to catch a blur of motion heading in theoppositedirection.
There she was.
He cursed under his breath and took off after her.
She moved like smoke, each step light and precise, weaving through roots and rocks like they weren't even there. Her shifted form gave her the kind of speed and reflexes even a mercenary would kill for.
She was fast. Fast enough that the chase alone sent a thrill up his spine.
But she wasn’t the only one with tricks.
Rell stopped just long enough to drop to one knee, digging into his belt pouch. He popped the tin ofSilent Stepbalm and smeared a streak across the soles of his boots. As soon as the alchemical blend soaked in, the forest swallowed his sound whole.
No footsteps.
He veered left, wide, cutting through the trees in a wide arc.
Ahead, Elora glanced back, her sharp eyes scanning behind her, exactly where heshouldhave been.
She didn’t see him.
She didn’t hear him.
He struck from the side.
Rell burst from the underbrush and tackled her mid-run. Her surprised yelp turned into a growl as they hit the earth, her claws digging into the forest floor as they rolled.
He landed atop her, one arm braced beside her head, panting slightly from the sprint. Her golden-ringed eyes stared up at him, narrowed in defiance, adrenaline still blazing beneath her skin.
His lips curved into a grin, breathless and smug.
“Never said you could usemytricks against me.”
Elora glared at him, chest heaving. "Thought you'd be flattered."
He laughed, the sound deep and untamed, echoing through the woods. He pinned her wrists to the dirt while her legs kicked uselessly against the ground. “Oh, I am. But I’m still not letting you win.” He was all playful arrogance, shifting his weight to press her more firmly against the earth.
Elora bucked against him, and he had to scramble to keep his balance, her strength throwing him off even with her pinned beneath him. “Don’t be too sure,” she shot back, eyes flashing like molten gold, wild and full of fierce determination. Her pulse was a drumbeat, fast and hot beneath his fingers. Her shoulders twisted, almost slipping his grip.
He leaned down, close enough to feel her breath against his cheek. Close enough to lose himself in those eyes. “I am sure.” Hisvoice was a low rumble, teasing and full of heat. She snapped her fangs at his face, but didn’t bite, and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t want her to.
