Chapter 27
Kora’s POV
Dawn didn’t come gently. It broke across the horizon like a blade through cloth — gold and blood-red streaks slicing apart the last veil of night. I woke before the sun rose, heart already racing, the memory of battle still clinging to my skin like smoke. Around me, the camp was quieter than it had been in days. Not silent — never silent — but hushed, the kind of hush that comes after a storm when even the birds wait to see if it’s really over.
I shifted upright, my body aching from bruises I hadn’t counted. The muscles in my arms trembled, and my ribs protested with every breath, but there was no luxury for pain. Edward had been clear: we had to move at dawn.
The pack stirred slowly, faces pale and drawn. Luka sat propped against a tree, one arm bandaged and his jaw set like stone. He caught my eye and managed a crooked grin. “Still breathing,” he said hoarsely. “Didn’t think Aaron would hit that hard.”
“Still breathing’s enough,” I answered. My voice felt thinner than usual, but steady. “We don’t get points for looking pretty.”
Luka chuckled, then winced at the pain in his chest. Mara was crouched near him, checking his stitches with swift, practiced fingers. She’d barely slept — I could see it in the shadows under her eyes — but her movements were precise and sure. She didn’t look up as she spoke. “We can’t keep fighting him like this,” she murmured. “He’ll wear us down. He knows it.”
I glanced over my shoulder where Edward stood near the edge of the clearing, his hands on his hips, scanning the treeline. He’d changed since last night — not outwardly, but in a way I could feel. The weight of what happened had settled into his bones, sharpening him even more.
“You’re right,” I told Mara quietly. “But first we have to get everyone moving.”
When I rose to my feet, Edward caught my eye and motioned me over. His voice was low, but urgent. “We’re moving west,” he said. “Two days at least to the ridge. If we can make it, there’s a safehouse the old council built — reinforced walls, food stores. We can regroup there.”
“Aaron?” I asked.
Edward’s jaw clenched. “He’s gone for now. But not far. He’ll either cut ahead or try to starve us out.”
Something cold settled in my gut. “Then we don’t give him the chance.”
He studied me for a moment, and there was something unreadable in his eyes. “You were strong last night,” he said softly. “Stronger than before.”
I looked away, feeling the ghost of Aaron’s grip on my wrist, the sting of his magic in my chest. “I didn’t feel strong.”
“You were,” Edward insisted. “And you’ll need to be again.”
We began breaking camp in silence. The pack moved like shadows, efficient but subdued. Wounded were supported or carried; weapons were cleaned and wrapped. The air was heavy with unspoken words. Everyone knew what last night meant — not just a skirmish, but a declaration. Aaron had found us. And he wasn’t going to stop.
By midmorning we were on the move, the forest swallowing us whole. The trees grew taller here, older, their branches arching overhead like cathedral ceilings. Shafts of sunlight pierced the canopy in thin, trembling beams. The ground was damp, moss soft under our boots. It should have felt peaceful, but I couldn’t shake the sense of being watched.
Luka limped along near me, leaning on a spear for support. “You think Aaron’s tracking us?” he asked under his breath.
“He’s always tracking us,” I replied.
“Yeah, but do you think he knows...” Luka hesitated, glancing at me. “...about the baby?” My chest tightened. “No. And we’re going to keep it that way.”
He nodded grimly, then fell silent.
Hours passed like that — long stretches of quiet broken only by the snap of branches or the low murmur of voices. We made good time despite the injuries. Every so often Edward would drift back to check on us, his presence a steady anchor in the shifting sea of trees.
It wasn’t until late afternoon that the first sign of trouble came.
We’d stopped briefly to drink from a narrow stream cutting through the forest when Mara stiffened, her eyes narrowing. “Do you smell that?” she whispered.
I did. Smoke. Faint but unmistakable, carried on the breeze from somewhere ahead.
Edward crouched, fingers brushing the damp earth. “Campfire,” he murmured. “Fresh. Less than an hour old.”
The pack tensed instantly. Hands tightened on weapons. Luka shifted his weight, his injured arm trembling.
“What do we do?” I asked, keeping my voice low.
Edward straightened slowly. “We go around if we can. But if it’s Aaron’s men...” He didn’t finish the thought. He didn’t have to.
We moved forward with more caution now, every step measured. The smell of smoke grew stronger, mixed with something else — sweat, leather, the faint tang of iron. We crept through a dense patch of undergrowth, and then the trees opened up to reveal a small clearing.
Three men sat around a low fire, their cloaks dirty, weapons within arm’s reach. Not Aaron’s men. Not exactly. But not harmless either. Rogues. The kind who drifted between allegiances, selling their blades to whoever paid the most.
They hadn’t seen us yet.
Edward signaled for everyone to hold. He turned to me, his expression unreadable. “Stay back,” he mouthed.
But before he could move, one of the rogues looked up sharply, eyes scanning the treeline. His hand went to his sword.
We’d been spotted.
The man stood, his voice carrying across the clearing. “Who’s there?”
Edward stepped out first, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp. “Just travelers,” he said evenly. “We’re not looking for trouble.”
The rogue’s lips curled into a sneer. “Travelers don’t come through these woods.”
Behind him, one of the others rose, a bow in his hand. “You’re the ones Aaron’s looking for,” he said. “Ain’t you?”
My stomach dropped.
Edward didn’t move. “And if we are?”
The first rogue grinned. “Then you’re worth more alive than dead.” He reached for his blade.
Before he could draw it, a low growl rumbled from Luka’s throat. The sound sent a shiver through the clearing. The rogue hesitated for a fraction of a second — just long enough for me to step out beside Edward, my dagger glinting in the dim light.
“You can try,” I said quietly.
The rogue’s grin faltered.
And then everything happened at once.
The man with the bow loosed an arrow, but Edward was already moving, knocking it aside with a blur of motion. Luka lunged forward despite his injuries, striking the first rogue hard enough to send him sprawling. Mara darted in from the side, slashing with a short blade.
I moved straight for the third man, who’d drawn a knife and was circling me like a wolf. He lunged, and I ducked, sweeping his legs out from under him. He hit the ground with a grunt, and I pressed my blade to his throat before he could recover.
“Stay down,” I hissed. He froze, eyes wide.
Within moments it was over. Two of the rogues lay unconscious; the third knelt before me, hands raised.
Edward stood over the fallen men, breathing hard but steady. “Tie them,” he ordered.
We bound their hands with rope and dragged them to the center of the clearing. The fire crackled between us, throwing shifting shadows over their faces.
“Who sent you?” Edward demanded.
The kneeling man hesitated, his gaze flicking between us. “I don’t know his name,” he muttered. “We just got paid to watch the road. Said a group might be coming through. Told us to take you alive.”
“Aaron,” I whispered.
Edward’s jaw tightened. “Where is he?”
“I don’t know,” the man said quickly. “We weren’t told. Just... just to wait here.”
Edward stared at him for a long moment, then turned to me. “We can’t stay here. If Aaron’s this close...”
I nodded. “We move now.”
We left the rogues tied, weapons scattered far out of reach. As we melted back into the forest, the firelight faded behind us. My heart pounded, not from the fight but from what it meant. Aaron was setting traps now. Testing us. Closing in.
I touched my stomach without thinking. The baby shifted beneath my hand, a quiet, steady movement that felt like defiance.
We weren’t going to run forever.
Somewhere ahead, the ridge waited — and beyond it, the safehouse. But I knew in my bones that Aaron wouldn’t let us reach it without a fight.
We had two days to get there. Two days to prepare.
Two days before the next storm hits.
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