Dusk settled over the plateau like a warning. Shadows stretched long and jagged across the uneven ground, licking at the edges of the group’s encampment. The guards moved methodically, their eyes darting to every flicker of movement in the darkening forest. Weapons were sharpened, lines reinforced, but the unease among them was impossible to ignore.

  Cassie approached Captain Hildiger as he oversaw the placement of the perimeter torches. His hulking frame made him an imposing figure even in half-light, but the grim set of his jaw betrayed his concern.

  “Captain,” she murmured, her voice low enough to avoid carrying to the others.

  Hildiger didn’t look at her immediately. “What is it?”

  She hesitated, glancing toward the group. Cedric stood apart from the others, pacing in tight circles while his guards whispered among themselves. Their faces were drawn, their loyalty to the Crown Prince eroding with every step into unknown danger.

  “I’ve been watching them,” Cassie said finally, tilting her head toward Cedric’s faction. “They’re restless. Too restless.”

  Hildiger’s eyes narrowed, though his expression remained impassive. “And?”

  “It’s more than nerves,” she continued, lowering her voice further. “Cedric’s already challenged the prince openly. If this was just his usual posturing, I’d ignore it. But he’s testing His Highness’s authority—slowly, carefully. I’ve seen this kind of erosion before.”

  Hildiger turned to her then, his face stony but his eyes sharp. “You’re suggesting Cedric’s working with Dietrich?”

  Cassie’s jaw tightened. “I’m saying we should consider it.”

  His lips pressed into a thin line, the weight of her words sinking in. He nodded once. “Keep your suspicions quiet. We can’t afford infighting right now.”

  “Understood.” Cassie nodded, casting one last glance at Cedric before slipping back toward the center of the camp. A few guards whispered among themselves, their unease palpable.

  As Cassie moved toward the center of camp, she caught Hildiger exchanging a brief glance with Theodoric. The prince’s jaw tightened slightly, his nod nearly imperceptible before he turned back to Callen.

  By the time Cassie reached him, Theodoric’s voice carried an edge, though his expression remained measured. He dismissed Callen with a curt nod, turning his attention to her.

  The prince’s voice carried an edge, though his expression remained measured. He dismissed Callen with a curt nod, turning his attention to her as she approached. “What is it?”

  “Nothing urgent,” she replied, her voice neutral. “Just reconciling our options.”

  Theodoric studied her for a moment before motioning toward the camp’s perimeter. “Walk with me.”

  She followed him silently, matching his deliberate pace as they moved along the edge of the plateau. There was something knowing in his expression, as if he had already guessed what she’d say. When they were out of earshot, he spoke.

  “Hildiger told me you have doubts about Cedric.”

  Cassie kept her expression blank. She exhaled, not entirely surprised. The prince had always been adept at reading the undercurrents in camp. And given how tense her conversation with Hildiger had been, it wouldn’t have taken much for him to pick up on it. “Not doubts, exactly. Just… concerns.”

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  His gaze flicked toward the distant treeline, where the shadows seemed unnaturally dense. “He doesn’t trust me. That’s been clear for years.”

  “It’s not just him,” she said quietly. “His men have been muttering. It’s spreading.”

  Theodoric exhaled, his breath visible in the cooling air. “We’ll deal with it when we’re clear of this mess. For now, keep your focus on the threats we can’t see.”

  Her nod was slight, but her mind churned with questions she didn’t voice.

  They returned to camp just as one of the guards shouted from the edge of the clearing. Cassie moved swiftly, her hand instinctively going to her dagger as she approached the commotion.

  “Found this,” the guard said, holding up a piece of battered leather armor. The insignia of the Crown Prince gleamed faintly in the torchlight—a golden lion against a crimson backdrop.

  Theodoric stepped forward, his expression darkening as he took the piece from the guard. “Where?”

  “Near the ridge,” the man replied, gesturing toward the western edge of the plateau. “It was left out in the open, like it was meant to be found.”

  Cassie examined the armor, her fingers brushing the worn edges. “It’s staged,” she said, her voice tight. “Someone’s trying to lead us.”

  Theodoric’s eyes met hers, and for a moment, she caught a flicker of doubt in his usually steely gaze. “We change the route. Callen—double the scouts. No one moves without my order.”

  The guards dispersed, their movements brisk and uneasy. Cassie lingered, her eyes scanning the perimeter for anything out of place.

  By the time the group broke camp and began moving, the forest had turned pitch black. Torches cast flickering shadows on the twisted trees, their light only deepening the sense of suffocating dread.

  An hour passed in tense silence before the first attack came.

  The beast emerged from the underbrush with terrifying speed, its sinewy body low to the ground as it lunged at the rear flank. A guard screamed as its claws tore through his armor, sending him sprawling into the dirt.

  “Hold the line!” Theodoric shouted, his sword gleaming as he drove the creature back with a powerful strike.

  Cassie moved swiftly, her dagger finding purchase in the beast’s exposed flank. It howled, its glowing eyes narrowing as it turned toward her. She sidestepped its charge, her movements precise as she aimed another strike at its vulnerable side.

  The battle was over in moments, but the tension lingered. The guards tightened their formation, their faces pale as they glanced nervously at the treeline.

  “That wasn’t random,” Cassie muttered to Theodoric as they regrouped. “It went for the weakest point.”

  His jaw clenched. “They’re learning.”

  The attacks grew more frequent as the group pressed on, each one more coordinated than the last. The beasts seemed to anticipate their movements, striking at precise intervals to wear them down.

  Cedric’s frustration boiled over during a brief respite.

  “This is madness!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the forest. “You’re leading us straight to our deaths, Theodoric!”

  The prince’s expression remained calm, but there was steel in his tone as he replied. “We don’t have time for this, Cedric. If you’re unwilling to follow my lead, you’re welcome to take your chances on your own.”

  Cedric bristled, his hand twitching toward the hilt of his sword. “Maybe I should.”

  Cassie stepped between them, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade. “Enough. We need to keep moving.”

  Theodoric’s eyes flicked to her, his jaw tightening, but he said nothing. Cedric muttered under his breath but fell back into formation.

  The forest opened into a narrow gorge, the steep walls rising on either side like jagged teeth. Cassie’s unease deepened as they moved through the confined space, the oppressive silence broken only by the distant sound of rushing water.

  The ambush came without warning.

  Beasts poured in from both sides, their glowing eyes piercing the darkness as they lunged toward the group. Cassie ducked under a swipe, her dagger flashing as she countered with a quick, brutal strike.

  Theodoric fought with precision, his sword cutting through the chaos as he barked orders to the others. Cedric’s men faltered, their fear palpable as they struggled to hold their ground.

  Cassie’s breath came in short bursts as she parried another attack, her movements sharp and efficient. The beasts seemed endless, their claws raking against shields and armor as the group fought desperately to hold the line.

  Finally, the creatures withdrew, their guttural growls fading into the darkness. The group was bloodied but alive, their formation collapsing as they realized the truth of their situation.

  The gorge ended in a sheer cliff, the drop below obscured by mist and shadow.

  Cassie’s heart sank as she turned to Theodoric. “It’s a dead end.”

  Before he could respond, a figure stepped into view from the shadows.

  The torchlight illuminated a familiar insignia—a black viper coiled around a dagger.

  Dietrich’s faction.