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Then she looked at me again, and her expression shifted into something gentler. “Remember what I told you, Annika. He’ll twist his words, but you must stay rooted in yours. Don’t waver.”

“I won’t.” My voice was steadier than I felt.

Rowena didn’t press further. Instead, she stepped back, her dark robes blending into the shadows of the cave entrance. “Go now. And may the spirits guard your steps.”

We turned away, walking down the narrow path that led back to the forest. My heart was pounding, and I gripped the pouch tightly, as though holding it could somehow hold back the fear rising in my chest.

The forest felt different now… quieter, heavier, like it was waiting.

We reached the horses and immediately rushed back home. But the weight of what was coming pressed down on me with every step.

I was right to be worried.

Smoke stung my eyes before we even crested the last hill. My heart lurched.

The town was burning.

Flames licked at rooftops, black smoke twisting into the sky like fingers clawing for the heavens. Screams carried on the wind, sharp, panicked cries that made my stomach churn. Shadows moved through the chaos, fast and brutal.

Shifters. Vampires. The enemy had come… for me.

“No,” I breathed, my legs already moving.

“Annika!” Lucas caught my arm, holding me back for half a second. His grip was firm but trembling. “Stay close to me.”

I nodded, though my pulse was a drumbeat of terror and fury.

Kael didn’t hesitate. He drew his blade and sprinted ahead, vanishing into the smoke. Lucas cursed under his breath and followed, his hand releasing me only when I matched his stride.

We crossed the distance fast, the sound of battle swallowing us whole. The streets were chaos. There were shifters in their monstrous forms tearing through homes, rogue vampires stalking between them like wolves among sheep. Bodies littered the ground, some human, some not. The smell of blood was thick, metallic and suffocating.

A shifter lunged at me, teeth bared. I barely had time to react before Lucas was there, cutting it down with savage efficiency. Blood splattered across the dirt, and he grabbed my wrist, yanking me behind him.

“Stay sharp!” he barked, his voice raw.

I didn’t need to be told twice. A vampire broke through the smoke, claws bared, eyes glowing red. This one was fast. I barely dodged in time, my knife slashing out more out of instinct than aim. It nicked his arm, and he hissed, retreating just enough for Lucas to step in front of me and drive his sword through the vampire’s chest.

“Are you hurt?” Lucas’s voice was sharp, but his eyes softened when they met mine.

“No. Keep going.”

We pressed forward, cutting through the chaos. Every corner we turned revealed more destruction. Homes were gutted, carts overturned, the streets slick with blood.

My stomach twisted, but there was no time to stop. No time to think.

Kael was fighting ahead of us, taking down a shifter twice his size with practiced precision. He glanced back and saw us, then jerked his head toward the square.

“The center!” he shouted. “They’re pushing everyone there!”

We ran, dodging flames and bodies. My breath burned in my lungs, but I didn’t stop. Couldn’t stop.

We reached the square, and what I saw stole my breath.

Dozens of townsfolk were gathered, forced to their knees by the enemy. Some were crying, others bleeding. Around them, the rogues and shifters prowled, snarling and snapping, keeping them caged.

Chapter Eighteen

Lucas