Page 101 of The Path of Blood and Betrayals

Together we hurry to the exit, Humans already gone as we keep one eye on the beast. His golden eyes stay on me as we leave, never interfering.

We are worthy.

Chapter 35

Max

Sunlight burns into my eyes, as we stumble into the meadow outside the hollow.

A meadow nowhere near Wulf’s village.

“Where are we?” I ask, squinting. “I thought we’d be at the village?”

Rolling up his sleeves, Kaden keeps his sword ready, scanning the meadow. My mouth waters. “We’re just outside the village. It’s a short walk to the entrance.”

We move, shedding clothing as the sun bakes into us. After weeks in the dark forest, the sunlight is more of a branding than a lovely warmth and my brow dampens, hair clinging to my neck.

“Why did you help it?” Fee calls back, looking at me, then her brother, curious. Sweat dots her lip. “It could have eaten you. It would have, if not for being in the hole.”

Shrugging, I ignore Kaden’s piercing gaze. “I don’t know. I just knew it wouldn’t harm me. It needed help.” Maybe it was Gods’ Will, afterall.

Fee stays silent but she’s assessing me. They all are.

We walk on, taking in the serene sights. Deer gallops nearby and I can see rabbit tails scurrying under bushes. There’s so much life here, that I didn’t realize how much was missing in the Eternal Night Forest.

“We’re being followed,” Kaden says simply, nose inhaling. Body tense, his face is calm, head tilted as if searching for noise.

His head turns and I follow his gaze, seeing the hulking mass in the trees.

The Hadeon watches us, all three heads trained on our bodies, still like a statue.

“Is that normal?” I whisper, words barely audible. “I thought he never left the hollow.”

“He doesn’t,” he responds, grabbing my wrist. “Stay alert. And you stay nearme.”

We walk the path as the sun lowers, the Hadeon keeping a short distance away. He doesn’t move closer, doesn’t impede us, but the anxiety that he could breathe hellfire on us at any minute has my pulse jumping with every snap of a twig. Keeping an eye on him, I judge how long it would take for him to rush us.

Not long.

I don’t regret saving the beast, but this doesn’t feel normal.

“You’re faster than him, right?” I ask Kaden.

Uncharacteristically, the arrogant heir remains silent. That’s not a good sign.

At the end of the path, rising from the valley, is the Phoka village and my shoulders drop, relief unraveling the cold dread in my chest.

Finally, something like security lifts my spirit and I sigh. This village is untouched by beasts and the Crimson Army. We’re finally safe.

The air is sweeter here, saturated with herbs and flowers as log-cabin homes dot the landscape, behind a large stone barrier.

In the center is a sturdy long-home. It’s clearly thevillage’s meeting place as Humans surround it. Lords argue loudly while one solitary man stands in the middle, bigger than the rest.

Tripping over the pebbles, I take in his brown sculpted skin and his blonde hair braided down the middle with shaved sides. Gray and white beads hang from the braid and his trimmed beard.

As we get closer, I see his brown eyes flash with something like interest before his nostrils flare.

He’sscentingme.