Chapter 28 · Guess We're a Team Now

The hunters came from both ends.

Kade heard the boots first. Steel on stone. Echo layered on echo. Two squads, maybe three. Drake didn't send amateurs.

Mira's blade was already out. She moved in front of him, not behind. Her shoulders were tight. "How many can you take?"

"Depends." Kade's chest burned. The rune core was waking up. He could feel it crawling under his ribs, stretching, testing. "How many do you want left alive?"

She shot him a look. Hard to read in the dark. "I'm serious."

"So am I."

The first hunter stepped into the light. Tall, armored, sigil-blade humming in his hand. Two more behind him. Kade turned. Three more coming from the other side. All of them had the same dead-eyed stare. Tower-trained. Tower-loyal. They didn't care who Mira used to be.

One of them spoke. "Lieutenant Voss. Step aside."

Mira didn't move. "On whose authority?"

"Drake's. And the council's. You were warned."

"Yeah." Her voice was flat. "I was."

Kade felt the heat spreading. Down his arms. Into his palms. The rune core wanted out. It always did.