Victor wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and rose to his feet. The impact had nearly shattered his arm. Whatever that skeleton was, it possessed a strength far beyond anything they'd encountered in the forest.
The Guardian stood at the center of the chamber, its ancient sword hanging loosely from one hand. It didn't attack. It simply watched him.
"Why me?" Victor asked.
The blue flames inside the skeleton's eye sockets flickered. "You ask the wrong question."
"Then what's the right one?"
"Why are you here?"
The answer unsettled him. He glanced around the chamber. The students huddled together while the soldiers struggled back to their feet, Samuel already shouting orders to reform a line. Caleb had managed to stand, Seraphina beside him, neither looking away from the Guardian.
"I was brought here," Victor said.
The Guardian tilted its skull. "No. You followed."
"I followed the creature."
"You followed the path. The creature merely opened the door."
