The mountain path stretched before them like a scar carved into the earth—narrow, uneven, littered with loose stones that crunched under their boots.
On either side, skeletal trees clawed at the gray sky, their branches twisted and bare. The air carried a chill that bit at exposed skin, making Viktor's breath come out in faint white puffs.
Behind him, Kaida walked with her arms crossed, her red eyes scanning the surroundings with the practiced wariness of someone who'd survived too many ambushes.
Her scarred face was set in a permanent scowl, jaw tight enough to crack teeth.
Bella trailed a few steps back, her cat ears swiveling at every sound—the rustle of dead leaves, the distant cry of a crow, the soft scrape of their footsteps against stone.
Her tail curled nervously around her thigh, and her small hands clutched the edges of her cloak like it might protect her from more than just the cold.
Viktor's boots squelched in something wet.
