Chapter 214

Deric POV

The forest was quiet in a way that felt unnatural, the kind of silence that pressed against my ears and made my own heartbeat thunder in response. Even the wind had stopped, leaving the branches to sway without sound. I hated it. I hated the stillness. It always meant someone was waiting or watching. And I had learned the hard way that enemies never announced themselves politely.

Elvira’s voice echoed in my mind, soft and clear from earlier that morning: “Be careful, Deric” She had no idea just how personal this one was, how much it cut deeper than any fight I’d faced before.

 I had tracked him, or her, if I could be honest, it had been a woman, from the remnants of Felen’s influence. She had been smart, patient, leaving threads behind that most would have overlooked. But I wasn’t most people. Every whisper, every hint, every faint