Chapter 288
Kael eyed her for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright," he said. "Let’s hunt."
And with that, the two figures veered quietly from the path, swallowed by the thickening woods, as the shadows trailed just a little too close.
Kael gently pulled on the reins of his horse and slowed to a quieter pace, letting the sound of hooves fade against the rustling wind and birdsong. The road ahead was narrow—trees rising thick on either side with brush and thicket providing the perfect cover for ambush.
Behind him, Ariana’s eyes gleamed with silent purpose. She had already loosened the clasp on her sword’s sheath.
"You ready?" Kael asked quietly.
"I always am," she replied, her voice like tempered steel.
Kael chuckled under his breath, though his gaze stayed sharp. The two nudged their horses toward a fork off the trail—a narrow path lined with mossy stones and the deep shade of oak. As they slipped into the forest line, the shadows swallowed them whole. From the road, Seraphina’s brow creased as she watched them disappear.
’What the hell are these two planning?’
........
The forest grew eerily quiet.
Kael and Ariana raced ahead, cutting through the dense green with urgency. Once they’d broken far from the main convoy, they stopped. The horses were tied off, and both slipped down into the underbrush, footsteps light, weapons ready.