Henry set Maya down, but she clung to him, her small arms wrapped tight around his neck. Gently, he pried her hands loose.

  Tears welled in her eyes, and she sniffed. “I don’t want you to go. What if you get hurt?”

  His smile was soft but sad as he kissed her head. “I’ll do my best not to, but I can’t let this happen without doing something. Stay with Thomas and Eleanor. Be a good girl.”

  Maya nodded miserably, squeezing him in one last hug before letting go.

  I turned to follow, but Time’s hand closed around my arm. I glanced at him, catching the flicker of unease in his eyes.

  “Be careful, Nikolas.”

  His voice brushed against my mind, quiet but firm. Raids are brutal, while you have undoubtedly seen many injuries in your time, this will be different. Let the others go in first and observe from the backlines until you adjust to everything.

  I nodded. “I will. Keep an eye on Maya while we’re gone. She likes to wander.”

  Time hesitated, something unspoken lingering just out of reach. But after a moment, he released my arm and stepped back. “Of course.”

  I waited, giving him time to say whatever was on his mind, but instead, he just motioned toward the others. “Go. Lives are on the line—we will be here when you return.”

  Shaking off the urge to pry, I pulled Volpe from my hood and handed him over. “Here. He shouldn’t be in the middle of a battle either.”

  Volpe grumbled, tense from the shift in atmosphere, but allowed Time to take him. Once the fox settled into his arms, I joined the others, ignoring the weight of a stare pressing into the back of my head.

  “We’ll be back soon,” Henry assured them, sounding far more confident than I felt. “If something holds us up, we’ll send a message.”

  Then he turned to us, nodding as determination hardened his expression. “Alright, boys. Let’s move out.”

  I fell into step, forcing my mind onto the battle ahead. Time was right—this was going to be ugly. I needed to keep my wits about me.

  The road stretched ahead as we marched, and within minutes, the scent I’d picked up earlier grew stronger. I wrinkled my nose. “We’re close.”

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Dominicus rested a hand on his sword. “Then brace yourself. Even if the raid is over, the aftermath can be… unsettling.”

  I didn’t need a history lesson to know what happened to victims of war and raids. The thought alone made my stomach turn.

  Please let us be in time.

  The scent thickened, choking the air, and smoke curled above the treetops. The path veered right, a break in the trees just ahead. Henry pressed a finger to his lips, signaling silence, and drew his sword.

  We stepped into the clearing—and my stomach dropped.

  Huts dotted the space, their fur and wood roofs ablaze. Orange fire devoured the dry grass and climbed the trees, crackling hungrily.

  Bodies lay strewn across the ground. Some moved. Most didn’t.

  Blood soaked the dirt, turning it into mud. The metallic tang thickened the air until it was all I could do not to gag.

  In the middle of it all, a tiny doll made of patchwork cloth sat in the dirt. Torn. Dyed red.

  I gripped my staff, the grooves of the wood biting into my palm.

  Someone had torn that doll apart, and for what? To add insult to injury? To taunt a dying child?

  Molten rage surged through my veins, shoving horror aside. I’d worried about having enough mana to heal everyone, but that concern was pointless.

  There were barely any survivors left to heal.

  Henry exhaled sharply, sorrow and disgust twisting his features. “This happened earlier today. Hours ago, if I had to guess. The raiders are long gone. We should focus on finding any survivors.”

  His sword lowered but didn’t return to its sheath. “Dominicus, you have the best hearing. Can you make out heartbeats?”

  Dominicus closed his eyes, listening. When he spoke, his voice was tight. “I can. There aren’t many, and the ones I hear are… faint. We need to hurry.” His gaze shifted to me. “Nikolas, focus. I can feel your rage from here—and I understand it. But the survivors don’t need another reason to be afraid.”

  I knew that.

  I knew that.

  But trying to bank the fire in my chest felt impossible.

  Gritting my teeth, I forced the words out. “Tell me we’re going after the ones who did this once we’ve healed the survivors.”

  The smoke stung my throat, but I ignored it. My focus stayed locked on Dominicus and Henry.

  They exchanged a long look before Henry nodded. “We will. It’ll add time to our trip to Latica, but…” He swept a slow, heavy gaze over the carnage. His jaw tightened. “This cannot stand.”

  I let out a sharp breath, glancing back toward the army we’d left behind. “Miss your soldiers yet?”

  A wry smile flickered across his face. “Very much so. But if we wanted any hope of sneaking up on the general, we couldn’t afford those kinds of numbers.”

  Shaking himself, he motioned to the huts and sheathed his sword. “Enough talk. Let’s get to work. Nikolas, pick a spot. We’ll bring the wounded to you. Don’t burn through all your mana in case we find more later.”

  I nodded, forcing my emotions down as I chose an area near the road. The smoke wasn’t as thick here—small mercies.

  It was going to be a long day.

  And anything I could do to make it less harrowing was worth it.