"You'll have to cut through," Maera continued. "Fields, suburbs, industrial strips. Keep to the shadows when you can. Even then…" Her mouth pressed into a grim line. "The closer you get to Obsidian, the more watchful Darius' agents will be. They've rooted themselves in every checkpoint. I know that bastard."
Her words settled like stones in my gut. Obsidian's borders weren't just contested—they were riddled with eyes, informants, and opportunists feeding Darius every scrap of movement.
We had escaped his Cauterium but not his pack and he knew that. Security and surveillance would be thorough.
Kael stepped forward, already bracing his shoulders like the weight had been handed to him. "Then we don't take an army. Not through this. The men are too many."
