The air inside the ruined village hung thick and dry, every breath Kai took scraping his throat raw.
His back ached, his shoulder burned where the last monster's blade had grazed him, and his muscles thrummed with that familiar mix of exhaustion and adrenaline
Beside him, Kathlyn kept pace, her breaths sharp and ragged, her fists faintly glowing. Her shoulders were tight, her movements slower than before. Kai could tell Burning Heart had drained her, and she hadn't recovered yet.
They kept moving anyway.
There wasn't another choice.
They rounded the base of the collapsed tower, the ash crunching under their boots.
Then Kai stopped short.
His head snapped upward.
There perched at the very top of the jagged ruin, silhouetted against the flickering, unnatural light was a shape.
Thin Long-limbed.
An archer.
But not human.
Not even close.
