The forest remained silent.
The last Ironfang Wolf lay motionless at the woman's feet.
She turned.
Her amber eyes locked onto Kael's hiding place.
"...Are you done watching?"
Kael remained behind the tree.
His hand rested on the hilt of his sword.
He wasn't her enemy.
But he wasn't about to step out simply because she'd called him.
Several moments passed.
The woman sighed softly.
Suddenly her gaze sharpened
With a smooth motion, she reached over her shoulder and drew her bow.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
She's bluffing...
There was no way she could accurately hit him through the trees.
She calmly nocked an arrow.
Drew the string.
Released.
TWANG!
Kael's instincts exploded.
He threw himself sideways just as the arrow ripped through the tree where his head had been.
Wood splintered into the air.
He landed hard and immediately rolled to his feet.
His heartbeat quickened.
She knew exactly where he was.
Before he could regain his balance—
TWANG!
Another arrow screamed toward him.
Kael twisted.
The broadhead sliced through his sleeve before disappearing into the forest.
A third came immediately after.
He drew his sword.
CLANG!
Steel met steel.
The force numbed his arm.
His boots slid backward across the dirt.
He barely managed to keep his grip.
She didn't give him time to recover.
Another arrow.
Then another.
Each one arrived before he could fully steady himself.
Kael abandoned the tree line.
Remaining hidden was pointless.
He burst into the clearing.
She didn't panic.
She simply adjusted her stance.
Almost as if she'd expected it.
Her bowstring sang again.
Kael sidestepped.
Another arrow flew.
He ducked beneath it.
The next forced him to leap over a fallen log.
Every movement he made...
She seemed to predict.
How...?
He gritted his teeth.
If he stayed at range...
He would lose.
Without hesitation, Kael charged straight toward her.
The distance between them shrank rapidly.
Twenty meters.
Fifteen.
Ten.
The woman watched him approach.
Her expression never changed.
She released one final arrow.
There was no room to dodge.
Kael raised his sword.
CLANG!
The impact exploded through his arm.
His boots carved deep grooves into the earth as he was driven backward.
One step.
Two.
Three.
His back slammed hard against the trunk of a tree.
Pain shot through his shoulders.
Before he could steady himself—
A knife flashed through the air.
THUNK!
The blade buried itself into the bark beside his face.
The edge kissed his cheek.
A thin line of blood trickled slowly down his skin.
Kael's breathing hitched.
He slowly raised his eyes.
She was already there.
Close.
Far too close.
He hadn't seen her move.
One hand rested against the tree beside his head.
The other held a slender knife against his neck.
There was barely any space between them.
He could feel the warmth of her breath.
Her amber eyes looked straight into his, calm and unwavering.
Neither of them spoke.
The forest seemed to hold its breath.
Kael froze.
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