Chapter 4 Hail’s POV:

Chapter 4- Hail’s POV

The forest smelled wrong. Every step I took was deliberate, my hand never straying far from the hilt of my blade. The voices behind us weren’t rushing anymore. They were methodical, closing the distance at a pace that said they weren’t afraid of losing us. They wanted us to know they were coming. I glanced back at Ember. She kept up, her golden eyes darting to every shadow, her steps quick but steady. She didn’t trust me. She didn’t have to. She just had to keep moving.

The ruins came into view just as the voices grew louder. The structure was half-collapsed, its crumbling walls covered in moss and vines, the doorway barely holding onto its frame. “Inside,” I said, not breaking stride. Ember hesitated, her body tense. “And what, wait for them to walk in and kill us?” “If you’ve got a better idea, I’m all ears,” I snapped. Her jaw tightened, but she didn’t argue. I didn’t expect her to. Inside, the air was heavy and damp, the scent of rot clinging to every surface. The floor was littered with debris, broken tiles, shattered wood, fragments of stone. Ember leaned against one of the sturdier walls, her arms crossed, her golden eyes sharp as they tracked my every movement. She was evaluating me, as she always did, weighing her chances of survival against the risk of staying close. “This is your big fucking plan?” she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Hide in a crumbling shack and hope they just…go the away?” I ignored her, pulling my crossbow from my pack and checking the bolts. “If they’re here for me, then this is where I make my stand.” She scoffed. “What, no heroic last words?”

I smirked. “I’ll save them for when you’re not around to critique them.” Her lips quirked upward, just for a second, but the tension in the room swallowed it.

The first sound was soft, a faint scrape against the stone outside. I froze, raising my crossbow as Ember pushed off the wall, her body going rigid. “You hear that?” she asked, her voice low. “Yeah,” I said, moving toward the doorway. The shadows shifted, and a figure stepped into view. Their faces were hidden beneath a hood, their bodies wrapped in dark, tattered robes. More followed. Five. Seven. Ten. They moved with precision, their weapons gleaming faintly in the dim light. Swords, daggers, one with a crossbow not unlike mine. The leader stepped forward; their movements slow, deliberate. A mask covered the lower half of their face, but their eyes burned with purpose. “Hail Ronan Stormcrest,” they said, their voice smooth and sharp. “We’ve been expecting you.”

I tightened my grip on the crossbow. “I’m flattered. You mind telling me what the fuck all this fuss is about?” The leader tilted their head, their gaze flicking to Ember. “The phoenix. You’re delivering her to them, aren’t you?” Ember stiffened beside me, her fists clenching. “I’m standing right here, asshole. You can address me directly.” The leader ignored her, their focus was still on me. “You’ve made a mistake, hunter. The people you serve can’t be trusted. Hand her over to us, and we’ll see to it you’re…compensated.”

I laughed, the sound low and humorless. “Compensated, huh? For what? Betraying one monster to serve a fucking another?” The leader’s eyes narrowed. “You think you’re better than them? Better than us? You’re just a fucking pawn, Stormcrest. A blade without a will of its own. But blades can be turned.” The crossbow felt heavier in my hands. I didn’t flinch. “Not this one.” The leader sighed, their hands motioning toward their followers. “Kill him. Take the girl alive.”

The first attack came fast, a dagger flying toward my chest. I fired the crossbow, the bolt piercing the attacker’s shoulder before they could reach me. Behind me, Ember moved. Even without her fire, she was quick, grabbing a broken piece of stone from the ground and hurling it at another attacker. It hit them square in the face, and they stumbled, blood streaming from their nose. “Stay close!” I barked, drawing my blade as the next attacker lunged. Her laugh was sharp, bitter. “Wasn’t planning on wandering off.” I parried a strike, the clang of metal echoing through the ruins. Another attacker circled around, and I kicked a broken beam into their path, buying myself a second to breathe. Ember was holding her own, dodging and striking with feral precision. But I could see the strain on her face, the way her movements were slowing. The cuff was draining her.

One of the attackers got too close to her, grabbing her by the wrist and yanking her forward. She gasped, her body twisting as she struggled to free herself. I didn’t think. I moved. The edge of my blade bit into their throat, and they crumpled before they could make a sound. Ember stared at me, her chest heaving, her golden eyes wide. “You’re slowing down,” I said, my voice gruff. Her lips parted, and for a moment, I thought she was going to snap at me. But instead, she whispered, “I can’t…breathe.” I reached for her without thinking, pulling her closer, my hand curling around her forearm. The cuff glowed faintly, its runes pulsing like a heartbeat. “It’s the cuff,” I said. “It’s binding your power. You have to keep moving.” Her gaze dropped to where my hand touched her skin, her voice barely audible. “If I don’t?” “Then you’ll die,” I said, letting go. “And that’s not a fucking option.”

“This isn’t going to work,” she shouted, ducking another blow. “There’s too many of them!” She was right. For everyone we took down, two more seemed to take their place.

“Follow me,” I said, slashing through another attacker. She didn’t argue, and together we fought our way toward the back of the ruins. The wall there had crumbled completely, revealing a narrow path leading into the forest. We ran, the sound of pursuit close behind.

The night swallowed us, the ruins fading into the distance. But the voices followed, relentlessly, their echo cutting through the trees. Ember glanced at me; her golden eyes fierce despite the exhaustion in her face. “This is your idea of a plan?” “Got us out alive, didn’t it?” I spoke. Her laugh was sharp, bitter. “Barely.” I didn’t answer. Because for the first time, I wasn’t sure we’d make it out alive.