The icy winds howled across the towering walls of Eberdeen, battering against the fortress as James and his company rode back toward the gates. Snow swirled in the air, dancing like ghosts in the growing darkness. The sense of foreboding that had gripped him inside the caverns still lingered, and every gust of wind seemed to carry a whisper of the danger that was still to come.
As they passed through the gates, the Queen's soldiers ushered them inside, their faces tight with concern. The word of what had happened in the caverns had spread fast, and James could feel the weight of their worried gazes on him as he dismounted.
Yori, still looking drained from her battle with the ancient magic, walked beside him, her staff glowing faintly in the dim light. Behind them, Sasha, Cherry, and the others moved with equal weariness. It had been a long fight, but the sense that something far worse had been unleashed in the depths weighed heavily on all of them.
