Third Person POV


    The battle was turning.


    Not cleanly. Not easily. But unmistakably.


    The rogues were being pushed back now, forced into retreating arcs instead of relentless advance. Their formations frayed under sustained pressure, discipline breaking as exhaustion set in.


    Where they had surged with brutal confidence before, now they reacted-scrambling to counter maneuvers instead of dictating them.


    ric stood at the heart of it, cloak dark with rain and blood, issuingmands with sharp, economical precision.


    "Second nk, tighten-don''t chase them. Hold the line."


    A group of Moonstone warriors shifted instantly, locking shields and adjusting spacing without question.


    "Third rotation, swap out the injured. You-yes, you-fall back before you copse."


    4


    The young warrior hesitated only a heartbeat before obeying, relief flickering across his face as a healer caught his arm and dragged him clear.


    ric didn''t raise his voice. He didn''t need to.


    Authority radiated from him like gravity-calm, unyielding, absolute. Even in chaos, the battlefield bent around his presence. The rogues felt it too; their attacks avoided his position instinctively, skirting the edge of something they didn''t want to test.


    The Pine Ridge forces had made all the difference.


    Their arrival had broken the stalemate, splitting the rogue advance and relieving pressure on Silver Fang''s inner defenses. Lance had seized the opening instantly, coordinating with Pine Ridge generals as if they''d trained together for years.


    The storm still raged overhead, thunder cracking the sky open in violent punctuation —but on the ground, order was asserting itself again.


    Victory was no longer impossible.


    It was within reach.


    And yet-


    ric felt it.


    A tightening in his chest that had nothing to do with exertion. A wrongness that prickled along his spine, cold and unmistakable.


    Time was running out.


    Not for the battle.


    For something else.


    The knowledge came to him in a sh, as it often did for him. Unlike Ellie''s vision, ric had always gotten his messages from the goddess in shes of intuition.


    Cassian felt it the moment something shifted.


    There was no vision. No voice. No clear exnation. Not for Cassian.


    He had never been blessed with that aspect of Moonstone lineage. He didn''t share


    the strong connection to the goddess that the rest of his family did.


    For him, it was just a sudden, sickening sense of imbnce-like the ground beneath his feet had shifted a


    fraction too far.


    His hands shook as he parried a blow, de skidding off a rogue''s armor. He corrected automatically, movements sharp and practiced, but unease coiled tighter in his gut with every breath.


    Something was wrong.


    Not here not the battle itself. That was turning. He could see it, feel it in the renewed strength of their lines, the way the rogues faltered now instead of pressing.


    This was different.


    Personal.


    “Cassian!” Lance''s voice cut through his thoughts. "Focus, man!"


    Cassian obeyed, forcing his focus back into the present as they cut down another cluster of retreating rogues. Still, the feeling lingered-heavy and insistent.


    He searched the battlefield instinctively.


    Found ric.


    Their eyes met across the chaos.


    For just a second, ric''s gaze softened.


    Cassian''s chest tightened.


    Then ric lifted two fingers and pointed-not toward the packhouse, but toward Lance.


    Command.


    Understanding followed swiftly, even if the reason did not.


    Cassian nodded once.


    ric moved through the ranks with purpose, issuing rapid orders as he went.


    "Lance," he said crisply when he reached him. "The line will hold. Pine Ridge has the southern nk. Silver


    Fang will reinforce the east. You takemand here."


    Lance blinked. "You''re leaving?"


    "Yes."


    "Where are you going?"


    ric didn''t answer directly. His eyes flicked briefly toward the packhouse, then back.


    "Finish this,” he said. "Push them back over the border. Do not pursue beyond it." Something in his tone brooked no argument.


    Lance straightened. "Understood."


    ric turned to Cassian.


    "You''re with me," he said.


    Cassian''s heart thudded painfully. The look on ric''s face filled him with a dread


    that was hard for him to define. “Why?”


    ric hesitated.


    Just a moment.


    Then, gently, he reached out and sped Cassian''s shoulder.


    "Because I need you," he said. "And because it''s time you trusted yourself."


    Cassian swallowed hard and nodded.


    Together, they turned away from the battlefield.


    Behind them, Lance tookmand, rallying the forces with renewed confidence. Thebined might of Moonstone, Silver Fang, and Pine Ridge pressed forward, driving the rogues back inch by bloody inch.


    The sound of Lance shouting orders carried over the chaos as they moved away from the heat of battle.


    They were halfway to the packhouse when ric staggered suddenly. Cassian


    steadied him, but his concerned voice faded into silence in an instant.


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    Cede is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a ir for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cede''s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.