The night wasn't silent for much longer.
The forest about the ruins went wild with chaos as a first howl cut through the air—a warning, and then a command. Blackfang warriors boiled out of the undergrowth as phantoms of darkness, their snarls sounding in the mass of undergrowth. Lila whirled, blades out, as Kael sunk to the ground next to her, blood still running down his temple.
"Move!" she screamed, seizing his arm.
They bolted downhill, dodging branches and vaulting over roots while snarls closed in from behind. Arrows spiraled around them, thudding into bark inches from their heads. Kael staggered, gripping his side, but Lila caught him before he collapsed.
"Don't fucking stop," he growled, the bandage on his ribs beginning to soak with blood.
"I'm not going to let you die out here!" she snapped.
