Ethan's POV
My breath caught in my throat.
"Rogues," I said, my voice low, dangerous. "What the hell are rogues doing in Silverfang Palace?"
Leonidas wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, standing tall and meeting my glare without flinching.
"Good thing you're here, Ethan," he said evenly. "This Blackwood invaded our palace — and brought these rogues with him."
My gaze flicked to the floor where the Blackwood lay, lifeless, blood pooling under his chest. Then to the rogues — tense, silent, but not looking like an attacking force.
And then to the man still standing — the one with the bow. His face twisted with desperation.
"That's not..." he started, but before he could finish, Leonidas blurred forward.
I barely saw the movement until it was too late.
His claws tore across the man's throat, ripping it open in one brutal strike. The man gurgled and dropped to his knees, blood spilling over the marble before he collapsed completely.
