Hayley's POV

Aiden and I climbed a short, forested hill, the deep greens of coniferous trees surrounding us with silver grays in their high-limbed needles as they filtered the first shafts of morning light into dappled shadows on the ground. We trod just hours past, so near our home lines. What had happened the night before was still fresh in their minds, and they needed to keep moving if there was any hope of completing this task.

“Alright, now that we know what we are really dealing with here...” I began. We must have a strategy to take down the cult and halt Marcus.

Aiden nodded, his face fixed with...