Chapter 9: The Enemy's Blade

The information I’d gathered at The Gilded Talon was a double-edged sword. Knowing Marcus’s exact location was a tactical advantage, but it also made the threat feel terrifyingly immediate. He was no longer a specter in the woods; he was a man in a stable, surrounded by armed men, actively hunting me. We decided to do a closer reconnaissance of the old livery stable. The plan was simple: observe from a distance, confirm the numbers and layout, and then retreat to plan our next move. Kaine’s...