Chapter 156

Simon POV The clearing below lay quiet now, too quiet for a place that had seen movement moments ago. Stillness like that wasn’t safety, it was the lull predators leave before circling back. My instincts told me the rogues hadn’t retreated far. They were nearby, listening, learning. Aisha kept her eyes on the tree line, shoulders squared. She was ready for a second wave, but I knew that wasn’t how this would play out. Whoever sent them wanted us rattled, not overrun, not yet. I leaned in close, my voice low. “We stay here two minutes. Then we move.” Her eyes flicked toward me, a question in them. “Why two?” “Because it’s just long enough for them to think we are waiting for backup. Makes them impatient. Impatience means mistakes.” My gaze swept the perimeter. The wind had shifted again, bringing more scent, faint traces of ash, dry earth, and the same rogue musk from before. The pattern was consistent. They were holding a semicircle around us, keeping gaps between them. Not a kill form