Chapter 153

Aisha POV The answering howl cut through the night like a blade drawn slow. It wasn’t the call of a lost scout or a routine signal. It was layered, one tone pitched to carry, the other buried underneath, almost inaudible unless you knew to listen for it. A code. I moved to the window without thinking. The eastern wall sat in shadow, the lanterns along that stretch still lit but casting no comfort. A sliver of movement shifted beyond the treeline, too far to make out a form, but enough for the air between my shoulders to tighten. Simon was already at the weapons rack, slipping a blade into his belt, another into his boot. His eyes found mine in the dim light. No words were needed. We had both heard it for what it was. “Inside or outside?” I asked. “Outside,” he said. “But close enough to want us to know they are there.” Charlie’s boots thudded back down the corridor before he appeared in the doorway. “Patrol’s heading to the eastern sector. You want me to” “No,” Simon cut in, his tone e