#Chapter 200 – The Endless Hunt

Damon Two Years Later The snow swallowed all the sound. Only the crunch of boots and the wet rasp of dying Rogues broke the silence. I moved through the clearing like a wild animal. My blade flashed once, clean and efficient, and another body hit the ground with a dull thud. The air reeked of iron and frost, a perfume I’d grown too used to. Zane growled low in the back of my mind, hungry for more. Again. I didn’t hesitate. The next Rogue lunged, snarling, and I met it mid-charge. Bone cracked beneath my hand, and then the forest was quiet again. When the last of them fell, the stillness pressed down hard on me. Even the trees seemed to hold their breath. I wiped my blade in the snow, but it didn’t matter. The scent of blood clung to me like a second skin. My guards lingered at the edge of the clearing, watching. None dared speak until my new second finally stepped forward, voice tight. “Your Majesty, the Rogues are scattered. We’ve found nothing. No trail, no messag