Lorraine's POV
The truck roared as the tires rolled through the broken forest ground, bumping and swaying as Thorin gripped the wheel with clenched fists. No one spoke. Not a single word. The air inside the vehicle was thick, choked with blood, fear, and everything we'd just lost. My ears still rang from the chaos in the auditorium. My heart hadn't stopped racing. Kieran's head was resting against my shoulder, unmoving. Still unconscious.
I hadn't let go of his hand.
Beside us, Magnus kept glancing down at the prince, concern etched into every line of his face.
"Drive faster," Astrid snapped from the front seat. "We're almost there."
Thorin didn't reply. His foot pressed harder on the gas.
We tore through the trees like shadows on the run, the forest closing in on us in every direction until suddenly
"Here," Astrid commanded, pointing to what looked like nothing more than a dense thicket of underbrush and ancient pine.
