Maria.
I was still deeply puzzled, watching Adrien's dark expression closely, when suddenly a massive troupe of armed soldiers emerged from the dense treeline to our right.
The surrounding vegetation rustled violently as they spilled out into the open, their horses coming to an abrupt, coordinated halt directly facing us.
"Oh well!" a familiar voice rang out, cutting sharply through the tense, heavy quiet as his horse stepped forward from within the center of the troupe. "Isn't this a pleasant meeting?"
The figure finally rode into the full moonlight, coming into clear view, and my face darkened instantly as terror mixed with boiling anger in my chest. It was Daniel.
What on earth does he want now?
He had almost killed Davian back then in our previous encounter, and now he was standing directly in front of us again, backed by an entire army of armed warriors.
"Daniel!" Davian's voice rang out sharply through the forest, laced with unmistakable anger.
