Meanwhile, inside the shrinking forest-city...
Jasmine, Evangeline, and Aiden stood side by side, facing the boy who was practically inviting them to come and kill him.
Arthur.
He stood alone in the center of the ruined clearing—his clothes torn, blood streaking his face, and a black sword hanging loosely in one hand. His presence, however, felt anything but exhausted.
"Well?" Arthur asked lazily. "Do I need to beg, or are you people actually going to move?"
Before any of them could answer, the quiet crunch of footsteps approached from behind.
Damian stepped onto the battlefield once again.
One of his arms still hung crushed and mangled, bone and flesh twisted at an unnatural angle, dark bruises spreading across the skin. His spear was clutched in his left hand, the shaft resting against his shoulder.
But his eyes were different now.
