Steel slid from its sheath with a clear metallic whisper.
Aelion stepped forward without hesitation, placing himself between Aveline and the descending guards as he raised his sword.
"Stay behind me."
It was instinct. The responsibility of a leader.
But Aveline quietly sidestepped him. Not out of defiance. She simply needed to see.
If someone was injured... If the rebels needed her... If there was anything she could do...
She couldn't remain hidden behind another person's back.
-----
Hidden beneath the flawless veil of Aurelion Light, Theron remained unseen from only a short distance away.
His gaze swept over the underground warehouse.
For one suspended heartbeat... Even he forgot to breathe.
Cotton. Endless mountains of it. Far more than the intelligence reports had ever suggested.
His jaw slowly tightened.
The Chancellor's smug smile surfaced vividly in his memory.
