Hours had passed since Karut disappeared down the road with his white tiger and his silent retinue, but Jake could still feel the lingering weight of his half-brother's presence pressing against the edges of his awareness like a handprint left on skin that refused to fade.
The oppressive force had lifted when Karut departed, but something remained behind, a residue of power that clung to the air and made Jake's blood-sense pulse with uncomfortable regularity, reminding him with each quiet throb exactly how vast the gap between them truly was.
It had come as a complete shock to him, startling the hell out of him.
They had stopped to rest before pushing the final distance to Roakan, setting up a quick camp in a clearing where the road widened and the forest pulled back enough to give them clear sightlines in all directions.
They were all wary of their surroundings, still keeping an eye out, looking for threats.
