Thalina huffed, brushing aside a thick vine as she trudged deeper into the rainforest. This was pointless. She had spent all this time searching, and still—nothing. Not a single sign of the Crimson Tear.
Just as frustration threatened to boil over, a sound sliced through the thick jungle air.
A wail.
Her ears perked up, her body going rigid as the sound echoed through the trees. It wasn't the eerie cry of some predator, nor was it the rustling of prey escaping through the undergrowth.
It was pain. A desperate, suffering cry.
Thalina's feet moved before her brain could catch up, her instincts kicking in instantly as she pushed aside a curtain of broad, damp leaves.
Tharion was right behind her. He moved silently, but she could feel his presence—the way his body hovered protectively, the tension humming off him like an unsheathed blade.
Thalina sucked in a breath as her gaze landed on the creature before her.
A stag.
But not just any stag.
