The first mercenary entered Cassandra's side passage before the dust finished settling. She released Nightglass Longbow at barely half draw, and the arrow struck him high in the chest hard enough to knock him backward into the man behind him. Neither died, but their collision clogged the narrow entrance and bought Cassandra enough time to retreat several steps toward the four Sairren trapped with her.
"Move farther back."
The three uninjured Sairren did not obey.
One held a dropped spear with both hands. Another remained crouched beside the wounded route-keeper, pressing cloth against the torn edge of his wing. The third watched Cassandra instead of the enemies gathering beyond the dust, and his attention kept drifting toward the marker above her.
[Condemned.]
Cassandra did not need to ask what he thought of it.
More shadows shifted inside the passage, so she nocked another arrow and glanced over her shoulder. "Did you hear me?"
