I sheathed Tempest with a sharp click and turned my gaze away from the group, looking past the weeping pillars toward the massive, dark archway at the very back of the plaza. That path led directly to the heart of the inner ruins, where the true monster was waiting.
"The small fry are taken care of," I said, my voice cold and flat. "...But we aren't done yet. The real problem is just through those doors."
No one argued. Everyone was too tired.
Even Alice wasn't grinning anymore. She was leaning against a broken pillar, her greatsword stuck in the ground beside her, her chest heaving. Riven sat on a chunk of rubble, staring at his daggers, his face pale.
Cordelia had her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath, while Amelia moved quickly among the wounded, her water magic flowing gently over cuts and bruises to soothe the pain.
