The temple stairs were uncomfortable.
Kael didn't care. He sat on the crimson stone with his back against a cracked pillar, watching the battlefield below with the detached interest of someone who had already done his part and was now waiting for the adults to finish theirs.
Aria sat beside him, cleaning her daggers with methodical precision. Rue perched on a higher step, scythe resting against her shoulder, tails curled around her like a furry blanket. Silas stood a few feet away, arms crossed, expression cold as always.
They'd been chatting for maybe ten minutes.
Aria was mid-sentence when Kael's instincts screamed.
Too late.
"What are you guys talking about?"
The voice came from behind them. Directly behind them. Close enough that Kael could feel the body heat radiating from the speaker.
He spun, fist already moving—
The kick caught him in the stomach.
BOOM!
