FAELAN'S POV
I slowed, lowering myself until my belly brushed the damp ground. Aviona understood immediately and slid off my back, her fingers lingering in my fur for the briefest heartbeat before she stepped away.
The moment her feet touched the earth, I shifted back to my true form. Nyelle and Niles were already at work, their joined light flaring brighter as they strengthened the shield around us, the glow pushing back the creeping dark.
“Whatever happens,” I said, my voice steady, “we stay together. No one separates.”
Niles grimaced but nodded. “We haven’t seen the worst of it yet, have we?”
“No,” I said. “Not even close. The path will shift again soon.”
True enough, The Drift shifted again, releasing a thick fog meant to disorient us. The faint groan of trees echoed around us—wo
