Chapter 218: Ripple Effect

~ ELRETH ~

"I… I hear your challenge," she said breathlessly, pressing the words between her teeth. "But I would hope that we could find a peaceful way to—"

"I was told that you Anima respected the traditions. That you fought when fighting was necessary to determine dominance," Zev said, his lips curling up in warning.

"We do. I do!" Elreth said, her voice growing stronger, even as her heart pounded so hard she could barely hear anything else. "But we have traditions that must be… I cannot fight you right now. My second isn't here," she said, grasping at straws—Aaryn was likely still nearby, though she'd asked him to position himself well beyond the reach of an advancing Chimeran horde.

But to her surprise, Zev didn't argue, or get annoyed.

He smiled.

He was very handsome when he smiled.

And very coldly terrifying.

"Oh, but he is," he said quietly. Then turned to look at the woods behind him and gave a sharp, piercing whistle.