A tall, ever-expanding cloud of yellow smoke rose from a mountain's slope, creating a temporary death zone.
Liam and Grace stared at the cloud from a distant, lower elevation, their figures only visible to each other because their arms were touching. Nothing else in the world was aware of their presence.
As much as Liam would have loved to joke around with Adrian for days on end, he just couldn't. It was unclear when the Church's reinforcements or other forces would arrive. He only knew that they would, and he couldn't risk missing the window in which to enact the whole facade.
It had to look as if Liam had left Adrian next to the slaughter as a messenger for his declaration. Anyone seeing him return his friend to the area would have smelled foul play.
That was why the reunion had barely lasted a few hours. Afterward, Liam had returned Adrian to the mountain, gathered the mangled corpses into a pile, and thrown the rank 2 Master's Pride at it.
