The sound of claws on stone got closer fast.
Kael heard it before anyone else did. His head snapped toward the east wall, body already half shifted, shoulders tight, eyes bright. The guards heard it a second later and started moving without being told. That was good. It meant they were not completely useless tonight.
Then the wall hit.
The stone shuddered hard and cracked in one long line. Dust fell from above. Somebody near the outer line yelled and stumbled back. Another hit came from the other side, then another, and the wall gave way in a sharp burst of broken rock.
A man came through first.
Dark cloak. Blood on his shoulder. A knife in one hand.
Then two more.
Hunters.
Lyria's stomach dropped.
Kael didn't wait. He shifted the rest of the way and hit the nearest one before the man could even lift the knife. Fur, teeth, all of it. The two of them slammed into the ground and rolled.
The hall exploded into noise.
