Chapter 42 — The Burning River
The Burning River was a nightmare carved into the earth itself.
Molten lava flowed sluggishly through a wide canyon of blackened rock, its cracked surface glowing with angry orange light that reflected off jagged obsidian cliffs. Waves of scorching heat distorted the air, making distant shapes shimmer like ghosts. The river was the lifeblood of Vorath's war machine — the only safe route to move heavy supplies and reinforcements without risking ambushes in the open volcanic plains.
Until tonight.
Cairis crouched low among the razor-sharp rock formations overlooking the river, his massive frame hidden in shadows. Liora pressed close beside him, the soul bond humming like a live wire between their hearts. Every beat carried fragments of the other: his cold, calculated rage… her rising, violet-tinged hunger for destruction.
