Lucas didn’t wait for the council to fully gather.He was already on the move, his armor strapped tightly, the Twin Fang blade secured across his back, and a fire burning fiercely in his veins.Reith had vanished, and with him, the scroll was gone. Now, every heartbeat in Frost Hollow trembled, sensing the growing unrest beneath their feet.The Ash Queen’s next assault wouldn’t come from the skies above. This time, it would rise from beneath the ground.Before the first light of dawn, the descent into the ancient catacombs beneath Thalindor had begun. Their entrance was hidden beneath the ruins of a long-forgotten cathedral, one that had been burned to ash during the initial purge of the Silent Moon witches.Lucas led the way down into the darkness.Following him closely were Lauren, Dan, Skylar, Dylan, and a squad of elite hybrid scouts.The moment they crossed the threshold of the sealed entrance, everything changed.The air turned cold—wetter, denser—as if the very earth around the