The tension in the air is palpable as they trudge back to their captors’ camp. When they arrive, several people are waiting there. The larger, louder men are teasing three women, while two smaller men are on watch duty. Upon seeing the group’s return, they call out to the rest of the crew to notify them, then run over to help pack away the supplies. Emrys watches them closely, noting where they store all their provisions.

Just then, one of the two lackeys happens to turn and lock eyes with him, but he looks away just as quickly, a flicker of something indecipherable in his gaze.

The leader throws the sisters to the three women, causing the other men to cheer, then he points to Emrys and the others, saying, “I got some extra dummies for target practice.”

The men laugh loudly, their voices grating and filled with malicious glee.

“We can use them as bait for the hoards higher up the mountain.”

“Ohh, good idea!”

The leader speaks over the cacophony of voices, “We’ll rest here one more night then continue up the mountain path at dawn.”

—

As night falls, the camp gradually quiets down, the only sounds being the crackling of the fire and the occasional rustle of leaves. Rowan and Avery are on the last watch shift, ensuring the camp remains undisturbed.

Rowan glances at the trio who are bound together, their heads lowered as they whisper to each other. One of them glances up and happens to meet his gaze. This is the second time, but this time, Rowan doesn’t turn away and greets him with a subtle nod.

As the night turns darker and the stars more vivid, Rowan watches the burly men’s sleeping figures, making sure they’re deep asleep, their guards down.

When he deems it safe, he nudges Avery and gestures to the bound trio. “Let’s escape with them.”

Avery looks at Rowan in confusion. “Uh, why?”

“I’ve had enough of Jett’s arrogance, haven’t you? They all treat us like shit.”

Avery nods. “Okay.”

“Keep watch,” Rowan instructs.

Rowan makes his way over to the trio’s makeshift prison as quietly as possible and frees them from their restraints. They all look at him distrustfully.

“If you want to escape, we need to get out of here now,” Rowan whispers urgently.

“Why are you helping us?” Emrys asks, his voice low and cautious.

“Because we want out too. Ave and I have had enough of this group,” Rowan scoffs. “I’m helping you, so in exchange you have to let us join you.”

The trio exchange glances before finally agreeing.

“Wait,” Emrys interrupts their planning. “We can’t leave Lily and Clara behind. They’re being held captive separately.”

Rowan nods. “Where?”

“They're tied up near the main fire pit, just beyond those tents,” Emrys points out.

Rowan considers this for a moment, then signals to Avery to follow. “You three stay here and be ready to move as soon as we get back.”

Cas, Wesley, and Emrys crouch low, keeping an eye on the sleeping forms around them. Rowan and Avery slip into the shadows, making their way stealthily towards the main fire pit.

As they approach, they see the sisters bound and guarded by two big men who are drowsy, their heads bobbing as they fight to stay awake. Rowan motions for Avery to take the one on the left while he handles the one on the right.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Moving with silent precision, they incapacitate the guards, covering their mouths to stifle any noise before dragging them into the shadows. Rowan quickly cuts the sisters free.

The older sister, Lily, looks at Rowan with a mix of gratitude and suspicion. “Why are you helping us?”

Rowan simply nods. “Long story. We need to move now. Follow us.”

The group reconvenes at the edge of the camp, the sisters now with them. Wesley signals for everyone to stay low as they begin their escape.

Rowan whispers, “We need to move quickly and quietly. Follow us.”

Emrys nods, his eyes calculating. Wesley frowns, sensing the change in Emrys’s demeanor.

Rowan and Avery lead them to the supply tent, moving swiftly but silently. Just as they pass the men sleeping nearest to the supplies, one of the men stirs and grunts in his sleep. Everyone freezes, holding their breath. After a tense moment, the man rolls over and resumes snoring. They make it inside the supply tent, where Rowan has already divided away the necessary supplies for them to take.

“Grab as much as you can carry,” Rowan instructs. “We don’t have much time.”

“We can take it all,” Emrys says. “My dimensional storage can hold all of it.”

Rowan and Avery look at Emrys in surprise, clearly not expecting he had a god’s grace, but they quickly recover and begin to organize the supplies in accordance to what they would carry and what Emrys would store away.

As they load up, Emrys pauses suddenly. He looks back at the sleeping forms of their captors through the tent opening.

Cas whispers, “Emrys?”

Wesley takes notice and asks Emrys, “What is it? What are you thinking?”

“They deserve a taste of their own medicine,” Emrys replies softly.

“Whatever you’re thinking, we don’t have time for it,” Rowan huffs, but Emrys pays him no mind, continuing to stare out at the crackling fire.

Cas places a hand on Emrys’s shoulder. “I’m with you.”

Emrys finally breaks out of his reverie to smile at Cas. “Let’s get these all stored away and get out of here.”

Rowan and Avery lead the group out of the camp, but as they move, Emrys continues to look around. Spotting a stack of firewood and a few bottles of alcohol, he motions for Cas to help him.

Within moments, they rig a simple but effective fire trap. Emrys lights a small fire at the edge of the camp, the flames quickly catching onto the dry wood and alcohol, creating a sudden blaze. The camp erupts in chaos as the group awakens and scrambles to contain the fire.

Emrys says to Wesley as they flee, “Barricade the camp with rocks once we’re out. Keep the fire isolated to their area. Make it hard for them to escape.”

Wesley feels cold shivers run down his spine when he sees Emrys’s cold and steady gaze, but he nods and does as he instructs.

They flee into the forest, the sounds of confusion and shouting fading behind them. They move swiftly, the adrenaline pushing them forward until they find a safe spot to rest.

They set up camp for the night, or at least the few hours of darkness they have left. Cas obstinately takes up the role of watch duty for the rest of the night.

Wesley lies wide awake in his sleeping bag, unable to settle his mind. He tosses and turns a few times before ultimately giving up on sleep altogether. He pokes his head out of his cobbled-together rock tent and notices Cas walking off into the trees.

Where is he going when he’s supposed to be on watch duty? Wesley thinks, annoyed.

He considers calling out to him, but something stops him from doing so. Instead, curiosity gets the better of him and he quietly slips out to follow Cas at a distance.

Cas moves silently through the trees, his form almost melding with the shadows. Wesley follows, keeping to the underbrush. Cas approaches the edge of the larger group’s camp, now in disarray. They have only just gotten the fire back under their control, and Wesley’s hurried barricade of jutting rocks lies in ruins, sliced and broken down.

The group is climbing out of their camp, covered in ash and soot, their faces twisted in anger. Then they see Cas, standing calmly before them. He doesn’t even let them speak before shadowy creatures begin emerging from the darkness, and a chill fills the air.

Wesley’s eyes widen in horror as he recognizes the scene. He covers his mouth tightly with both hands to keep himself from making any sound. This was the shadow monster that wiped out his previous team. Cas is not using the God of Shadow’s grace. He is a monster, born from the shadows themselves.

Cries of agony echo through the night as the shadows swallow the group one by one. They desperately try to fight them with fire, thunder, and wind, but the shadows are formless and seemingly invincible. Cas’s eyes glow faintly as he stands there, commanding the shadows with an ease that is both mesmerizing and terrifying.

Wesley leaves the area while Cas is distracted with massacring the group. He moves as quietly as possible, his heart pounding in his chest.

He’s unsure how he makes it back to camp, but upon reaching the sleeping group, exhaustion replaces the fear that had overwhelmed him. He crawls back into his sleeping bag, his mind racing. He refortifies the area all around him with as much earth and rock as he can manage. He’s exhausted, but he won’t sleep. He needs to think.

As the first light of dawn begins to break, Wesley knows one thing for certain: Cas is a danger to them all, and they need to know the truth.