They all knew the fight was inevitable now. No one grumbled about it — though their faces showed the same weary acceptance. It wasn't fear that settled over them but the shared thought that this was a nuisance they'd rather have avoided so early in the journey.
Weapons came free from sheaths with smooth practiced motions. Selene's gloved fingers crackled with a quiet surge of flame. Kaela rolled her shoulders and flexed her grip on her twin daggers, their edges catching faint glints from the golden light.
Thorne dragged his sword free with a faint rasp, his face blank except for a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, like a man about to get through an unpleasant chore.
Even Mark, always the steady one, pulled his sword around with a grunt and a muttered, "Let's get this over with."
Jan's sharp gaze flicked over them all, then turned back to Annette and Eccar.
