Ace's POV
The damp earth muffled my footsteps as I approached Khaleed and the witch. Khaleed's human scent—sweat, leather, and fear—mixed sharply with the witch's herbal odor. Their eyes snapped fully open as I loomed over them, taking in the grim tableau of their bound comrades. Magic chains glowed faintly around some bandits' wrists, while others bore magic cuffs. Every mouth was sealed with silver duct tape that caught the moonlight.
I reached down and ripped the tape from both their mouths in one swift motion. The witch gasped like a drowning woman surfacing, her ragged breaths puffing white in the cold air. Khaleed merely clenched his jaw tighter, the muscles in his neck standing out like cords.
"What are you gonna do to us?!" Khaleed's voice cut through the night, sharp as a blade but wavering at the edges. His dark eyes darted between me and the surrounding warriors.
