CHAPTER HUNDRED AND EIGHTY - NINE - WHAT... WHAT ARE YOU, MATEO?

Mateo severed the assassin throat in a single, brutal movement. The life faded from his eyes, the body slumping to the ground. Mateo turned his gaze to the tree, where the second assassin was still poised, his bow drawn. He took a step forward, his stance low and read Mateo’s muscles tensed, every fiber of his being coiled like a spring. The second assassin’s bow twitched, and Mateo reacted in a blur of motion. He darted to the side, his body moving with preternatural speed. The arrow whistled past him, embedding itself in the trunk of the tree he’d just vacated. Mateo didn’t pause. He sprinted towards the assassin, his claws reaching for the archer’s throat. The assassin jerked back, but Mateo was faster. Mateo’s claws found their mark, sinking into the assassin’s neck. The archer’s bow clattered to the ground, his eyes wide with shock as Mateo’s grip tightened. The assassin thrashed, his feet kicking weakly against the tree, but Mateo held firm, his expression as cold and impl