CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY THREE – THE MIGHT OF THE GORROTHS

The sounds of the brutal battle raged behind them as they hurried onward. Karina wanted to look back, to see if Zaya needed help, but she forced herself to keep moving. She had to trust the fierce werewolf could handle herself. Becky began wailing, startled by the terrifying noises. Karina bounced and shushed her desperately, trying to soothe the baby even as her own heart pounded in terror. "There, just ahead!" Allistair pointed through the trees. At first, Karina saw nothing but more shadowy forest. Then her eyes caught a strange shimmering in the air, like heat ripples. As they approached, stone pillars and crumbling archways materialized among the tree trunks, as if a long-forgotten ruin was phasing into existence. "We've reached the sanctuary boundary," Allistair explained, a note of relief in his voice. "The ancient druid magic still holds strong here." Karina gaped at the sprawling, overgrown ruins emerging from the illusion - weathered statues, moss-covered stairs, and a m