Caius's POV
I returned to the Ruby Ruins just as the moon rose. The sky still glowed an unnatural red, like blood spilled across the clouds. Everything had changed in the few hours I'd been gone. I could smell it in the air—power, fear, and something else. Something dangerous.
As I stepped into the opening, I saw them—Sienna lying unconscious on the ground with Ronan and Kieran beside her. The Midnight Queen and her forces had fled after their surprise attack, but I knew they wouldn't stay away for long.
"I see I missed all the excitement," I said, my voice cutting through the tight silence.
Kieran's head snapped up, his eyes flashing not with their usual golden glow, but with normal human eyes. Interesting.
"Where's Zeke?" he asked.
"Safe," I answered, moving closer. "I've hidden him in an ancient vampire sanctuary. The Queen's magic can't reach him there."
Relief crossed Ronan's face. "Is he still... himself?"
