Chapter 183

Valeria’s POV

At dawn, they came.

The attack wasn’t subtle; the screams and the clash of steel against steel echoed through Ironhold, shaking the earth beneath us. I had felt it before I even opened my eyes—a dark, foreboding presence that made my skin crawl.

As I sat up, my heart pounded in my chest, knowing the inevitable had arrived. Fear gripped me, cold and unrelenting. Were we ready? I didn’