Chapter 10: The Serpent's Wake

Dawn came with a bite in the air, the kind of cold that settled into the bones and made you question every decision that had led you here. Kai Cheng woke with his back against the boulder, the fire long dead, and a thin layer of frost on his pack. He moved carefully, deliberately, checking his body for stiffness before he stood. Mei Ling was already awake, crouched at the edge of the quarry, her b...