The Northern Threat
**Arin's POV**
The arrow whistled past my ear so close I felt the feathers brush my flesh.
"Get down!" Kael cried, tackling me to the ground just as three more arrows blasted into the tree where I'd been standing.
My heart slammed against my chest as we rolled beneath a fallen log. The demonic force that had been trying to merge with us was gone for now, but now we had bigger concerns.
"Who's shooting at us?" I gasped, struggling to catch my breath.
"Look at the arrows," Rowan remarked solemnly. He pointed to one sticking out of the tree trunk. It had white and gold feathers and weird markings carved into the wood.
"Northern Alliance," Jaxon spat. "Queen Althara's people."
Before I could ask what that meant, a trumpet blew three times from someplace in the jungle. The firing ceased, and everything went quiet save for the sound of horses approaching.
"They want to talk," Kael remarked, but he didn't sound happy about it.
