Chapter 128

••• Damien’s POV ••• The border pulsed with tension. I stood at the frontlines, the wind thick with the scent of warriors, steel, and the dry tang of looming violence. The trees didn’t sway. The grass barely moved. Everything was waiting—coiled and sharp, like a trap ready to spring. Across the invisible line that marked our territory, Martin’s forces stood in formation. Not attacking and not retreating. Just there. Daring us to make the first move. "They're testing us," Noah muttered beside me. "No. They're waiting for something," I replied, voice low and clipped. Because I knew Martin. He didn't posture without purpose. Noah and I had this conversation for fuck knew how many times. But this was too strange even for Martin. Too long for even him to wait... What was he waiting for? I scanned the treeline again, jaw clenched. He was there, of course, standing like a smug bastard right behind his first line. Cloaked in that signature gold-trimmed armor, arms folded, gaze lazy. But someth