Yara's voice dropped to a whisper. "The Hollow King's silent choir," she said. "They're what's left of Guildmen who listened to the song. They don't talk anymore. They don't need to. The song is in their minds, and when they get close, it spills into yours. You don't hear it with your ears. You feel it. In your head. It twists you. It melts who you are until there's nothing left."
Kai felt his heart pounding. His fingers tightened around his knife. "Can we kill them?"
Yara didn't even glance at him. She shook her head once, sharp and sure. "Nope."
"Can we run?"
"Nope," she said again, voice flat. "They'll follow. The song follows too."
Behind them, Varaan growled, low and deep, like a mountain shaking. Her fur stood on end, thick and wild, and her gold eyes locked on the figures approaching. She crouched low, claws digging into the ground, ready to leap. Her teeth showed in a wide snarl. "Then we fight," she said, each word like a stone falling.
