23. Bree
Bree
The pounding on the door jerks me awake; my heart tries to punch through my ribs.
For a split second, I’m disoriented—wrapped in warmth, Rhett’s arm heavy across my waist, Jace’s breath steady against my shoulder. The room still smells faintly of soap and steam from hours ago.
Then the door crashes open.
Auren stands in the doorway, chest heaving, eyes wild.
“Get up. We go now. Ten minutes before they’re on us.”
The words punch through the fog of sleep like ice water.
Rhett’s already moving, rolling out of bed with the kind of speed that says his body was awake before his mind caught up. Jace swears under his breath, scrambling for his boots.
“What—” I start, but Auren’s already gone, his footsteps thundering down the hall.
I throw back the covers and lunge for the leather outfit I wore earlier—pants, jacket, boots. My hands shake as I yank the zipper up, fumbling with the straps.
Gray appears in the doorway—human, solid—storm-gray eyes sharp. “Move. Now.”
Theo’s right behind him, already pulling on his coat, and Wes stumbles past with a pack slung over one shoulder.
Jace runs toward us from the kitchen when I make it to the hall, still shoving food into a bag—bread, apples, cheese, anything he could grab.
“Jace— ”
“You’ll thank me when we’re starving,” he mutters. “Priorities.”
Rhett’s hand closes around my wrist, steadying me. “We’re getting out of here. Together.”
I nod, my throat too tight to speak.
At the end of the corridor, Auren presses his palm to what looks like solid stone—but it isn’t.
The wall slides open with a low grinding sound, revealing darkness beyond—narrow, damp, and ancient.
Tunnels.
“Go,” Auren snaps, and we don’t hesitate.
Rhett goes first, letting go of my wrist, but still holding his hand outstretched behind him for me. I take it, and the moment I step through the opening, my Ether flickers to life—curling around my wrists, lighting the edges of my vision with silver.
The air tastes metallic, like old wards waking up after years of sleep. It crawls along my skin.
Behind me, the others file in—Seth, Stellan and Thane bringing up the rear with Auren. The moment he crosses the threshold, the stone grinds shut, sealing the way.
“Wonderful,” Thane mutters from behind me. “Darkness again.”
I have to hold back a nervous laugh.
Too soon.
Torches flicker to life along the walls, casting long shadows that stretch and twist as we move. The tunnel is narrow—barely wide enough for two people side by side—and the ceiling is low enough that Rhett has to duck.
Our footsteps echo on damp stone, too loud, too real.
Everything we rebuilt tonight is already behind us .
I glance back once, catching Jace’s eye. He’s pale, his jaw tight, but he winks, and my body relaxes just a little.
We keep moving.
I realize halfway through that I haven’t seen my mother.
The thought hits me so suddenly I almost stumble.
“Auren,” I call softly, my voice bouncing off the walls. “Where’s—”
“Safe,” Auren says without turning around. “I moved her earlier.”
The ache is quiet, settling somewhere under my ribs.
She wanted me safe. Maybe that’s the only goodbye either of us knows how to give.
I keep walking.
The tunnel ends in a rough-cut arch, barely tall enough to stand upright. Beyond it, I can see the night—dark and cold and vast.
Auren stops at the threshold, turning to face us. His expression is grim, his eyes shadowed.
“Once you’re through, it seals. No going back.”
I look at each of them—Rhett, still holding my hand. Jace, clutching his bag of food like a lifeline. Theo, his dark eyes already distant, seeing something the rest of us can’t.
And I nod.
Auren leans in close to Thane, his voice low but urgent. “Three days northwest. Town called Greymar. There’s a pub—The Rusted Gear. Ask for Mo. He’ll know what to do.”
Thane nods once, sharp and certain.
Auren steps back, his gaze sweeping over all of us before landing on me. Something softens in his face—just for a breath.
“Good luck, Bree. ”
“Thank you,” I manage. “For everything.”
He inclines his head, then gestures toward the passage. “Go. I’ll cover here.”
“Let’s go,” Stellan says, seeing the determination in my eyes.
We step through.
The moment we emerge into the open air, my Ether hums—sharp and electric, like static before a storm.
Someone is coming.
I feel it in my bones.
Let them.