Page 49 of Forged By Heart and Claws
Vad.
I see them,he replied and shifted in front of me.
Snarls rumbled down the corridor like thunder, and the wolves broke into a sprint.
Silus jerked the door open, and a rush of cold air spilled in from the tunnel beyond.
“Go!” Vad commanded.
We surged for the opening. Silus shoved Elara through first, then Vyraetos and Quen dove in next, clutching lamps and supplies. Veralt and Rhielle flanked the door with Rhielle’s sword drawn and Veralt's hands bloody but steady.
Thalen and Myantha bolted in next. I turned, but Vad closed in behind me, corralling me through just as the first wolf lunged.
Its claws scraped stones inches behind my heels.
I stumbled into the next tunnel, spinning around in time to see Vad brace himself in the doorway. The nearest wolf launched, but Vad’s blade caught it midair.
Another beast dove low. Vad kicked it back and slammed the door with a brutal clang. The lock snapped into place just before claws battered the other side.
The howls rose again. Angrier. Hungrier. Louder.
Dust rained from the stone above as they threw themselves at the door.
“I don’t suppose anyone knows what in the fecking void has made the shadow beasts lose their minds?” Rhielle tightened the straps on one of her bags.
Veralt scoffed and rubbed the back of his head.
Quen looked at Vyraetos, her eyes bloodshot from crying. “Well, old man?”
Vyraetos frowned. “They’ve snapped.”
“Thanks.” Thalen rolled his eyes. “We hadn’t figured that part out.”
The tunnel air shifted, feeling cold, thick, and sour. Each breath tasted like spoiled water. My lungs burned while the wolves snarled and tore at the wood behind us, fury undiminished.
“They’re going to break through.” I tugged at my wolf, who had regained some energy. I might need her strength and could shift shortly. “Where do we go now?”
Vad turned from the door, blood smeared down his arms like war paint, sword still clutched in one clawed hand. His chest heaved with each breath, but his voice came like steel: “We run. Straight through. The southern passage is dry right now. If we move fast, we’ll beat the river before it rises and reach the forest before the wolves catch up.”
A beat of silence fell between us.
The others surged forward into the tunnel, the heavy banging of the wolves against the door continuing like a drumbeat of doom. Shadows stretched long and crooked in the lamplight,flickering over the uneven walls. My feet scraped on grit, each step jarring my bones.
I felt hollow inside. Thalira’s face wouldn’t leave me. Her blood still clung to my hands.
Beside me, Elara stumbled against Silus, her lips white and eyes sharp with pain.
I swallowed hard, throat raw. If we lost her too… I stopped, unable to finish the thought.
Vad’s voice cut through the tension. “Did anyone save her medicine?”
Vyraetos raised the leather satchel. “Got it.”
“Good.” Vad nodded once, then pushed ahead. “Keep close. No noise.”
We moved fast, deeper into the earth. The tunnel dipped lower, the air turning thick and sour. Every creak of leather, every footfall, every strained breath echoed like a scream. No one spoke. Even our grief had gone silent.
Then—howls.
