Page 58 of Forged By Heart and Claws
Everyone stilled, and the sounds filled the air around us again.
Vad ‘s eyes glimmered silver in the lamplight. “That’s the river.” His voice was low, weight behind every word. “We’re close.”
Hope stirred like a spark catching dry kindling, fast and fragile. The group surged forward, a little quicker now despite the bone-deep weariness. Our shoulders brushed as we crammed through the narrow passage, drawn forward by thirst. The air grew damper with each step, curling cool against my cheeks. I could taste the river on my tongue.
Vad reached the bend ahead of us and rounded it.
Then stopped short. “Feck!”
CHAPTER 13
Briar
Istepped around the corner and halted beside Vad. Ice shot down my spine.
A wall of jagged stone, crumbled boulders, and shattered slabs rose like a dam, sealing the tunnel. The floor had already flooded, and a steady stream of water gurgled in from somewhere beyond. But this water wasn’t crimson like it should’ve been. It was a pale milky gray, frothing where it churned against stone.
It lookedwrong.
Vad’s wings flared wide behind him as he stepped to the edge. His hands braced against his belt, jaw clenched tight as he scanned the blockage. Frustration and calculation pulsed hot through the bond. This was it. This was where the path ended. At least, for now.
How bad is it?I linked, not wanting him to have to say it out loud in front of everyone.
He crouched, fingers dipping into the swirling water.
Rhielle knelt beside him, scooping a handful. “It’s not crimson… or silver. This is…” Her eyes narrowed as she let it spill through her fingers. “It’sclear. I’ve never seen water like this.”
“That’s what water looks like on Earth.” If we weren’t so tired and stressed, I would’ve laughed at their thinking this water looked strange, but now wasn’t the time.
Stepping beside the wall, Vyraetos pressed a palm to the stone as if feeling for a heartbeat. His shoulders slumped. “The magic has bled out of this place. Even the mountain mourns. The water is only water now.”
I studied the rest of the cavern, looking for alternative exits. About ten feet away, another slab of rock jutted up and curved back into darkness where the passage continued.
“Can we dig through it? Even a small gap…” Elara swayed slightly, pressing a hand to her ribs. Her right wing lifted an inch—subtle, but promising.
Elias shook his head. “If I had my magic, I could get us out of this situation, but like this?” He glanced at the ceiling, assessing the weight hanging over us. “It’d take hours. Maybe days. And the ceiling could collapse.”
I didn’t need him to explain further. That mound could fall on us. The water could rise fast. Any mistake would be catastrophic.
Silus took the lamp from Quen and tilted it upward. Veralt snagged it from him so he could lift it higher. The golden light flickered across the rock pile and the ceiling above, revealing the sheer scale of the collapse. Solid. Impassable.
“No one’s getting throughthat, friend,” Veralt said grimly, the smirk on his lips empty of humor.
“Is this the only way out?” Rhielle’s arms were folded tightly, and her hand tapped an anxious rhythm on her opposite elbow.
“At this level?” Thalen winced as he shifted his injured wing. “Yes. Unless the royals have more tricks tucked under their crowns.”
Myantha stepped closer to him, pressing her cheek against his shoulder.
Vad’s silence stretched. His eyes never left the water, but the weight of his tension echoed down the bond. His jaw was ticking.
I brushed a hand across the bandage on his wrist. He turned his palm and curled his fingers through mine. The buzz sprang to life between us.
“We can’t stay.” Vad’s voice was low but carried authority. “The water will keep rising. The southern passage curves up. It leads to the vesting chamber. If there’s any place left in this gods-forsaken mountain that still has lingering magic… it’ll be there.”
“And if not?” Elias asked softly.
“Then we secure it. Wait for night. And escape through one of the old shafts near the top. If they haven’t caved in.”
