Page 34 of Before the Bond Breaks
The moment hung electric.
From every gap in the tunnel, the enemy rose.
Eitrborn. At least a dozen. Their bodies looked human at first glance, but their faces didn’t register as alive. Black eyes, flat jaws, claws already extending from their knuckles. They moved in brutal synchrony, each step echoing with predatory intent. The stench of eitr flooded the corridor. My wolf howled, teeth bared.
We moved so our backs were to each other, weapons out. Larc faded into the near black, sliding to Maze’s flank. Jenson and Candra closed ranks, covering our rear.
Bryna watched the formation with clinical detachment. “Still think loyalty makes you strong?”
Nicky spat blood at her boots, fingers clawing at the trap. “If you want me dead, come do it yourself.”
Bryna smiled. “You aren’t worth the trouble. That’s what monsters are for.”
The first twoEitrbornlunged. I braced, feeding power into my core, waiting for the split-second gap. Maze’s aura shimmered around her, pale blue fire rolling from her skin as she locked eyes with the lead monster.
Nicky’s scream rattled the stone. I watched agony rip through her, but her hands stayed steady, refusing to give Bryna the satisfaction of collapse.
We were outnumbered and surrounded.
But we would not break.
I dropped into a fighting crouch, letting every sense sharpen. Maze gave me the briefest nod.
Every muscle in my body tensed as theEitrbornlunged. The nearest beast aimed straight for Maze, claws out. My wolf responded before thought could catch up. I braced my feet and shoved, summoning every ounce of power into a Grounding Pulse. Energy exploded from my core in a shockwave.
It hit leadingEitrbornwith a crack. Power slammed the monster back, flattening it against the stone. Its body twisted, bones popping, flesh spasming under the force. When the pulse finished, what was left slumped to the floor, dead on impact.
Maze didn’t flinch as she met my amber gaze, an unspoken charge between us that was raw, exposed terror underneath the discipline. She was afraid of losing me. I feared the same every second she stood there, the full weight of enemy hatred targeting her.
TheEitrbornpressed in like a wall of muscle and claws, nearly closing all space between us. Maze squared her shoulders and stepped forward. Sweat beaded at her temples, but authority rolled off her in waves.
She didn’t speak. Her will did.
She raised her hands, channeling her command magic. Power rippled the length of the tunnel, seizing hold of our enemies in mid-motion. The effect instantly froze everyEitrbornin range in their places.
The room stretched thin. Maze trembled. Every heartbeat pushed her closer to the edge.
Jenson registered the gap even before the sound faded. “Candra, three left.” He mapped the attack before it landed, voice brutal in its clarity. “Larc, move.”
Candra’s Truthsense pulsed outward. “There’s two more behind the pillar and one above, watching for magic. Nicky’s trap is the keystone. Break it, the bindings drop.”
Maze clenched her jaw and glared at Bryna, who kept her grin wide as she used her magic to make Nicky scream out again.
Bryna circled Nicky, never taking her gaze off Maze. “It’s what you always did best, Maze. Pretend you’re righteous. You’re all the same once the power slips.”
Nicky’s boot dug trenches in the concrete. She fought for breath, and her hands were slick with blood as the shackle blistered her ankle. Larc slipped behind her, shadow-quiet. He mapped his own runes, determined to cut the trap.
Eitrbornat the edge of the Command’s radius twitched. Their bodies tried to break loose. Maze fought to keep them frozen, but her pulse faltered. The blue-white aura flickered every second.
Jenson called out the next moves. “Candra, now. Nicky, brace for pain.” He positioned himself to block the next wave the instant the Command dropped. Behind us, Candra’s hands glowed with magic, ready to snuff the ambush as soon as it showed.
Bryna must have sensed it, because her smile vanished. “You never knew when to quit.”
Maze glared, voice rough. “I never quit. Not for anyone.”
TheEitrbornnearest me wrenched one arm loose, claws snapping. Jenson anticipated it, driving his blade through thething’s wrist in a flash of motion. The hand dropped, twitching on the floor.
Candra’s magic flared bright. “Now, Larc.”
