Chapter 144 Hand her over

Chapter 144 Hand her over
~ Taren's POV ~

Hearing Lyra say that made me knit my brows even tighter. The request complicated everything.

We were already racing against time, and every additional delay increased the chances of being discovered before we could get out of Iron Fang. As far as I was concerned, stopping to free Brenda was a risk we simply could not afford.

However, before I could explain why it was not possible, Elder Rowan stepped outside the cell. In one smooth motion, he pulled the bunch of keys from the lock and secured them in his possession.

"Don't listen to her. Go now. I still have the key, and I will release her so she can find her way or at least stand and fight like the rest of us since she desperately wants to be part of us."

His response clearly did not sit well with Brenda. From the corner of my eye, I saw her expression twist into something far worse than disbelief. Outrage flashed across her face so quickly that it was almost impressive. It was the look of someone who had just been told they were not nearly as important as they believed themselves to be.

Lyra, however, seemed satisfied with Elder Rowan's answer. She gave a small nod and immediately followed me as we hurried away from the cells and toward the exit.

Behind us, Brenda's incredulous voice echoed through the dungeon.

"You have to be kidding me. I get to stand and fight like the rest of you while she gets to run away?"

"Yes, because she's still useful unlike you," Elder Rowan shot back without hesitation.

The response immediately earned another protest from Brenda. She fired something back at him, but by then I had stopped paying attention. Whatever argument was unfolding behind us no longer mattered. My focus had completely shifted toward getting Lyra out of Iron Fang before anyone realized she was gone.

We moved swiftly through the area. The corridors were eerily quiet, and every passing second made me even more aware of how fragile our window of opportunity was. A few more steps down the short deserted hallway brought us to an old weapons storehouse that had long fallen out of use.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The room greeted us with the scent of age and neglect. Dust coated nearly every visible surface, and the stale air suggested nobody had entered the place in a very long time.

I waited for Lyra to step inside before pushing the door shut behind her.

"You need to wear this, my lady," I said as I reached into the bag I carried and pulled out a long hooded coat.

The garment had been specifically prepared for this mission. Its purpose was to help conceal her scent and provide a more convincing disguise.

"But first, I need to unlock the band holding your hands," I informed her as I reached into the bag again and removed a different bottle.

"You know how to unlock it?" The surprise in her voice was instant, and there was also something else there: relief, genuine relief.

For a moment, I found myself smiling.

After everything she had endured over the past few days, it felt good knowing I could at least bring her one piece of good news.

"I have something that can unlock it," I replied.

Then I pointed toward a dust covered door positioned on the opposite side of the room.

"That is the exit. It was sealed by a witch a long time ago. Only a witch can unseal it. You will need your powers for that, and you cannot access your powers with that band around your hands."

Her attention immediately moved toward the door. She studied it carefully, scrutinizing every visible detail.

"How was it sealed?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. I'm only hoping you can figure it out. Elder Cross said there are carvings on the door which he believes to be the key."

The moment Elder Cross's name left my mouth, her head snapped back toward me.

"Elder Cross?" The suspicion I had noticed in her eyes earlier immediately resurfaced.

She was clearly struggling to accept that his name would be connected to any rescue attempt.

"Yeah. I know it's hard to believe, but he's on our side and is the only sane person out there right now still working to ensure everything doesn't fall apart," I explained, wanting to address her concerns before they had the chance to grow into something larger.

She remained silent for a moment. The suspicion in her gaze lessened slightly, but it did not disappear completely.

"How is the situation of things out there?" she probed.

Her eyes remained fixed on me, searching my face for answers while trying to determine whether there was anything else I had not yet told her.

"Honestly, not good. All our warriors are on Dagan's side now, and the few occupants of the house who are against all his doings either have no voice or are too scared to go against him. Today is the eclipse and..."

"Today?" Her eyes widened in alarm. "The eclipse is supposed to be in four days."

"The readings changed," I explained as I moved behind her.

After twisting the cover of the bottle open, I carefully poured its contents over the band exactly as instructed. The moment the liquid touched the restraint, it began to sizzle.

Thin wisps of smoke rose into the air while the substance slowly ate away at the material. I watched closely to make sure it was working properly before continuing. "It's happening today. That is why it's important you go far away from here or what we all fear will happen."

"What do you mean?" she asked, but before I could answer, the band suddenly began to break apart. Within seconds it completely disintegrated into smoke, finally releasing her hands.

"Oh dear heavens," she exclaimed in relief, immediately flexing her fingers before stretching her arms out in front of her. A smile spread across her face as she continued moving her wrists and fingers, clearly enjoying the feeling of freedom after being restrained for so long. "It feels good to be free."

Seeing that expression on her face made me realize just how much she had suffered over the past few days. Even something as simple as moving her own hands freely had become a luxury. Thankfully, that part was finally over.

"Can you use your magic now?" I asked because that was the next step of our escape and possibly the most important one.

"I don't know," she replied as she turned toward the door and began walking toward it. "Let's put it to the test and see."

Together we approached the sealed door. Once she reached it, she spent several moments studying every carving etched into its surface. Her eyes moved slowly across the markings as though she was searching for something hidden among them. After examining it carefully, she finally placed her hand against the door and began chanting words I could not understand.

For a few moments, nothing happened. Then a faint cracking sound echoed through the room. The door trembled slightly before another crack appeared across its surface. Moments later, it finally began to give way on its own, revealing a very large dark tunnel beyond it. Relief immediately washed through me because it meant Elder Cross had been right.

"Where does this lead?" Lyra asked as she accepted the hooded coat from me and slipped it over her shoulders.

"An abandoned mine a little away from the Eastern Gates, I believe. I've never used this route before, but it's the only one that Dagan did not bother to station guards around. There is another door like this one at the end of the tunnel."

With the help of a powerful torchlight, we stepped into the tunnel and began making our way toward the other end. Darkness surrounded us almost immediately, forcing us to rely entirely on the beam of light cutting through the passage ahead. The tunnel seemed endless, its walls disappearing into shadows beyond the reach of the torch. Our footsteps echoed softly around us as we continued forward.

"So you were saying something about what we all fear happening," Lyra said, breaking the brief silence that had settled between us.

"Yes," I replied with a nod before briefing her on everything that had happened since that morning when she left the pack house with Alpha Kael.

The more I spoke, the more troubled her expression became, and by the time I finished explaining everything, we had already arrived at the second door.

Once again, she took her time examining the markings carved into its surface. She studied them carefully before placing her hand against the door and doing what she had done before. Moments later, a low groaning sound echoed through the tunnel as the ancient seal responded. Slowly, the door began to open.

However, to our utmost surprise, three fully shifted werewolves were on the other side waiting for us.

The sight stopped us immediately. Neither of us had expected to find anyone there, let alone warriors positioned directly outside the exit. Their presence instantly transformed what had seemed like a successful escape into another dangerous obstacle standing between us and freedom.

"Shit! Go back, my lady," I instructed, immediately pulling the door shut again before any of them could react.

The door slammed closed, and we turned at once to retreat through the tunnel. Unfortunately, going back proved impossible because after running only a short distance, we realized Dagan and his group had entered after us and were now waiting on the opposite side.

We came to an abrupt halt, the realization hitting us immediately. We had been trapped.

There was no route forward, there was no route behind. The tunnel that had promised escape had become a cage.

Dagan slowly clapped three times, looking very much like a man impressed by what he had just witnessed.

"Taren, Taren..." he said with an amused smile. "When I didn't find you for days, I knew you were up to something. I must commend you though. You managed to stay hidden under my nose, but you made one mistake. You underestimated me, forgetting that I am not Kael. I never leave a loophole for no reason. Hand her over and I'll show you mercy."