Chapter 12 Into the Throat of the Mountain
The wind howled like a dying beast as we climbed the jagged slopes of the Blacktooth Ridges. Every step felt like leaving the world of the living behind. The air was thin and bit at my lungs, tasting of old silver and frozen pine.
Below us, the lights of the Obsidian fortress had faded into the mist. Ahead lay nothing but shadows and a fight I wasn’t sure we could win.
"Stay close," Cassian commanded over the roar of the gale.
He didn't look back, but his hand reached behind him, searching for mine. I slid my fingers into his. His skin was burning hot against the freezing air, a steady reminder of the power humming inside him. Even here, in the "dead zone" where a shifter's senses usually failed, Cassian moved with the calm confidence of a king.
"The entrance is behind the frozen falls," I shouted, my voice nearly lost in the wind. "But the Syndicate keeps Sentinels there. They don’t sleep, and they don't feel pain. They’re shifters who have been broken."
Cassian’s grip tightened until it almost hurt. "Then we’ll give them the peace of the grave."
We reached the waterfall a massive curtain of blue ice that looked like a giant’s teeth. Behind it sat a narrow crack in the rock. This was the "back door" I had used to escape years ago, a path few people even knew existed.
"Wait," I whispered, pulling him behind a boulder.
A flash of light swept across the snow. A drone. It hovered silently near the ice before drifting toward the main canyon. My heart hammered against my ribs. Being here brought back memories I had tried so hard to drown: the smell of bleach, the sound of heavy boots, and the screams of the children who never made it out.
"Aria." Cassian’s voice was soft, pulling me back from the edge. He turned to me, cupping my face in his hands. His thumbs brushed over my cheekbones, holding me steady. "Look at me."
I met his golden eyes. In the dark, they glowed with a fierce light.
"You aren't that girl anymore," he murmured. "You aren't their victim. You’re the woman who is going to help me tear this place down stone by stone."
He leaned in, his lips finding mine in a kiss that felt like fire in a blizzard. It wasn't about passion; it was about survival. He was sharing his strength, reminding me that I wasn't in this war alone. I leaned into him, clutching his leather jacket and breathing in his scent of woodsmoke and rain one last time.
"I know," I whispered against his lips. "Let's go get my brother."
We slipped behind the ice and into the tunnel. The temperature dropped instantly. The walls were narrow and coated in a fine silver dust that made my skin itch. For a shifter, this place was a tomb. Silver dampens the connection to the wolf, leaving you feeling empty and slow.
I looked at Cassian. He was swaying, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
"Cassian? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," he hissed, though his face was pale. "It just feels like... like my wolf is being pushed into a cage."
I stepped in front of him and took his hand. "Focus on me. Don't listen to the walls. Listen to my heartbeat."
We moved deeper into the mountain. The silence was heavy, broken only by the drip of water. After an hour of trekking through the gloom, we reached a heavy steel door. I could hear the faint hum of machines on the other side.
I pulled a small bypass tool from my pocket one of the few things I’d managed to steal from the Syndicate before I left. I wired it into the keypad and waited.
Click.
The door slid open just an inch.
We slipped through and found ourselves on a metal catwalk overlooking a massive cavern. Below us were rows of shipping containers and cells. Guards in black gear patrolled the floor, their rifles gleaming under harsh lights.
My eyes searched frantically, scanning the rows. And then, I saw him.
In a small, glass room at the far end, a boy sat on a bench. He looked so small, his head bowed, his sandy-blonde hair a mess. He was holding the same blue ribbon I’d seen in the box.
"Leo," I breathed, my heart leaping in my chest.
"He’s there," Cassian whispered, reaching for the heavy sword at his back. His jaw was set tight. "The moment the lights go out, you head for that cell. I’ll handle the floor."
"Cassian, there are too many of them. The silver is making you weak "
"I don't need my wolf to kill men like these," he growled.
He leaned down and kissed my forehead, a final promise. "Go. Save your brother. I’ll protect your back."
He reached for the main power cable running along the wall. With a roar of pure strength, he ripped the thick wires loose.
The cavern plunged into total darkness.
Alarms began to scream, echoing off the silver walls. Red emergency lights started to pulse, turning the world into a rhythmic, bloody blur.
"Go!" Cassian shouted.
I didn't look back. I vaulted over the railing, falling twenty feet and landing in a crouch. Two guards turned toward me, but I was just a shadow in the red light. My daggers were out, and before they could even raise their guns, I was a blur of steel.
I wasn't an assassin for the Syndicate anymore. I wasn't a girl looking for an exit.
I was his sister. That truth lived in my bones, steady and unshakable. And because of that, I was coming for my brother step by step, through fear, distance, and whatever dangers waited ahead until I reached him.
As I sprinted toward the glass cell, I heard the sound of Cassian’s sword meeting armor behind me the sound of a king carving a path through hell.