Chapter 14 The Final Bridge of Bone
The floor groaned beneath us. It was a deep, metallic shriek that vibrated right through the soles of my boots. Those red emergency lights weren't pulsing anymore; they stayed on, a steady, solid warning that hell was about to break loose.
"The main lift is dead!" Leo yelled. He had to scream to be heard over the roar of escaping steam. He huddled against my side, his small hand white-knuckled as he gripped the hem of my leather jacket. "We have to use the ventilation shaft, but it’s all the way on the other side of the bridge!"
I looked across the massive cavern. The bridge was nothing but a narrow strip of grated steel hanging over a hundred-foot drop into total darkness. On the other side stood the Syndicate’s last line of defense: four "Special Projects" guards. They were hulking figures in heavy armor, holding silver-edged pikes. They didn't move. They just waited.
Cassian stepped in front of us. He was still pale from the silver poisoning, but the golden fire in his eyes was burning bright. He glanced at the pikes, then turned to me.
"Take Leo," he said. His voice was a low, rough rasp. "When I hit the center of that bridge, you run. Don't stop for anything. Don't look back."
"Cassian, you’re too weak," I said, grabbing his arm. The muscle felt like iron, but I could feel him shaking. "The silver is still in your blood. If you push too hard, your heart will stop."
He turned and cupped the back of my head, pulling me in until our foreheads crashed together. "My heart belongs to you, Aria. It won't stop until I know you’re safe. Now, promise me."
"I promise," I whispered. The words felt like a lie, but he needed to hear them.
"Go!"
Cassian roared and shifted. His claws grew long and his fangs bared as he charged the bridge like a battering ram. The first guard met him in the middle, burying a silver pike into Cassian’s shoulder. He didn't even flinch. He grabbed the man by the throat and threw him over the railing into the abyss.
"Now, Leo! Move!" I grabbed my brother’s hand and bolted.
The bridge swayed wildly under us. Sparks rained down from the ceiling as the self-destruct sequence began to tear the wiring apart. I saw Cassian take another pike to the ribs just to block a hit meant for us. He let out a pained growl, his blood splattering the steel, but he didn't give an inch.
We reached the far side. I shoved Leo toward the ventilation hatch. "Get in! Climb until you see the moon, Leo. Don't wait for me!"
"Aria, no!"
"Go!" I pushed him into the shaft and slammed the heavy metal grate shut.
I turned back just as the bridge started to buckle. Cassian was standing over the last two guards, his chest heaving. He was covered in gashes that would have killed any normal man. I could see those gray veins of silver creeping up his neck again.
"Cassian!"
He looked at me with a sad, beautiful smile. He knew the bridge was failing, and he knew he didn't have the strength to jump.
"I told you to go," he mouthed.
The center supports snapped. With a deafening roar of twisting metal, the bridge plummeted.
"NO!"
I lunged forward, my fingers catching the jagged edge of the walkway as I dove for him. My hand caught his wrist just as he started to fall. The jolt nearly tore my arm out of its socket. I screamed, my boots sliding on the bloody metal and my muscles burning.
"Aria... let go," Cassian gasped, dangling over the dark. "The whole platform is going to fall. Save yourself."
"Shut up!" I snarled through gritted teeth. "I am a Shadow Wolf. We don't lose what’s ours."
Suddenly, I felt our bond flare. I reached deep into my soul, found every bit of strength I had left, and poured it into him. I pulled with everything I had.
Slowly, we fought against gravity. When his hand finally caught the ledge, I collapsed backward, dragging him over the edge and onto the solid floor of the tunnel.
We lay there for a second, gasping for air, as the cavern behind us exploded in a fireball. The shockwave slammed into us, but we were already safe in the tunnel.
Cassian rolled over, pinning me to the floor. He was covered in soot and blood, but he looked at me like I was the only thing in the world. He buried his face in my neck, his breath shaky.
"You’re a stubborn fool," he whispered.
"I’m your mate," I corrected him, pulling him closer. "Get used to it."
He lifted his head, his eyes searching mine. The heat between us wasn't about the fire behind us anymore; it was the raw connection that had survived the impossible. He kissed me then a hard, desperate kiss that tasted of survival.
"Let’s get out of here," he said, pulling me to my feet. "Before I decide to mark you right here on this cold stone."
I smiled. It was the first real smile I’d felt in years. I looked toward the hatch where Leo was waiting. We were battered and bleeding, and the Syndicate would come for us again.
But as Cassian wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close in a way that felt both protective and possessive, I understood one simple truth. Everything was changing. The world I thought I knew was slipping away, and nothing would ever be the same again. In that moment, standing there with his arm holding me steady, I knew one thing for sure: whatever was coming next, my life had just taken a different path, and there was no turning back.
The Northern Tyrant had finally found his Queen. She was his now, and he would not let her go. Anyone who tried to take her away would have to face his wrath. God help them because he would show no mercy.