"That can't be good," Zane looked up warily.
Another, stronger tremor followed, this one causing larger chunks of rock to break loose. The symbols on the walls, dormant until now, began to glow with an ominous red light.
"Move!" I grabbed Winter's hand, pulling her toward the stairs. "The vault's collapsing!"
We raced up the spiral staircase as the chamber behind us shuddered and groaned. The ancient stone, stable for centuries, was now crumbling, as if the removal of the relics had destabilized the entire structure.
"It's a failsafe," Zane called from behind us. "The vault is destroying itself to prevent anyone else from accessing it!"
We burst out onto the loading dock just as the staircase collapsed behind us, a cloud of dust billowing up from the opening. The tremors spread through the warehouse, walls cracking, support beams giving way.
"Run!" I shouted, not releasing Winter's hand as we sprinted for the exit.
We made it outside as the warehouse imploded, the structure folding in on itself with a deafening roar. A shockwave of dust and debris washed over us as we dove for cover behind our vehicle.
When the dust settled, nothing remained of the warehouse but a pile of rubble, the hidden vault was buried beneath tons of concrete and steel.
"Well," Winter coughed, brushing dust from her clothes, "at least we got what we came for."
I couldn't help but laugh, the sound rough with relief and lingering adrenaline. "Always looking on the bright side, Firecracker."
She smiled at the nickname, her eyes meeting mine with a warmth that made my wolf rumble with satisfaction. Then her gaze shifted to Zane, including him in that same warmth, and strangely, I found I didn't mind.
"Let's get these relics back to the others," she patted her pocket where the artifacts were safely stored. "We've got a prophecy to figure out."
As we climbed into the vehicle, I found myself thinking about the ward's proclamation again.The Harbinger belongs to all.Maybe it wasn't just about the four guardians guiding Winter. Maybe it was also about us learning to guide each other, to set aside our differences and rivalries for something greater than ourselves.
I glanced at Zane in the rearview mirror as I started the engine. He caught my gaze and nodded slightly, a silent acknowledgment passed between us.
Chapter
Thirty-Seven
Winter
The Bureau's SUV rolled to a stop in front of a weathered wooden sign that read "Clearwater Cove - Population: Varied (Depending on Moon Phase)." Behind the sign, a collection of rustic cabins and small shops huddled around a clear mountain lake, the water reflecting the afternoon sun like polished glass.
"This is the place?" I leaned forward between the front seats to get a better view.
Fenric nodded, his eyes scanning the perimeter with habitual vigilance. "Bureau safe town. One of the oldest in the network. Completely off-grid and protected by wards older than the country itself."
After the warehouse collapse and our discovery of the relics, Fenric had whisked them away for research, leaving the rest of us to recover from our various magical and physical exhaustions. No new scrolls had appeared, giving us an unexpected respite from prophecy trials. When Zane suggested we use the downtime to regroup somewhere away fromBureau headquarters, even Fenric had agreed it was a sensible precaution.
"It's beautiful," I breathed, taking in the mountain backdrop and crystal-clear lake.
"And secure," Zane added, turning off the engine. "Which is the important part. No cultist is getting through those wards without setting off enough magical alarms to wake the dead." He glanced at Milo in the backseat beside me. "No offense to your professional interests."
Milo grinned, the sunlight catching in his wild curls. "None taken. Though waking the dead is more of a gentle coaxing than an alarming process."
Fenric consulted his tablet, ever the bureaucrat even in this idyllic setting. "Our accommodations should be ready. Cabin 7, lakeside. The Bureau maintains it for situations requiring discreet recovery."
"You mean hiding prophetic disasters like me?" I snorted.
"I was attempting to be diplomatic," Fenric's ear tips turned slightly pink.
"Diplomatic is boring," I nudged him with my elbow as we exited the vehicle. "Own your bureaucratic ruthlessness, Fenric. It's part of your charm." I smiled at him.
Horrace trilled musically from his position wrapped around my shoulders, his eyes swiveling to take in our new surroundings. He'd been unusually clingy since his rescue from the cultists, rarely letting me out of his sight.
