Page 315 of Commanding Blood And Bonds

Clear, Lana answered. Aren followed.

Clear here too, but this place is…a fortress, little one. Watch each other’s backs. Let us know if there’s trouble.

Ansel and I exchanged a look. Years of unsaid words passed between us.

Ran into wolves and crawlers at the base, Ansel reported as we jogged deeper into the tunnel.

Cyrus’s stride made my near-sprint feel like a stroll through a park.

A fortress, Aren rumbled. They’re colluding with demons. And Renown.

It would seem so.

Nice to have a name for our enemy. Maybe we’ll get a face, too.

Not that knowing Adrastos’ had helped. That field was painted in blood months ago, and we’d only just now gotten a name.

The tunnel would take five minutes but it felt like a lifetime as we jogged through the darkness.

“Shadows are clear,” Cyrus said beside me.

I nodded. “Should I send them further?”

“Too risky,” I said, shaking my head. Even my stolen shadows were begging to come out and play—so I imagined what that felt like for him, amplified. To his credit, he didn’t argue, and the three of us kept a steady pace until we reached the tunnel’s end, where the rugged stone wall jutted up, a steel ladder set in place.

“The door is warded, but a blood rune should work.”

“Should?” Cyrus asked, eyeing the next climb.

Ansel and I stripped off our white outer layers to lighten the load and improve mobility. My Paladin prince followed suit without complaint.

“I’ve done this as many times as you have.”

“Valid point.”

“I’ll lead,” Ansel volunteered.

Before I could respond, Cyrus said, “I’ll cover you.”

Fuck me. The idea of his back exposed after what I’d just seen below shouldn’t have tied knots in my stomach—but it did.

We filed onto the ladder, following Dad up until he reached the hatch. He didn’t hesitate, slicing open his forearm, tracing the rune with a bloody finger. It glowed blue before the latch clicked. In one smooth movement, he pushed the gate open and hauled himself up. The unmistakable sound of a scuffle ensued, followed by the thud of a body hitting stone. I scrambled up, launching through the hatch with a blade drawn.

Two guards were crumpled at his feet.

“The second one likely got off a distress signal,” Ansel warned through the bond, signing the same for Cyrus’s benefit.

Cyrus responded in kind, and I blinked, surprised.

“Stick to the plan,” Cyrus signed. “If there’s a red flag, she can relay it to me.”

My mouth fell open, part wonder, part wariness.

“Your shock insults me,” he added, deadpanning.

“It’s not exactly common.”

“Carr’s mom was deaf. She mated into Paladin.”