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He held my gaze for a long moment before releasing a pent-up breath. “Thanks, man.”
I nodded, giving his arm a squeeze before letting go and nodding towards Noah as he walked towards us.
“Here he is, finally!” I called, grinning as he flipped me the finger.
In his other hand he held a roll of parchment that was yellowed with age, using it to smack Cordelia lightly on the butt to pull her attention away from his sister.
“Got your map, sweetheart,” he announced, giving her a fake pout when she smacked him in the ribs in retaliation.
I frowned. “Map?”
Noah used the roll to salute at me. “I went to grab it from Ulf. Cor figured we can compare it to the one down there to help us navigate.”
Impressed, I strode back to her side and tugged on a length of her hair. “Good thinking, Princess, but we’re going to have to actually leave first.”
She huffed at me before pulling Saffy towards her, squeezing her eyes closed as she gave her one last hug.
“Go on, get away from here,” she ordered, shooing Saffy away from the stone. “We don’t know what will happen on this side.”
Saffy’s blonde hair caught the light as she walked away, turning to give us a small wave before disappearing into the trees as she headed back to the pack. Cordelia sighed and glanced up at the clouds that were creeping across the sky. I felt her anxiety as she turned to face the Mage Stone, squaring her shoulders before stepping up to the entrance rune. Pride flooded me as I yet again saw her strength, and I pushed it down the bond to her as hard as I could. She gave me a small smile in return as her gaze flicked back to me.
A spark lit up at the tips of her fingers and darted towards the rune mark at her silent command. The sweet scent of magic flooded around us as the rock wall split apart and formed a small doorway, short enough that only Cordelia would be able to enter without stooping. Stale air spilled out around us as we gathered closer, traces of old, forgotten scents emerging from the dark stairwell within.
“Creepy,” Noah muttered, running a palm up Cordelia’s back and giving her nape a comforting squeeze.
Grabbing my bag, I swung it onto my shoulder and ducked through the doorway. I eyed the bare, stone space as the others followed, my nose wrinkling. My gaze caught on a smudged footprint in the corner of the second step as Cordelia stepped in beside me and conjured a light in her palm.
She followed my gaze and nodded. “I didn’t notice that one, I’m guessing there must be more.”
“Could be yours.”
She shrugged and started down the stairway, holding her light high enough to banish the nearest shadows. “True, but I’m destroying this entrance either way.”
“This is the only exit that we know is usable, sweetheart,” Noah answered as we followed her down into the darkness. “Is that wise?”
The scraping sound of the door closing behind us reached my ears, but my focus was taken by Cordelia as she threw her orb of light upwards. We had reached the bottom of the stairway, and the light fell across a huge painted copy of the maze rune across the floor. A black tunnel led off to the left, but it was the map in front of us that she gestured to.
“There are plenty of ways out. This is the only one inside our territory and I’m not leaving it here as a way in.”
“And if the way is blocked?” Noah countered.
She shrugged. “This place was made with magic. It was built to last.”
He glanced at me for confirmation as I rubbed a palm over my cheek. “I think she’s right. The risk to the pack is greater if we leave it open.”
Noah nodded, giving in and turning to the map on the wall. “Let’s work out where we’re going then.”
“Don’t think I didn’t notice you check with him,” Cordelia muttered irritably, marching forwards to the dusty tapestry.
Noah looked back at me and Zeke, his eyes panicked. Amusement flooded through me as he realised his mistake, and I thoroughly enjoyed the idea of someone else being in the doghouse with our mate for once. A glance at my brother’s smirk told me he was thinking the same.
“Sweetheart…” Noah started, but she waved a hand at him.
“Nope, I’m fine, we’re focusing on the map.”
All three of us grimaced at that, but I happily left Noah to dig his own hole. He opened his mouth again, reaching out to touch her arm, but it snapped shut at the deadly glare she shot him.
“I said, I’m fine.”
