But then the howling began.

30

LENNOX

Luciana shoved the book in her bag as we all took off running back up the stairs. My chest and legs burned as I bounded up the final three stairs to the top of the cavern.

“Wait!” Kara’s voice reverberated through the cavern as we climbed the final stairs. “Which way do we go?” I turned to find my sister looking around the room. There was no longer one entrance to the room but one in each wall of the cavern.

“We should go back the way we came,” Luce continued toward the tunnel we had come from.

“But what if one of the other ways is a quicker way out?” Kara asked.

“Or a trap,” Luce countered.

“We proved our worth to get into here, why wouldn’t the magic continue to reward us with an easy way out?” Kara persisted.

“There is never an easy way out.” Luce declared, planting her hands firmly on her hips.

They both looked at me expectantly. “I—” We all turned as the growls rumbled through the room.

“I think we should go in the oppositedirection of the growls,” Luka finished for me. “If we end up farther into the labyrinth so be it, I’d rather be lost than dead.”

“He has a point,” I agreed. The growls grew louder. “Let’s get out of here.” I grabbed Luka’s hand and tugged him along, toward one of the new entrances as Kara and Luce followed at our heels.

“If this doesn’t get us out of here I’m blaming you, vampire,” Luce said.

“Hey, it was Kara’s idea,” he interjected.

“Yeah well, I’m still blaming you, it’s more fun that way.”

I chuckled. “I’m inclined to agree with Luce.”

Luka looked at me as we ran, a smirk pulling at his lips. “Well, I can say the same about you, Sweetheart. You’re fun to provoke.”

Kara and Luce laughed in agreement. I wrenched my hand from his. “Traitors, all of you,” I seethed.

Our conversation ceased as we continued our pursuit away from whatever beasts lurked behind us.

“Look,” Kara said. “I see light.”

“Thank the Goddess,” Luce remarked as she kept up pace beside me.

As we drew closer to the light I could make out a figure pacing at the mouth of the cave, Nico turned as we approached.

I couldfeelthe sigh he let out at our arrival, the tension visibly leaving his body.

“You made it back.”

“Worried about us, pup?” Luce threw him a wink as we exited the cave.

“I’m glad to see this one is still in one piece.” He jabbed a thumb towards Luka. “I was trying to figure out how I’d explain what happened to his grandfather without getting myself killed.”

“Have a little faith won’t you, Nico,” Luka chided.

“Faith?” Nico said dramatically, placing a hand on his chest. “I have faith that if I returned to Cel Nox without youand your fiancée your grandfather would make a meal out of me before sending my corpse back to my family.” My stomach twisted at the image he conjured in my mind. Was King Arlo truly that cruel? Or did he care that deeply for his grandson he’d do such a thing in retribution for Nico letting him out of his sight?”

“He would do no such thing.” Luka slung his arm over Nico’s shoulders. “If anything, it would be Declan’s wrath you’d have to fear.”