Page 15 of A Rift in the House of Bruin

“How? He’s locked us in.”

“My father had tunnels built. We just have to reach the altar—there are hidden passages underneath.”

“What about the others?”

Sorrow flickered in his eyes as he looked at his brothers still fighting for their lives. “I’ll do what I can. But I have to get you out. They’d want me to save you first and avenge them later.”

My heart sank, and tears blurred my vision. “Why don’t you all shift? Nico mentioned powers. He said the odds would be in your favor.”

“The throne room is spelled. No shifting, no powers, unless you’re king. And Nico isn’t king yet. I’m sorry, Dove. We don’t have other options.”

He abruptly shoved Fallon and me to the floor as a new wave of guards surged toward us. I clung to Fallon, her face streaked with tears and makeup. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she kept moaning over and over.

I pulled the pistol from her rigid hand. I couldn’t just sit on the floor and do nothing while they tried to kill Lucius. I’d never fired a gun in my life, but it didn’t stop me from pulling the trigger. The guard was dead before he hit the floor. I felt his soul leave his body and wondered if everyone felt that when they took a life. But there was no remorse. I’d evened the odds for Lucius, and he finished off the rest in quick order.

“Nico—we’re running out of time. Open the tunnel!” Lucius shouted, pulling us up again as we raced toward the altar.

“Not that easy!” Nico barked from across the room. He’d gained the high ground, holding off the horde of soldiers from the steps of the dais.

“Go! I’ll cover you!” Gunner called, nocking another arrow. Nico hesitated, uncertainty flashing across his face.

“Do it now. I’ll hold them off.”

He charged through the soldiers. His sheer size gave him the edge. Arrows began to fly, sailing a mere breadth from Nico before finding their mark, but he kept moving.

He reached the altar moments before we did, swiping a gash across his arm, coating his fingers in blood. With it, he drewa glyph on the altar. The floor rumbled. Stone grated against stone, and a section opened, revealing a spiral staircase that descended into darkness.

Lucius pushed Fallon down the stairs first, then reached for me. But I was staring at the chaos behind us. Finn, Jase, and Hunter were gone. Luca had reached the altar. Gunner was still surrounded, still battling more guards than he could ever fight off on his own.

“Lucius, we can’t leave him!” I tried to break his grip, desperate to help.

But he lifted me, strong arms slinging me over his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Dove. I hope one day you’ll forgive me.”

“No! Stop! Put me down!” I screamed. Gunner turned toward my voice, panic darkened his eyes as a broadsword pierced through his chest.

“No! Please… no!” Tears poured down my cheeks as he dropped to his knees, lips parting in a soft exhale. The tension in his face eased. As the guards closed in, he pulled the small golden ball from his belt. With a steady hand, he kissed his bloodied fingers and held my gaze.

“Fuck! Everyone, get down!” Nico roared.

Lucius carried me down the stairwell as the entire room exploded in a deafening blast—and everything went black.

Maybe I was dead… but surely death couldn’t be this uncomfortable. My body ached all over. An acrid stench filled my nostrils and clawed at my lungs, while a noxious grit coated my throat and threatened to choke me. My ears rang with a relentless whine that consumed every corner of my mind, drowning everything else out. No, I was definitely alive—pain was a key characteristic of the living.

It took a moment to get my bearings as the world came crashing back. I felt the ground beneath me, rough and unyielding. Darkness clung to me like a heavy veil, and when I forced my eyes open, it remained.

“Mic? Mic, are you—” Lucius’ raw voice was cut short by a coughing fit. He sounded distant, like he was calling to me fromthe bottom of a well, but I couldn’t be certain of his proximity with the ringing in my ears.

A nearby scratch and a spark flared in the darkness. A small match illuminated Fallon’s face. Dust and debris swirled in the air around her. A fine white coating covered her skin, caked streaks marking where her tears had fallen. She got to her feet, grabbed a dormant torch inlaid into the tunnel wall, lighting it quickly. The flame cast a glow on those of us who’d made it out. Nico, Luca, and Lucius were only a few feet away, slowly rising. Each of them was covered in soot, the trails of blood on their battered bodies standing out in stark contrast.

“Mic, are you alright?” Lucius finished. He stepped toward me, offering his hand.

“I’m fine.” My tone didn’t convey the same message, but I couldn’t bring myself to placate him any more than that. I wasn’t fine. Gunner was dead. Finn, Hunter, and Jase—they could be dead, too. The last thing I wanted was to be coddled. I scrambled to my feet, ignoring his proffered hand.

I saw his jaw working as he wrung his wrists, but he said nothing. I wasn’t trying to be rude. If it weren’t for Lucius, I’d be dead. But I needed time to process this on my own. Not dying meant I had to face everything we’d just lost.

“We need to get out of here before Johan and the rest realize not all of us died in that blast,” Luca said.

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