Page 78 of The Monster You Made
At last, I say, voice low, “We move before dawn. We can’t hold forever. We bleed them and run. The mountains will cover us.”
The words sound hollow, even to me. Still, the rebels nod. They want direction, not truth. Vera’s gaze burns into me. She knows how close the chains are.
***
When dawn breaks, we march again. The snow is heavier, the cold sharper. The wounded stumble, carried by comrades too tired to carry themselves. The freed cling to scraps of hope, their eyes wide and hollow. Abigail still clutches her doll, but she does not smile anymore. Each step feels like surrender.
The Crown follows. Horns echo in the distance, steady, relentless. They do not need to chase us. They only need to remind us they are there. Declan’s presence coils tighter with every note.Run, wolf. Run until you break. You are mine in every step.
***
By midday, the scouts return with grim faces. “The pass ahead is blocked. Soldiers wait. If we push forward, we march into their teeth.”
The council erupts. Elira demands they strike. Rourke curses, insisting they turn back. The rebels murmur, restless, afraid. All eyes turn to me again.
I close my eyes, hearing Declan’s laugh.No path leads away from me. Only through.
When I open them, I say, “We fight. Tonight. In the dark. Before they can close the jaws.”
The rebels nod, some with grim resolve, some with despair. Elira grins, her bloodlust unbroken. Rourke swears but does not argue. Vera’s face is pale, her eyes fixed on me. She doesn’t speak, but I see the question burning in her gaze:Is this you, or him?
***
We prepare as the sun sets. Fires are doused. Blades sharpened. Arrows strung. The rebels move with weary purpose, their hands trembling but steady. I walk among them, my presence a silent command. They look at me with hope I don’t feel. Every nod, every cheer, feels like a chain tightening around my throat.
Vera comes to me as the last light fades. She lays a hand on my chest, over my heart. Her eyes search mine, fierce, desperate. “When you fight tonight, fight for us. Not him. Remember that.”
I take her hand, pressing it hard against me, as if her touch alone can anchor me. “If I fall—”
“You won’t,” she cuts in, sharp. “Because I’ll pull you back. I always will.”
Her words burn hotter than the fires. For a heartbeat, the whispers fade. For a heartbeat, I believe her.
***
Night falls. The rebels creep through the snow, shadows among shadows. The Crown soldiers camp in the gorge ahead,their fires bright, their horns silent. They do not expect us to strike first.
Elira signals. Stones fall, arrows fly, rebels roar. Chaos erupts. Soldiers stumble awake, scrambling for weapons. Steel clashes, blood spills, screams echo. The night is shattered by violence.
I am in the center of it, my sword a storm. I cut through men like shadows, each strike heavy, each breath ragged. My rage builds, my vision blurs red. Cassian's whispers roar:Yes. More. Spill them all. Let the Wolf loose. Let me loose.
I lose myself. For a heartbeat, I am not Lucian. I am only chains and blood, only hunger and shadow. My blade rises, ready to strike down friend as easily as foe.
Then Vera’s voice cuts through, sharp as steel. “Lucian!”
Her cry cuts through me. My blade stops. My breath shudders. I see the soldier before me, eyes wide, sword raised in fear. I drive the hilt into his temple instead. He collapses. My chest burns. My hands tremble. But I am myself again. For now.
***
The battle rages until the fires gutter, until the soldiers break. The rebels push them back, scattering them into the dark. When silence falls, it is heavy, jagged. The rebels cheer weakly, voices hoarse. Elira roars, her breaching axe raised high. Rourke collapses into the snow, flask forgotten.
I stand apart, blood dripping from my blade, my body trembling. Declan’s laughter echoes louder than the cheers.Every swing, mine. Every life, mine. You are nothing but my shadow.
Vera comes to me, her hand finding mine. Her touch steadies me, drags me back. I meet her gaze, fierce and unyielding. For a heartbeat, her fire burns brighter than his shadow.
But only for a heartbeat.
Chapter 38 - Vera
