Chapter 100

The tunnel felt like a trap. The deeper we went, the more the cold stone seemed to push against us. Dust and grit covered every surface.

Then we hit the massive boulders blocking the passage from floor to ceiling. They hadn't just collapsed; they had been dropped there.

Asher cursed, his voice echoing in my mind. “They buried it on purpose.”

I stared at the mountain of rubble, a slow burn starting deep in my marrow. “She went through here.”

It took us three days to clear the path. Three long, agonizing days. My warriors worked in shifts, hauling out jagged stones piece by piece while I refused to sleep. By the time we finally broke through, my hands were raw and bleeding.

But we made it.

The tunnel finally opened up near a freezing river at the base of the mountains. I stood on the muddy bank, the sound of rushing snowmelt filling my ears.

I searched for her scent. I searched until my lungs burned.

Nothing.