I was half-running to keep up with his long strides, but he stopped in an instant, spinning to face me so quickly that I nearly ran straight into his chest.
“Because that wasn’t the plan, Huntyr.” Wolf’s breath hit my face as his chest heaved. Jessiah was re-adjusting the stone over the entrance of the tunnel, cutting off any sunlight that would have filtered through. “The plan was to die. The plan was to trust Era, okay? Besides, we couldn’t have found the tunnel from the outside without help.”
He turned to continue walking, but I gripped his bicep and forced him to stop. “What plan? Asmodeus’s plan?”
“No.” My eyesight was getting stronger. Even in the darkness, I saw the way Wolf’s gaze flickered over my shoulder to Jessiah before he chose his next words. “Era told me, okay? She told me we had to pass the Transcendent like everyone else. So we did. And we’re both still alive, so there’s no use discussing this now.”
When he spun out of my grasp again, I didn’t stop him.
My mind spun with the information, trying to pull apart Wolf’s words.
“Don’t think for a second that you can get through these tunnels without us,” Jessiah added from behind me. I finally forced myself to keep walking. It only took a minute or two to reach the other end.
“And why is that?”
Wolf pushed open the exit above our heads. Sunlight flooded in, followed by the lush scent of fresh air.
“Take a look for yourself,” Jessiah answered.
I ignored Wolf’s outstretched hand and crawled out of the tunnel, squinting as my eyes adjusted to the light. I pushed myself to my feet and brushed my dirty hands on my trousers before fully taking in our surroundings.
Jessiah was right. We weren’t just out in the forest, free from The Golden City. We were standing just feet away from the massive, towering wall, but in front of us stood a small, wooden building that appeared to be horse stables.
“Welcome to the stables,” Wolf said, stepping up beside me.
It all looked so normal, like this building existed here for decades in the peace of the forest.
“How is this possible?” I asked. One of the horses grazed freely in the grass a few feet away.
Neither of them answered. Instead, they turned toward the door of the stables that slowly opened, revealing a cloaked figure stepping toward us.
Nobody spoke as the man approached.
But then he stopped a few feet away from us, pausing for a moment before removing the cloak. He was a few decades older than us. A long gray beard hung from his face, and tanned skin wrinkled around his face as he scowled, unmoving. “I don’t believe my damn eyes.”
My heart stopped, adrenaline pushing into my limbs from the wave of unknown. I was ready to fight. I was ready to draw Venom and prepare for an attack.
But Jessiah stepped forward, closing the distance between them in two swift steps and throwing an arm around the man.
To my surprise, the man hugged him back.
“It’s been years, Griffith!” Jessiah greeted as he pulled back, letting Wolf walk up and greet the man just as warmly. “I didn’t know if you would still be here!”
“Of course, I’m still here,” Griffith replied. “Who else is going to make sure these beauties survive out here?”
Wolf stayed quiet, but I could feel the small trickle of joy filtering through our bond. Whoever this man was to them, he was important.
I found myself standing awkwardly while the three reunited.
The man—Griffith—paused when he noticed Wolf’s lack of wings. “I heard the whisperings, but I didn’t want to believe it myself.” The air stilled. The birds even seemed to stop chirping.
“Don’t worry about me, old man,” Wolf replied with a smile. “I’ve missed these horses, anyway. Who needs wings when you’ve got a four-legged creature willing to take you anywhere you need to go, right?”
Another beat of silence lingered. Jessiah glanced down at his own feet and shoved his hands in his pockets. I fought the urge to do the same.
But eventually, Griffith smiled. “That’s damn right, son. Let’s get you boys set up with the best animals we’ve got.”
Griffith winked at me—his only acknowledgement of my existence—and turned toward the stables. Jessiah followed quickly after him, but Wolf lingered back, waiting for me. I could tell in his pleading gaze that he didn’t want me to ask any questions.
