~ BREN ~
Every childish nightmare came to life in my mind as the stairs crawled endlessly down, down, down into that oppressive dark, without any sign of light or life.
A few months ago, when something crawled across my hand as I placed it on the wall, I might have run screaming back up the stairs and out into the night, orders be damned. But the rumble under my feet had grown louder. And my training kicked in. Shaking the unseen passenger off my hand with a hiss, praying it didn’t cling to my clothes, I continued down where the tiniest glow of light made it clear the tunnel opened out.
Yet, when I finally reached the bottom, it was a dead end. I drew up short, my nose scraping on what felt like another tree-bark wall. After blinking a moment, I made out a whisper of lighton the stone near my toes. When the wall in front of me didn’t give under my hand, I searched the nearby walls looking for another knot or protruding formation—and found the latch of a lock similar to those my father used on his farm gates. A simple press on the lever at the top, and sure enough, the door swung free, easing open in front of me to reveal a dimly lit tunnel.
The rounded ceiling and notched walls looked like they’d been carved out of stone. A soft glow emanated from deeper within, revealing that the tunnel curved first to my right, then sharply around to my left and out of sight.
Cursing the order not to bring weapons, I pressed the door closed, but struggled to make it latch. When I pushed it hard, it finally gave—and I winced as it gave a mightyboom,latched into place, and stayed.
The vibration I felt under my feet when the man had disappeared.
At least I wasn’t the only one who’d made that noise.
Taking a deep breath, I turned and followed the tunnel towards the light, the rumbling sound I’d been hearing growing to a deep hum, then the distant murmur of male voices punctuated by popping and crackling, the two sounds blending together as if the earth were unhappy.
But as the light grew, my steps quickened, and I turned a final corner to slide to a halt at the sight of two men dressed just as the one who’d guided me here had been: Thick leathers, a half-cloak, deep hoods that shrouded their entire face except their mouths and chins.
I froze at the sight of them and sank into a defensive stance, my mind whirling with grappling moves, and searching desperately for ways to fighttwomen by myself—until one of them smiled.
“At least you didn’t leave the door open like shit-for-brains over here,” a familiar voice said as he tipped his head towardsthe other man standing to his right. Then they both threw back their hoods.
I sighed with relief. It was my squad brothers. Voski, and Gil.
“What areyoudoing here?” I started, but Gil, who’d recently cut his hair so short it was little more than dark velvet on his scalp, turned on Voski, scowling.
“What the fuck are you talking about? I never left the door open—that wasyou!”
Voski shrugged. He was trimmer than Gil, but taller. He flipped his straight, jet-black hair back out of eyes, which were almost as dark as the stairwell I’d just walked down. But his thin lips tipped up on one side. “So you say.”
“Voski—”
“Is the whole squad here?” I asked, relieved to see them both, my heart thudding.
Both of them turned to me, brows high. “No!” they barked in unison.
“And you don’t talk to them about this.Ever,”Voski said quickly. Sternly. All hint of humor gone.
I nodded. “Got it. Got it... But Ronen said—”
“Ronen knows you’re with us, and you have duties today. But that’s all he knows. He won’t ask, and you don’t tell,” Gil said firmly.
“Right.” I licked my lips. “Butyou’reboth here… because?”
They glanced at each other. Gil smiled, but stifled it quickly as they turned towards the tunnel behind them, Gil beckoning me forward.
Because Gil was our Wing Lieutenant, I’d assumed he was in charge. So, it was a surprise when Voski was the one to fall in step with me and begin speaking quietly,firmly.It was the same tone Ronen used when giving orders I was expected to remember first time.
“You’ve been invited, Bren,” Voski said grimly, his eyes cutting to the side to me, to make sure I was listening, then back to Gill a couple steps ahead of us.
“Invited to what?”
He continued as if I hadn’t even spoken. “Every Furyknight in attendance tonight has proven their loyalty and pure-hearted integrity to our leaders more than once. What is spoken tonight can never be repeated, except to other members who were present—and then only in dire need.”
“Okay, but, dire need ofwhat?”
“This is your only choice,” Voski said, his eyes flashing as the light ahead of us, and the murmuring echo of a small crowd, grew. “What lies on the other side of this is intense responsibility, isolation in duty, and thankless toil. You will be givenmoreassignments, above and beyond your Furyknight duties. It will require your utmost discretion, and you will likely never be acknowledged for the work you do with us. If you’re caught, you’ll be expected to maintain silence, even to death. But it’s important work, and you’ll never go to sleep at night wondering if you’ve made a difference. If you join us, you’ll save lives. But you’ll never be able to tell another soul that you did so.”
