Page 24 of Rose's Untamed Bear

"I see," I managed, closing my eyes for a moment. It wasn't bad. Hawthorne, Rowan berries, and Ash would have at least slowed Alarion down some. It wouldn’t have killed him; he was too powerful for that, but it would have given her time to get away. Which, come to think of it—or even better,notthink of it—would have been the farthest thing from her mind.

"He was weakened already. Somebody cut his beard off," I muttered, because I didn't want to discuss her act of… brave stupidity any further.

"That was me… and Snow," she declared with all the pride of a wood sprite.

"What?"

What? Magnus echoed.

"How?"

"I didn't know Grimbalt was Alarion." She confessed and told me of her encounters with the troll. This time, I couldn't help it. I chuckled. The mighty Alarion the Wise had been bested by nothing more than the kindness of two sisters, kindness they didn’t even know carried power. If that wasn’t funny, I didn’t know what was.

The hoot of an owl reminded me that it was getting dark. I rose and pulled her up by her hand, "Come, we need to find some shelter for the night."

Hesitantly, she turned away from me, her eyes gliding over to where Alerion still lay. "What about… him?"

"The wolves will have a feast with him," I responded dryly before I remembered that the despicable wizard was her father. "Unless… do you want me to bury him?" It was the last thing I wanted to do, but for her, I would.

She shook her head, "No, I suppose the wolves have to eat too, and it will be something good that came from his existence."

"That and you," I couldn't help but add.

She smiled tiredly up at me, and this time, when I took her hand to pull her away, she didn't hesitate to follow me.

"Where are we going?"

That was a good question. I had nothing. Magnus could live off the land. I considered turning back into him and hunting something down for Rose, then we could make a fire and?—

"I have things," my little Rose interrupted my thoughts. Proudly, she presented her bag, filled with blankets and food, including bread and honey. "I didn't come unprepared." She added proudly.

"That's good," I agreed, “now we just need to—" this time I interrupted myself when the last rays of the sun hit something sparkling and shiny by the rocks.

“Hold on.” I strode toward the rocks, crouching low. The fading light caught something wedged between them—metal, dulled with age but unmistakable. Coins.

My pulse kicked.

There, Magnus rumbled inside me, fierce and certain.The little wretch’s greed left trails even here.

I pushed aside stones until a gap yawned open, dark and narrow, a cave hidden in the earth. The smell of damp soil rolled out to meet me. This was how he must have gotten trapped. When he rolled the stones back in place, one must have gotten loose.

“What is it?” Rose’s voice was hushed, but bright with curiosity.

“Treasure,” I muttered, my chest tightening. “Stay here, Rose.”

Her brows rose, but before she could argue, I ducked into the hole. The ceiling scraped my shoulders as I squeezed through. Itwas darker than pitch, so dark my own breathing seemed to echo louder than footsteps. My eyes strained as my hands worked along the stone, feeling my way forward.

My heart pounded. Could it be here? After all these years, all the torment, was the heart hidden in this place? Could I really save them? My father, the castle inhabitants, our subjects? The thought of it lit a fire in me, and with each step, my chest pulled tighter, anticipation and fear tangled into a single thread.

“Derrick?” Rose’s voice floated down behind me. A warm glow followed, flickering across the stone walls. She squeezed through, holding a makeshift torch aloft, her face alight with determination.

I nearly barked at her for ignoring my warning. But the words died before they could form. Because the sight of that flame, the way it gilded her hair copper, the way it carved shadows off the vault walls, it steadied me. It also lit the path.

And gods, I was glad for it. Glad for her.

I swallowed hard, pushing deeper into the chamber as the light spread around us. My heart was hammering with hope in my chest. Somewhere in here—maybe, finally—the heart waited. The passage opened wider as I descended, the torch she made sputtering behind me.

The vault opened before us.