Page 18 of Shifter’s Promise (Devourer of Magic)

Chapter

Fourteen

M y shirt clung to my body in the damp. With each step beneath the earth, my heartbeat increased in speed. It pounded in my ears, drowning out our footsteps.

I could barely discern the whispers at my back, the triplets and Leona following paces behind. The curved staircase descended forever, the darkness more claustrophobic by the moment.

Just as I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, warm light sparked ahead.

“We’re almost there,” Willow said.

I nodded, not that anyone could see in the dark. We cats might have excellent night vision, but there was no seeing in the pitch black.

As the flicker of torchlight neared, I finally made out murmurs beyond a thick wooden door.

“Here we are,” Willow hummed. She knocked, rapping her knuckles in a specific, coded sequence.

Several clicks echoed in the quiet, locks undone one by one.

With a creak, the door finally opened. A large cavern fell away from the narrow entrance, crates littering the floor, linens strung between jagged walls to create individual spaces.

Children squealed as they ran between makeshift rooms, a woman with short grey hair chasing after them.

At least a dozen adults milled about. There had to be more further in, their voices carrying in the hollow cave.

“Willow,” the doorman greeted.

I hadn’t even noticed him, his silence like a predator ready to strike. From a look at his slitted green eyes, a dangerous serpent with dark hair and a glowing gaze.

“Shannon,” Willow greeted with a nod. “I found an old friend and her comrades.”

The snake’s creepy glare slid over me and then my companions. With a swift dip of his chin, he stepped aside and welcomed us.

“Friend?” he inquired, suspicion lacing the word.

“You know what I mean,” she scoffed.

With a sigh, I gripped the high neck of my shirt and pulled it down. He didn’t flinch, his gaze merely dropping to the scar that identified us all.

“From the elf lords then,” he clarified.

“One of the many,” Willow said.

“Come in.” Shannon stepped aside, allowing us through before shutting and

locking the door once more. Each click set my nerves on edge, the clunk of the deadbolts reverberating in my skull.

“This is the main camp,” Willow explained. “There are other caverns off of this one, and a few other ways to get in spread throughout the city.”

A fit of coughing interrupted Willow’s words, drawing our attention to one of the cloaked rooms nearest. Willow ushered us through, but the soft coos that followed made my stomach turn. Someone needed treatment.

My gaze darted around the dim cavern, torchlight sending shadows dancing on the walls. Between each makeshift room were more and more beastkin. Many children. Most ill or malnourished.

This is their rebellion?

My lips thinned, but I didn’t voice my concerns.

Instead, I followed Willow through the large cavern, into a tunnel that widened into a room without an exit.

A man with broad shoulders and a scar slicing diagonally across his face sat behind a makeshift desk—two crates supporting a chipped wooden door.

Stacked papers on either side of him belied his work, though it sat dangerously close to the open flame of a candle.

“Willow,” the man rumbled a greeting. His red gaze rose from whatever he was writing, his quill pausing ominously as he peered over his glasses. “I see you’ve brought company.”

Wolf , my senses told me. With an inhale, I took in his campfire scent. Fire wolf .

Intriguing. Wolves didn’t often reside in the Beast Kingdom. They typically stuck to The Wilds they’d claimed.

“This is Twinlin,” Willow introduced. She paused, not knowing the rest of our names. “We were held at Rafael’s manor together about five years ago.”

The wolf nodded, his thick fingers digging into a scraggly salt and pepper beard. He had to be twice my age, if not thrice. Hard to tell with shifters. His gaze hadn’t lingered on me long. Instead, it flickered over each of my companions, sizing them up.

After a long moment of silence, a grin spread on his rugged face. “Your friend has a warrior among her people. That’ll come in handy.”

My cheek twitched. He was focusing far too long on my mate. My fists clenched and a rumble built in my chest. I squashed it just barely.

“We haven’t said anything about joining you,” Leona said matter-of-factly.

The wolf barked a laugh. “True.” With an amused shake of his head, he rose, holding out a hand for me to shake. “Lifal. Former Alpha of Pack Syx. It’s a pleasure.”

“Alpha?” Taka balked.

“What is an alpha doing beyond The Wilds?” Aya snapped.

Lifal grinned, not an ounce of irritation in those red eyes. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“Yes, we would. That’s why we’re asking,” Aya deadpanned.

I held up a hand. This was getting us nowhere. These males didn’t take teasing well.

“We heard this is some kind of rebellion but all I see are sick and injured beastkin in need of a mage or a doctor.”

Finally, Lifal focused on me. “You aren’t wrong. ”

My brows furrowed. When he didn’t continue, my confusion only grew. “And what are you doing to help them?” These were former slaves. Beastkin who needed help. They might have shelter and food from what I could see, but they weren’t an army. They weren’t a rebellion.

Lifal returned to his seat with a thump. “Everything I can.”

Willow sighed, exasperated. “Lifal.”

His grin split his face in two. “Willow isn’t a fan of my teasing.”

“I see why.” I narrowed my eyes.

His chuckle echoed. “Apologies. Bad habit.” Clearing his throat, that amusement finally faded. “Every rebellion starts somewhere. We don’t have much or many supplies. We have more children than capable warriors, and even some of those are ill at the moment.”

“You’re in dire straits,” Leona said. She had shifted closer at some point, arms crossed. Though she wasn’t close enough to touch, relief flickered through me. At least she wasn’t avoiding me entirely.

“Indeed,” Lifal agreed. “But we aren’t down for the count. Willow has been working on recruitment, but it’s difficult to find fit warriors for the fight to come.”

“Fight?” Raxa asked.

“The war, I should say.”

My breath caught. “You’re planning on starting a war?”

Lifal levelled his gaze on me. “Not I. But I plan on assisting.”

“Then whose war is it?” Taka snapped .

My eyes rounded. “Her. Cinna.”

Willow grabbed my hand, shooting me a watery smile. “Yes.”

Lifal grunted. “So you already know.”

“She never mentioned a war,” I countered.

“Not yet,” Lifal agreed. “But is there any other way you see this ending?”

It was a serious question. One that silenced our entire party. Was there another way? With the Beast King most likely involved somehow—or at least turning a blind eye—how were we supposed to end the enslavement of our people?

“You see?” Lifal sighed. “We need those on the inside to enable our savior’s victory.”

“How did you hear of her?” Unease twisted my gut. It wasn’t that Lifal was giving me a bad feeling per say, but he wasn’t one of us. From his bare throat, that much was clear.

“From my informants,” he said. “I might be a Fire Clan exile, but I still have friends in the territory.”

I slammed my hands down on his table, eyes flying as wide as his at my sudden action. “What news is there? How do you know she’ll side with you in this war?”

Slowly, his widened gaze shifted to mirth. “News arrived recently. The ice wolf called a meeting of clans. It seems our future queen is gearing up for something. It’s only a matter of time before she realizes what must be done.”

War . In his eyes, that’s what must be done.

I ground my teeth, unable to refute or agree .

“Even if it doesn’t come to war,” Willow reasoned, her fingers resting gently on my shoulder.

“Beastkin aren’t happy under the Beast King’s rule anymore.

There might be mostly sick people here in the cavern, but we have healthy shifters on the ground.

We need to find out ways to assist this Cinna wolf.

If she really is as powerful as we think, she alone could turn the tides in our favor. ”

“And wipe out slavery for good.” Leona’s voice was breathy with her realization.

“Then what do we do?” I asked. Because whatever Lifal was planning so far, it wasn’t good enough. Not with shifters in the next room coughing their lungs up.

Lifal sat back, crossing his arms. “Why don’t you introduce yourselves first? Then we’ll talk business.”