Page 49 of Sun, Moon & Shadow (Fate of Aemoria #1)

The horses were exhausted by the time Callan and Lucan reached the rocky outcrop, not far from the base of Schadwen Mountain.

It was shortly after sunrise when they tethered the animals to the branches of a twisted acacia, hidden from view.

Quickly scaling the formation of black bedrock, Callan lay flat on his stomach atop the slanted summit, pulling a spyglass from the folds of his cloak.

Lucan joined him a moment later, crouching beside him as Callan scanned the base of the mountain for a point of entry.

“There,” he said, passing the spyglass to Lucan and pointing. The cave entrance was nearly hidden by several desert trees springing out of the sandy ground in front of it. Lucan nodded and glanced up at the brightening sky overhead, handing the spyglass back to him.

“I say we give them another hour to settle in for a rest, then we make our way inside.”

“You said the general traveled with twenty soldiers?” Callan’s mind whirred, making mental calculations, formulating a plan of attack.

“Yes. I imagine he’ll have two or three guards wherever he’s bedded down. Several more posted near Nova. The remaining soldiers will be divided, with some sleeping and the rest on watch.”

“We’re going in blind. Don’t know the layout. It’ll have to be a stealth attack. We kill anyone we encounter as quickly and quietly as possible. I’d like our odds much better if we’re not fighting all twenty at once, especially in such close quarters.”

“Agreed,” Lucan said, seeming slightly surprised. “Since you’ve taken care of logistics, I suppose I’ll find some water for the horses.”

As the commander descended, boots scraping rough stone, Callan narrowed his eyes on the cave entrance. He could almost hear Nova’s essence calling to him like a beacon from the darkness within.

An hour later, the males hiked to a spot a good deal west of the cave, planning to make a covert approach along the foot of the mountain. Once they rescued Nova, they’d make a run for the horses hidden behind the outcrop.

The skinny acacias marking the cave entrance came into view, and Callan sank down into a low crouch, signaling for Lucan to do the same.

He watched the entrance for several minutes, not observing any movement.

He rose to walking height but remained hunched forward as they crept into position near the mouth of the cave.

Callan picked up a stone and lobbed it a short distance up the rock face.

It rolled down, bringing a few smaller rocks tumbling with it.

A single soldier poked his head out in response, craning his neck to investigate the source of the noise.

Not seeing anything of concern, the guard disappeared back through the darkened entryway.

“I’ll take out the first guard when we enter,” Callan whispered. “You watch my back—there’s likely at least one more just inside.” Callan pulled his dagger from the sheath at his thigh, his leather glove groaning faintly as he tightened his grip around the hilt.

Lucan produced his own dagger, the curved blade glinting in the sunlight. “If our plan falls apart, I’ll shift. It won’t be stealth, but I’ll clear a path straight to her.”

Callan nodded once. A moment later, he entered the cave, surprising the soldier leaning against the wall.

Before the male could draw his sword, Callan pulled him to his chest and ran the blade of his dagger across his throat, killing him instantly.

Farther down the tunnel, a second guard emerged from the shadows, his weapon in hand, but Lucan was ready, overpowering him and slitting his throat efficiently.

They left the bodies where they fell and crept farther into the darkness.

A small chamber off the main tunnel contained two soldiers sleeping on the ground, both easily dispatched without a struggle. Callan and Lucan exited the chamber, each hugging the wall as they proceeded along the stone corridor, following Nova’s scent deeper into the caves.

They had just crossed into a ring of orange light cast by a single torch mounted on the wall when a guard emerged from a narrow opening in the rock, his head lowered as he fiddled with the laces of his breeches.

The male was out of reach when he looked up, spotting the intruders.

Callan sent forth a burst of frigid wind, hurling the soldier against the wall, but his warning shout was already reverberating off the damp stone.

Callan rushed forward, drawing his sword from the sheath at his back as he quickly closed the distance between them, and separated the soldier’s head from his body with a single brutal blow.

But the damage had already been done. Echoes of faraway shouts rang out, overlapping with the sound of running footsteps.

Callan sheathed his dagger and shot a glance at Lucan. The commander flashed his teeth in a smirk and shrugged casually, as if to say, Oh well , before throwing his arms out wide at his sides.

In the blink of an eye and a cascade of crunching bones and rippling muscles, Lucan’s form shifted to that of a walking wolf, covered from head to toe in thick black fur.

He looked much the same as a lycane but with longer limbs and a greater range of motion, which allowed him to walk on his hind legs and lash out freely with his front claws.

Lucan unleashed a deafening howl that vibrated Callan’s rib cage, the haunting sound instantly raising the tiny hairs on Callan’s arms and the back of his neck.

Three guards skidded to a halt at the edge of the torchlight, staring wide-eyed at Callan and the beast before drawing their own weapons.

One lunged at Lucan, the other two preferring to take their chances on Callan.

Callan lifted his sword arm and sent forth an icy blast from his other hand, throwing one of his opponents against the wall.

The second guard continued to rush him, and they crossed blades in a crash of steel.

Callan spun quickly, coming to rest behind the guard and running him through the back with the point of his sword.

He pulled his blade free and switched his grip, thrusting his weapon behind him and plunging his blade through the chest of the second guard, who had managed to get back on his feet.

Callan scanned the tunnel ahead, only vaguely aware of the third guard’s screams quieting on the heels of a sickening squelch as Lucan tore out his throat.

Callan locked eyes with the creature and jerked his head to the left.

The two of them took off running into the darkness, headed for the next ring of light.

A moment later, two more guards appeared, blocking their path.

Lucan leapt on one, tackling him to the ground.

The guard cried out as Lucan’s claws slashed him across the throat.

The second guard froze. Callan seized the opportunity and lunged at him, coming down with his blade from above.

The Silvergardian soldier had the sense to raise his own weapon and block Callan’s attack.

Lucan charged up from behind, clawing at the back of the soldier’s legs.

He collapsed, and Callan brought his blade down forcefully, piercing him through the heart.

A faint roar rang out in the darkness. The familiar sound frightened Callan more than Lucan’s howl had.

Nova .

Callan pressed his boot against the dead guard’s shoulder and yanked his blade free.

He took off sprinting in the direction of Nova’s voice, jaw clenched, blood laced with pure ire coursing like glacial water in his veins.

Around a bend in the tunnel, a figure emerged from the shadows ahead of him.

Callan swung his sword, splitting the soldier’s throat open without stopping.

He barely registered Lucan overtaking him as they careened toward a dimly lit cavern at the end of the passageway.