Chapter 8 Into the darkness

The dungeon stairs went down and down and down. Mara could barely see anything. The walls were wet and cold. Water dripped from somewhere above.

"How much farther?" Mara whispered to Corin.

"Not far. I can smell him now. Wolf scent. Blood. Anger." Corin's ears were flat against his head. "Hurry. The distraction won't last forever."

They reached the bottom of the stairs. A long hallway stretched ahead of them. Torches burned on the walls, making strange shadows dance. There were doors on both sides. Prison cells.

Mara heard sounds coming from the cells. Moaning. Crying. The rattle of chains.

"Who are all these people?" she asked.

"Anyone who made King Darius angry," Corin said quietly. "Wolves who spoke against him. Humans who tried to escape. Anyone he considers a threat."

Mara felt sick. How many innocent people were trapped down here?

"We can't save them all," Corin said, as if reading her thoughts. "Not today. Focus on Zevran."

They moved down the hallway. Mara checked each cell as they passed. Most were empty. Some had prisoners who stared at her with hollow eyes.

Then she felt it. A pull in her chest. The mate bond, pointing her in the right direction.

"This way," she said, turning left down another corridor.

This hallway was darker. Quieter. At the very end was a single cell. The door was made of black iron and covered in strange glowing symbols.

"That's the magic," Corin whispered. "Those symbols are keeping the door locked."

Mara's heart was racing. She could feel Zevran inside. So close. She ran to the cell door and looked through the small window.

Inside, a man sat against the far wall. His head was down. His wrists were chained to the wall. Even in the dim light, Mara could see the scars on his face and arms.

"Zevran," she whispered.

His head snapped up. Those ice pale eyes found hers immediately. For a moment, he just stared at her like he couldn't believe she was real.

Then he spoke. His voice was rough and harsh.

"You're alive."

"Yes," Mara said. "And I'm getting you out of here."

"No." Zevran stood up. The chains rattled. "You need to run. If they catch you here, they'll kill you."

"I'm not leaving without you." Mara pulled out the vial of moonlight. Her hands were shaking. "Nyra gave me this. It's supposed to break the magic on your door."

"Nyra?" Zevran's eyes narrowed. "The witch helped you?"

"She wants King Darius weakened. Same as us." Mara opened the vial carefully. "Stand back."

She poured the silver liquid onto the lock. It hissed and bubbled. The glowing symbols on the door began to flicker. Then, one by one, they went dark.

The lock clicked.

Mara pulled the door open. It was heavy, but she managed it. She ran into the cell.

Zevran was watching her with an expression she couldn't read. "How did you survive the Shadow Woods?"

"I'll tell you later. First we need to get these chains off you." Mara looked at the iron cuffs on his wrists. They were locked too, but there were no magic symbols on them. "Do you know where the key is?"

"The guards carry them."

"Then I'll find a guard and take the key."

"Mara." Zevran's voice stopped her. "You can't fight a guard. You're human."

"I'm more than human," Mara said. She didn't know why she said it, but it felt true. "I'm also wolf. I just haven't changed yet."

Zevran stared at her. "What?"

"The shrine told me. My father was a wolf. My mother was human. They hid my wolf side when I was born to protect me." Mara touched her chest. "But it's waking up now. I can feel it."

Before Zevran could respond, Corin ran into the cell.

"Guards coming! Two of them! They must have noticed the distraction is over!"

Mara looked around frantically. There was nowhere to hide in the small cell.

"Get behind me," Zevran ordered.

"But you're chained!"

"Now, Mara!"

She moved behind him just as two guards appeared in the doorway. They were big wolves in human form, with swords at their sides.

"What's this?" the first guard said. "The cell is open! How did you get out?"

"I didn't," Zevran said calmly. "But someone is about to die. Would you like to guess who?"

The second guard laughed. "You're chained to a wall, Beast. You can't do anything."

"That's what you think."

Zevran's body changed. Mara had never seen a transformation before. One second he was a man. The next second, bones cracked and reshaped. Fur sprouted. His face stretched into a wolf's muzzle.

In three seconds, a massive black wolf stood where Zevran had been. The chains were still on his front legs, but he was free of the wall.

The guards' faces went white with fear.

"Run," the first guard whispered.

They ran.

Zevran changed back into human form. He was breathing hard. "That used most of my strength. We need to get these chains off quickly before more guards come."

Mara ran to the doorway and looked out. The guards had dropped something when they fled. A key ring.

"Here!" She grabbed it and ran back. She tried key after key on Zevran's chains. Finally, one worked. The chains fell off with a heavy clang.

Zevran rubbed his wrists. They were raw and bleeding. "Thank you."

"Can you walk?" Mara asked.

"I can run if I need to." Zevran looked at her seriously. "But Mara, we can't just escape. King Darius will hunt us forever. We need to end this."

"I know. I have a plan." Mara quickly explained about the cup and Prince Ronan. "My friend is stealing it right now. If we can prove Ronan killed Selene, we can break the second chain of the curse."

Zevran's eyes widened. "Ronan killed Selene?"

"Yes. The shrine showed me everything."

For a moment, Zevran just stood there. Mara saw so many emotions cross his face. Shock. Anger. Pain. Relief.

"I knew I didn't kill her," he said quietly. "But no one believed me."

"I believe you," Mara said.

Their eyes met. The bond between them glowed brighter, warming Mara's chest.

Then Corin's voice broke the moment.

"Someone's coming! Big someone! Not guards!"

Heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway. Whoever was coming wasn't trying to be quiet.

Zevran moved in front of Mara protectively. "Stay behind me."

A figure appeared in the doorway. He was huge, bigger than any wolf Mara had ever seen. He wore armor and carried a massive sword.

It was King Darius.

"Well, well," the King said with a cruel smile. "The little human came to rescue you. How touching."

Zevran growled. "Let us pass, Darius."

"Let you pass? After you broke out of your cell?" King Darius laughed. "I don't think so. In fact, I think I'll kill you both right here. Self defense, of course. You attacked me when I came to check on the disturbance."

"You can try," Zevran said.

"Oh, I don't need to try. You're weak from days without food. You have no weapons. And you're trying to protect a helpless human." King Darius drew his sword. "This will be easy."

He lunged forward, sword aimed at Zevran's heart.

Zevran grabbed Mara and threw them both to the side. The sword hit the wall where they had been standing, sending sparks flying.

"Run!" Zevran shouted at Mara. "Get out of here!"

"I'm not leaving you!"

King Darius pulled his sword free and turned toward them. "How noble. You'll die together then."

He swung the sword again. Zevran pushed Mara behind him and took the hit on his arm. Blood sprayed across the floor.

Mara screamed.

"No!" She didn't think. She just moved. She ran at King Darius and pushed him as hard as she could.

She was just a small human girl. It shouldn't have done anything.

But King Darius stumbled backward, surprised. "What?"

Mara looked at her hands. They felt hot. Strong. Different.

"Mara," Zevran said urgently. "Your eyes. They're glowing."

Mara could feel it now. Something inside her was breaking free. The wolf. Her wolf. It was coming.

"No," she whispered. "Not now. Not here."

But her body didn't listen. Pain shot through her bones. She fell to her knees.

"She's transforming!" King Darius said. "Kill her before she completes it!"

He raised his sword.

Zevran roared and launched himself at the King. They crashed into the wall, fighting. Zevran was trying to keep the King away from Mara.

But Mara couldn't help. She couldn't do anything. Her body was changing and it hurt so much she couldn't even scream.

Corin ran to her side. "Fight through it! Accept it! Let the wolf out!"

Mara tried. She really tried. But the pain was too much.

Through blurry eyes, she saw Zevran and King Darius fighting. Zevran was bleeding from multiple wounds. He was losing.

King Darius knocked Zevran to the ground and raised his sword for the final blow.

"No!" Mara's scream came out as a howl.

Everything went white.

When the light faded, Mara stood on four legs instead of two. Her hands were paws. Her body was covered in white fur.

She had transformed into a wolf.

And she was angry.

King Darius stared at her in shock. "Impossible. You're just a human!"

Mara growled. The sound came from deep in her chest. She didn't know how to use this new body, but instinct took over.

She leaped at King Darius.