The walls of the fortress felt like they were closing in. Every shadow seemed to hold a spy for the Council, and every whisper in the hallway felt like a countdown to my execution.
Silas didn't waste a second. He led me through a series of hidden passages behind the library, the stone damp and cold under my fingertips. We descended deep into the bowels of the mountain, far below the Great Hall, until we reached a heavy iron door that smelled of sulfur and dried herbs.
"Who lives down here?" I whispered, the darkness pressing against us.
"The only person in this pack I trust with a secret this dangerous," Silas replied. He struck the door three times. "Valerius. Open up."
The door creaked open to reveal a room overflowing with glass vials, ancient scrolls, and a bubbling cauldron that c
