The ground moved again.
Not a tremor.
Not an earthquake.
Something… alive.
The entire cavern groaned as stone shifted above us. Dust rained down in thick clouds, and the air filled with the deep grinding sound of rock sliding against rock.
My heart pounded.
“That’s not the mountain collapsing,” I whispered.
Theodore’s grip tightened around my hand.
“No,” he said grimly.
“Something is waking up.”
A deafening roar exploded from above.
The sound was so powerful it vibrated through my bones, rattling the ancient pillars around us. Even the ancient wolves stiffened, their massive forms lowering instinctively.
The True King lifted its head slowly.
“Ah,” it murmured.
“The mountain guardian.”
My stomach dropped.
“The what?”
Before anyone could answer, the cavern ceiling split open
