The Fire We Feed

The cold stone walls pressed in around them, damp with rot and years of neglect. Their chains rattled softly in the dark as Taryn yanked against her cuff for the fifth time. It didn't budge. They had unhooked the chain from the wall hours ago, but that was as far as they could get.

"Keep pulling on it, warrior," Lucien murmured from where he leaned lazily against the opposite wall. "I'm sure it'll give any second now."

Taryn glared at him, her frustration bubbling dangerously close to the surface. "Unless you've got a better idea, shut up."

Lucien grinned, unbothered. "Just saying. If sheer force was the answer, we'd be free by now."

She yanked the chain again—more out of spite than hope—and hissed when the cuff dug painfully into her wrist.

Lucien made a sound that might've been a chuckle. "We need a key."

"No kidding." Taryn cast a quick glance around the dimly lit cell. Roots tangled through the cracked stone walls, but the door above—reinforced with iron—looked anything but inviting. "There's no way we're waiting for them to come back. We get out now, or we don't get out at all."

Lucien's silver eyes glinted in the gloom. "Music to my ears. Got a plan?"

Taryn scanned the room again, her gaze locking onto a thick root coiled along the ceiling, just above the door. "That."

Lucien followed her line of sight, his lips curling into a smile that was equal parts amused and impressed. "Ambitious. I like it."

The root was thick enough to bear their weight—probably. But the problem was obvious: the cursed chain tethering them together.

"Think you can give me a boost?" Taryn asked, already bracing herself for whatever smart remark he had waiting.

Lucien straightened with a graceful stretch. "You're asking me for help? I thought you worked alone."

Taryn rolled her eyes. "Do you ever get tired of being insufferable?"

"Not even a little." Lucien crouched beside her, lacing his fingers together to give her a foothold. "Up you go, warrior."

Taryn placed her boot into his hands, ignoring the way his grip felt far steadier than she liked. "Don't drop me."

Lucien's grin widened. "Wouldn't dream of it." With an easy lift, he hoisted her upward.

Taryn grabbed hold of the thick root, muscles straining as she swung herself toward the door. The chain between them jerked taut, and for a heartbeat, she felt Lucien pulled slightly off-balance beneath her.

"Try not to strangle yourself," she muttered, shifting her weight onto the root.

"Appreciate the concern," Lucien said dryly, adjusting his stance to counterbalance her weight.

The root groaned under her grip, but it held. Taryn reached for the iron bars of the door, the fingers of her free hand brushing the ancient lock. She yanked at the mechanism until she felt the brittle iron shift under her touch and braced herself—one hard kick might be all it needed..

"I know!" she whispered, her heart hammering. She hooked her legs around the root and braced herself. "Lucien—on three. I'll kick the lock, you catch me. Ready?"

"Ready." Lucien's voice was steady, almost too calm.

"One… two… three!"

Taryn swung her body forward, slamming her boot into the lock with all her strength. The rusted iron groaned—and with a sharp crack, the door flew open.

At the same moment, the root gave way, Taryn falling into Lucien. They hit the ground together in a tangled heap, breathless and coated in dirt.

Her shoulder bumped his chest, and for a heartbeat, she registered the steady warmth of him beneath her—too close. She shoved the thought away before it could settle, scrambling to her feet.

"Graceful," Lucien murmured, his grin wicked.

"You're welcome." Taryn shot back, scrambling to her feet. "Move."

Lucien didn't need telling twice. They scrambled up the jagged roots that covered the walls and through the open door, slipping into the dim corridor beyond.

Just outside the cell, their weapons lay scattered haphazardly on the ground—likely tossed aside by careless guards who hadn't thought they'd need them again. Taryn snatched up her dagger —and then her sword— without missing a beat, the familiar weight settling in her hand like a long-lost friends. Lucien's sword gleamed faintly in the dim light, and he retrieved it with an easy, practiced motion, as if it had never left his grip.

"Well, at least they were considerate," Lucien murmured, sliding the blade from its scabbard to test its edge.

Taryn shot him a look. "Considerate would've been leaving the key."

He grinned, falling into step beside her as she took the lead.

The underground passage stretched before them, damp and narrow. Somewhere far behind, Taryn could hear footsteps—too distant to be immediate, but close enough to make her pulse race.

"This way," she whispered, grabbing Lucien's wrist and pulling him toward a set of crumbling stairs.

Lucien followed without complaint, though his eyes sparkled with amusement. "Lead the way, warrior."

The chain jerked taut between them as Taryn tried to move faster, forcing them to adjust their strides. She bit back a curse. Every step had to be coordinated, every turn calculated to avoid tripping over each other.

At the top of the stairs, a faint light filtered through a cracked doorway. The forest waited just beyond.

Taryn pressed herself flat against the wall, peeking through the crack. Two hunters stood just outside the entrance, their weapons slung lazily over their shoulders.

"Two guards," she whispered, her voice tight.

Lucien leaned close enough that she could feel the warmth of his breath. "We can take them."

"Without making noise?"

Lucien's grin flashed in the dim light. "Who said we were being quiet?"

Before Taryn could stop him, Lucien slipped past her, moving with the silent grace of a shadow.

He reached the first hunter in an instant—his hand clamping over the man's mouth as he yanked him backward into the stairwell. A quick, efficient twist of Lucien's wrist, and the hunter crumpled silently to the ground.

Taryn moved swiftly, her dagger a flash of silver in the gloom. The second hunter didn't even have time to react before her blade found its mark. He slumped to the ground without a sound.

"Not bad," Lucien murmured, a gleam of approval in his silver eyes.

Taryn wiped her blade on the hunter's cloak and shot him a glare. "Don't get used to it."

They slipped through the cracked doorway, the cold night air hitting them like a slap. The forest loomed ahead—dark and endless, a labyrinth of shadows waiting to swallow them whole.

And just like that, the chase was on.