Aurora's feet pounded against the damp earth as she and Nath raced through the forest. The Silver Key felt hot in her palm, almost alive, pulsing with each beat of her heart.
"How much farther?" she gasped, ducking under a low branch.
Nath pulled Lucas's map from the metal cylinder. "Not far. The secret entrance should be past that ridge."
The memory of Elias's burning forehead haunted her. Through their bond, she could barely feel him now—just a faint flutter, like a dying candle. And Rosie's sacrifice... The image of her friend throwing herself in harm's way to save the pups replayed in her mind.
"We need to hurry," Aurora said, pushing herself faster.
A howl pierced the night—not wolf, not human. The scaled creatures were hunting them.
"This way!" Nath veered sharply left, pulling Aurora behind a wall of thick bushes. "Stay low."
