The smoke from the burning outpost faded slowly behind them, but the heavy smell of ash and death lingered in the air, a cold reminder of what waited for them at the Black Fort. Aris stayed low, weaving through collapsed buildings, every sense stretched thin.
Kael walked beside her, silent and dangerous. The easy, faintly amused warmth from earlier was gone, buried under a layer of ice. He wasn't just a bodyguard now. He wasn't just salvage.
He was a lord whose people had been butchered.
And he was hunting the traitors who'd done it.
Aris didn't know whether to be relieved or terrified.
Probably both.
"You're going to attract every scavenger within ten miles with that mood," she said, keeping her voice low. "Angry warlords are like beacons for trouble. Calm down. Or at least pretend to. I'd like to reach the fort without being ambushed by every thug with a grudge."
Kael's gaze didn't leave the path ahead. "I am calm."
"You're twitching," Aris said flatly. "That's not calm. That's 'I'm about to punch the next living thing I see' calm. That's terrible for stealth."
"I won't put you in danger," Kael said. His voice was quiet, but there was no mistaking the steel in it. "I made a deal. I protect you. I won't break it."
Aris stared at him.
Promises. Loyalty. Deals based on trust, not coins.
It was all so foreign it made her head hurt.
"Good," she said, looking away quickly so he wouldn't see the weird, soft feeling spreading through her chest. "Because I'm really tired of running. And I'm really looking forward to looting your fancy fortress."
The corner of Kael's mouth twitched, just for a second.
A crack in the ice.
Progress.
They moved forward for another hour, the massive, dark shape of the Black Fort growing clearer with every step. It rose from the ruins like a monument to a dead world—once a skyscraper, now a fortress, its upper floors broken, its walls reinforced with steel and concrete.
Even from a distance, it looked impossible to break into.
Impossible to defend.
Impossible to take back.
Aris felt a flicker of respect.
Whoever had betrayed Kael had been smart.
And ruthless.
"We can't go in the front," she said, stopping behind a half-collapsed wall, peering out at the fort. "Look. Guards. Guns. They're expecting you. They know you'll come for what's yours."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Three guards at the main entrance. Two more patrolling the east wall. They're spread too thin. Overconfident."
"Or they're setting a trap," Aris said. "Which is what I'd do if I'd just stolen a fortress from its rightful owner. We need another way in. A back door. A vent. A cracked window. Anything."
"There is an old maintenance tunnel," Kael said slowly. "Built for repairs. Hidden from the outside. Only my most trusted men knew about it."
"Perfect," Aris said. "We take the tunnel. We sneak in. We find out where the traitor is. And then… you do your warlord thing. I do my looting thing. We meet later. No heroics. No speeches. No dying."
"No dying," Kael repeated. "Agreed."
Aris nodded, satisfied. She started to move, but Kael's hand shot out, wrapping gently around her wrist, stopping her.
She froze, her body tensing, hand already going for her knife.
Touch was dangerous.
Touch was a threat.
But Kael didn't let go. His golden eyes were steady, serious, no trace of teasing or anger.
"Aris," he said quietly. "Whatever happens inside… thank you."
She blinked.
Thank you.
No one had ever thanked her for anything.
Not for water. Not for help. Not for saving their life.
She quickly recovered, yanking her wrist free, scowling fiercely to hide how flustered she was.
"Shut up," she snapped. "Don't get soft. Don't get sentimental. And definitely don't thank me. I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this for your loot. Now move. Before I change my mind and sell you to the first guard we see."
Kael's lips curved into a faint, real smile.
The first real smile since they'd seen the burning outpost.
"Of course," he said. "Loot first."
"Exactly," Aris said, turning away quickly so he wouldn't see the stupid smile tugging at her own lips.
She led the way, following Kael's quiet directions, sticking to the deepest shadows, until they reached a small, almost invisible metal door half-buried in rubble.
The maintenance tunnel.
The hidden entrance.
Their only way in.
Aris glanced at Kael, her expression sharp and businesslike once more.
"Last chance," she said. "We go in there, and there's no turning back. We either take back the fort… or we die inside. You sure you're ready to face your ghosts?"
Kael looked at the door, then back at her.
His gaze was calm.
Steady.
Sure.
"I've been ready since the day I fell," he said.
Aris nodded.
No more jokes.
No more teasing.
No more pretending this was just another sale.
This was war.
She pulled a small knife from her boot, gripping it tight.
"Then let's go," she said. "Your throne awaits.
And my loot does too."
Kael pushed the hidden door open.
Darkness swallowed them whole.
The Black Fort awaited.