The stairwell dropped fast.
Lyria went down first because nobody else seemed willing to make the choice. Kael stayed right behind her, close enough that she could feel his hand at her lower back every time the steps narrowed. Mira came next with her sword still out. Ronan kept one hand on the wall and one on his cane. Selene followed with her jaw tight. Corin brought up the rear.
The air changed the lower they went. It got colder. Older. Damp stone, dust, and something that smelled like iron. Not fresh blood. Old blood. The kind that had soaked into a place and never really left.
Lyria's wolf was still awake under her skin, and every step made it more alert. The voice from below had told them to bring her down. That did not feel like a good sign. It felt like somebody in the dark knew exactly where she was and had all the time in the world.
Kael glanced back at her once. "You okay?"
"No," she said.
He nodded like that made sense.
