Page 43 of The Hyena’s Guardian
The Guardian watched them disappear. “They are fleeing.”
“That sounds bad,” Matt replied.
“It is.”
The simplicity of the answer somehow made it worse.
Theron stepped closer to the center platform, his posture rigid beneath the partially shifted frame. “The lower gates failed.”
The King's Hand smiled wider. “Not failed.”
He lifted his eyes toward the fractured ceiling as another tremor rolled through the chamber.
“Disturbed.”
Matt's expression hardened.
“The prison was never meant to withstand excavation. Every tunnel your people opened, every ward they uncovered, every chamber they mistook for ruins…” His smile widened again. “They weakened the balance.”
Theron’s expression hardened. “They did not know.”
“No,” the King’s Hand agreed almost gently. “They did not.”
His silver eyes drifted back toward Matt. “But ignorance has never impressed old magic.”
The smile returned, colder now.
“For centuries, the guardians held the line. Then your archaeologists came searching for history, your soldiers came searching for answers, and both found a prison they did not recognize.”
He tilted his head toward Theron. “They did not free my king.”
Another tremor rippled beneath the chamber floor. “They simply made it possible for him to wake.”
Then the entire chamber lurched violently sideways.
Matt caught himself against one of the carved pillars as a deafening crack split through the floor beneath the platform. Several of the glowing symbols went dark instantly while the chains restraining the King's Hand snapped tight with violent metallic shrieks.
The Guardian moved first.
It slammed both hands against the platform as silver light erupted outward beneath its claws, forcing the widening crack to stop only inches short of the chamber wall. The effort visibly strained it. Muscles tightened beneath scarred gray skin while deep growls vibrated through the room hard enough to shake loose fragments of stone overhead.
Matt stared. “Please tell me that thing is on our side.”
The King’s Hand laughed softly. “There are no sides left.”
The larger wolf never looked away from the fractured platform. “The prison must hold.”
Matt glanced toward Theron. “Okay. That sounded almost helpful.”
The Guardian wolf’s pale eyes shifted toward Theron and something ancient moved behind them.
“You remained,” it said.
Theron’s throat worked once before he answered. “So did you.”
The King’s Hand smiled through bloodied teeth. “Touching. Two loyal dogs still pretending duty is not just another kind of chain.”
The Guardian turned back toward him with terrifying calm. “You broke the seals.”
