Connor swore, dragging me onto the stage.

“It’s not looking good, friend,” Ethan said through gritted teeth, aiming his bow once more. “I’m almost out of ammo.”

“We’ll be overwhelmed in less than five minutes,” Connor said, scanning the room.

“Where’s Monroe?” Ethan asked.

“We lost him,” Connor said quietly. My veins went icy when he said it out loud.

“Well, that seals it.” Ethan smiled grimly. “Any last words?”

“Calla,” Connor said, “if we draw their attack, can you and the others get back to the stairs?”

I stared at the press of enemy wolves struggling over the pile of bodies blocking the corridor, snarling and jostling each other as they entered the Chamber.

“Even if I could, I think they have fifty or more Guardians backed all the way up to the first floor. We wouldn’t make it out.”

Connor shook his head, glancing back at the door to the northern cell block. I followed his gaze, wondering if Monroe was still alive, if there was any chance he might still emerge.

A deafening crack and a blinding flash flattened me against the floor; my ears rang as though lightning had struck the flagstones behind us. The room crackled with electricity and the air smelled of ozone. Ethan groaned beside me, flipping over and aiming his crossbow at whatever had thrown us down.

“I don’t believe it,” Connor murmured as Adne darted from the shimmering portal, stretching her hands to him.

“Believe it.” She grinned, helping him up. Her smile faded as she saw the Guardians swarming into the Chamber.

“An inside door in Eden,” Ethan gasped, staring at the portal. “You did it. You really did it.”

“I’ll happily receive your glowing reviews later,” she said. “Right now we need to go.”

“My pack,” I said, scrambling to my feet.

“On it,” Ethan said. He jumped from the stage, pushing his crossbow back and drawing swords. He cut his way through the mob, shouting.

“Show’s over, kids! We just got our ticket out of here!”

Mason’s ears flicked; he saw the sparkling gateway on the stage and gave a long, joyful howl. Nev turned, racing for the dais. Bryn released the throat of another wolf, dashing toward us. Sabine was pinned against the south wall, fighting three wolves at once.

“Hold on, Sabine!” Ethan yelled. “I’m on my way.”

“Calla, keep the Guardians off Adne!” Connor ordered.

Connor followed in Ethan’s wake, fighting off Guardians who attempted to pursue my retreating packmates. I shifted forms, tearing into any wolves who managed to get past him.

Ethan had reached Sabine, drawing two of the wolves off her with teasing sword strikes.

“Run!” he shouted as she took the third wolf down. “I’m right behind you.”

She leapt past him, tearing for the dais. He ran one of the Guardians through, but the other locked its jaws around his arm. He swore, struggling to freehimself. The wolf dug its fangs in deeper, unwilling to release. Ethan dropped the sword in his free hand and reached for a dagger. The wolf was still clinging to him when he plunged the sharp blade into its eye. The Guardian dropped to the floor, but blood gushed from the torn flesh of Ethan’s arm as he stumbled back toward the dais.

“I’ve got you covered, man,” Connor said, cutting down one wolf and slamming his fist into another’s face as the two of them fell back.

“Here!” Adne shouted, waving to them. “Get through the door! I have to close it before they can follow.”

Mason, Nev, and Bryn had already leapt through the light-filled door. Sabine waited beside me. She shifted forms when Ethan climbed onto the stage, wrapping her arm around his waist to help him through the portal.

“Go, Calla,” Adne said, glancing around the room once more. “Connor, where’s my father?”

“Go, Calla.” Connor echoed her words, pushing me toward the shimmering gate.

I glanced over my shoulder as I passed into the light, watching as Connor pulled Adne against him, whispering in her ear. Her face crumpled and she slumped against him. Connor swung her body into his arms, carrying her through the portal and out of the fray.

My toenails crunched on gravel. I sucked in the cold predawn air. It tasted like freedom, but my relief was short-lived and bittersweet.

Behind me I could hear Adne sobbing and Connor murmuring. “You have to close the door, Adne. Please.”

I heard the snarl and her scream at the same time. Pivoting toward the portal, I braced myself for a new fight. Two Guardians had leapt through the door. The first was on top of Adne, snapping at her face as she wriggled beneath it, while the second wolf squared off with Connor.

I scrambled toward Adne, catching blurred shapes racing past me out of the corner of my eye. As Connor raised his swords, Nev and Mason slammed into the wolf facing him. Fur and blood rained onto the ground as my packmates tore the enemy wolf apart.

I’d sunk my teeth into the flank of the other wolf, trying to pull it off Adne. The wolf had wrenched its snarling head around when it yelped and shuddered, all at once going limp. Adne grunted, pushing its body off, revealing the blood-covered skean with which she’d impaled the Guardian. Without hesitating, she rushed to the still open portal, ducking as another wolf leapt through it.

Adne slashed her skeans across the portal. The shimmering light that sparkled in the darkness winked out as I lunged at the new attacker. Our bodies slammed to the ground. We skidded across gravel, small stones scraping my skin even through the thick layer of fur. When we stopped sliding, the other wolf tried to scramble away, but I lunged forward, aiming for its neck but grabbing the upper part of its front leg in my jaws instead as it attempted to dodge. The wolf yelped, trying to shake me off, but I only bit down harder. The twang of Ethan’s crossbow, followed by three brief thunks, reached my ears. The other wolf’s bark became a whine and it slumped to the ground.