Facing The Mountain Novels & Stories

His mouth twitched—half smile, half grimace. For a moment, we just stood there, clinging to each other, breathing the same thin air. The mountain pulsed around us, low and steady, as if approving. "I thought I lost you," he whispered against my hair. "You didn’t," I whispered back. We stayed like that a long moment. Then a tremor shivered through the stone beneath our feet. The mountain wasn’t done testing us. I pulled back, meeting his eyes fully. "We have to move," I said. "Aiden's not far."

I didn't have an answer that wouldn't scare her or make her feel like I was scared too and didn't want to go on with the plan. I coughed, probably about to speak even though I wasn't going to speak directly, but before I could, Fenric grunted and spoke without looking over his shoulder. “He's silent because he knows the geography of that mountain as well as I do, Calla,” Fenric said, his voice flat. “The western slope you mentioned… if it's really the one with the dead oak and the weeping face rock. That isn't just a path, it's a vertical climb. To be honest, if we are to go, it's going to be a suicidal mission. Even for a wolf.”

It was a formidable sight, but it also gave me hope that we were getting closer to our goal. I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the journey ahead of us. But I was determined to succeed, no matter the cost. "Let's go," I said, standing up and motioning for Luis to follow. We packed up our bags and ran towards the mountain. We finally reached the foot of the mountain, and it was even more impressive up close. The rocky terrain seemed almost insurmountable, and the mountain towered above us, its peak still shrouded in mist.

No one spoke again. == The mountain rose ahead of them. Covered in thick trees. The cars stopped at the base. Cold air brushed against their skin. Adam looked up. His head tilted back slightly. "The mountain is quite big." “Mmm,” Jay responded, stepping forward. He looked at the path ahead. Then shook his head. "The road won't do. We can't go up with the car, meaning we will have to walk." David nodded once. “Move.” He ordered. They began climbing. Branches brushed against their clothes. Leaves crunched under their feet.

That was exactly why she had stubbornly believed my injuries were nothing more than surface wounds. In her mind, it had only been a small lesson. How could something like that possibly lead to someone laying such a heavy hand on me? The officer’s face darkened. Without hesitation, he ordered his team to bring in the person Mom had named. The man’s name was Lenny Hill, a well-known street thug in the area. When they dragged him in, he didn’t look nervous at all. If anything, he seemed oddly composed, as if none of this concerned him.

In order to tap into that power, I needed to become unmovable. I looked around in confusion as we stopped at the base of the mountain. Atlas was practically wobbling on his feet, and I knew we would never survive the trek upwards. Micah hushed me and moved towards the mountain, bringing Elden along with him. Together, they each placed a hand against the rocky surface. Threads of emerald and mahogany twisted into the air, coming from both the Fae men and the mountain itself.

When the door opened, my slender and bruised legs jumped into view. Preston looked rather surprised at the sight. In the next second, he stared at my face blankly. "Jeanine Colby?"

] I could tell Ethan was gearing to respond with the word 'typing' displayed, but then there was nothing. Was I just left on read? It did not matter. Things somehow seemed much clearer to me after I survived.

Cyrus asked, reaching out his hand. I took it, my fingers interlacing with his. "Ready." We stepped out of the cabin and into the crisp, biting air of the mountain morning. The sky was a pale, icy blue, and the world was covered in a fresh blanket of snow that hid the blood and the horror of the night before. We began the trek down the mountain, Cyrus leading the way with a watchful eye on the tree line. Every step was a step away from my past and a step toward a future I never thought I'd be allowed to have.

The stones were indeed remarkable, and ahead, a vast mountain range stretched out. Adrian’s expression turned cold as he studied the mountains. “This mountain range isn’t simple. It seems we need to shatter it to uncover the treasure,” he said, then launched a powerful punch toward the distant mountains. Boom! The area trembled violently, and the sound of the mountains exploding echoed through the air. Boom! Boom! Boom! The fierce collisions shook the heavens and the earth. Adrian’s expression was solemn. As the mountain crumbled before him, a truly astonishing sight, his cold demeanor didn’t waver.