Hades' Cursed Luna novel Chapter 409

Chapter 409: High Stakes Escape

"You’ll have to cut through," Maera continued. "Fields, suburbs, industrial strips. Keep to the shadows when you can. Even then..." Her mouth pressed into a grim line. "The closer you get to Obsidian, the more watchful Darius’ agents will be. They’ve rooted themselves in every checkpoint. I know that bastard."

Her words settled like stones in my gut. Obsidian’s borders weren’t just contested—they were riddled with eyes, informants, and opportunists feeding Darius every scrap of movement.

We had escaped his Cauterium but not his pack and he knew that. Security and surveillance would be thorough.

Kael stepped forward, already bracing his shoulders like the weight had been handed to him. "Then we don’t take an army. Not through this. The men are too many."

My mind had already turned the blade of the thought over and over. Every gamma or Cain’s men we marched across cities and grasslands would paint a target too large to hide. Men could hold Underspine, buy us time, guard the civilians and wounded. They would help Maera and the rest of the Underspines command and defence rescue more civilains while we got things in order from Obsidian pack.

We would send supplies soon to aid with efforts and increase efficiency. We had eaten through some of their supplies and resourses and I planned to pay it back ten fold. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

But to reach Obsidian fast enough to fortify before the Bloodmoon’s tide rose? That required something smaller. Faster.

"Cain. Kael." I looked each in the eye, "You’re with me. The rest will stay and help. I turned to Cain. Let it be known what their responsibility to this place will be. They must not misbehave and watch for anyone who is less than pleased with the arrangment. We don’t need anyone pulling us back, a war is coming."

Cain gave a low, humorless chuckle, tilting his head and adjusting a now exhausted Sage on his shoulder. She was already dozing.

He left without a word, his boots carrying him toward the mess hall where the men were still eating. His low voice would be enough to set them straight, to make sure no one forgot the weight of their orders.

I turned to Kael and Maera. "Office. Now."

She didn’t argue. Maera’s eyes sharpened, though a faint tremor clung to her fingers as she pulled open the folded map. The desk light caught the glossy surface of the printout, every crease like scar tissue.

"This is Silverpine’s eastern stretch." Her voice was steady, but too steady—the kind of discipline you force over a shaking core. She tapped at the arterial roads marked in bold digital ink. "Darius has eyes here, here, and here. Border towns—surveillance towers, drone sweeps, biometric checkpoints. March an army across, and you’ll light up every scanner before you hit the next ridge."

Kael leaned forward, but Maera’s hand slammed flat over the map, stopping his line of thought. "Secret routes? Smuggling lanes? I’ve sent people through them before. Some never came back. The lanes collapsed, patrols closed in, whole rescue teams were dragged out in cuffs and executed on camera feeds. One convoy made it three towns deep before they were mauled at a checkpoint—civilians included. Don’t underestimate how quickly he locks jaws once he smells movement."

The room tightened around her words. The air felt heavier, hotter.

Kael braced his forearm on the table anyway. "Then what’s left?"

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