I was thinking only of her.
And I was ready to burn for it.
ChapterSixteen
AMIR
The morning light filtered through the shutters’ slats, casting angular patterns across the study floor.I sat there, elbows braced against the desk, head cradled in my hands, trying to piece together the chaos of the past few days.
Elizabeth’s pale-blue gaze haunted me—a maddening contradiction of fragility and determination—a woman too delicate for my world yet too relentless to be ignored.I had spent years moving through the shadows, unburdened by attachments, but now she lingered in my thoughts like an ember refusing to die.
How could I reconcile her with the mission at hand?How could I protect her and still do what needed to be done?
It seemed impossible.
I exhaled, shaking my head to dispel her image.There was no time for distractions.Five Timeborne and Timebound prisoners languished in the depths of Alexander’s estate—a miracle they had survived this long—a complication I could not afford to ignore.
The path before me was clear.I had to save them.
“Shadow Falcons,” I called, my voice slicing through the hushed stillness of the townhouse.
They entered without hesitation—grim-faced, battle-hardened, ready for orders.
“Alexander holds five prisoners,” I began, wasting no time.“Timebornes and Timebounds.”
A ripple of unease passed through them.It wasn’t just their status that set them on edge—it was who held them captive.
Thomas Alexander’s name inspired fear among the most ruthless.The man did not grant mercy.
“I will get them out,” I said firmly.
One of my men stepped forward, his voice tight with concern.“Pasha Hassan, this is a trap waiting to happen.”
He wasn’t wrong.
I met their gazes, reading the same hesitation in each set of eyes.They knew what I was walking into.
“I am the only trusted man within that household,” I reminded them, my voice unwavering.“I will exploit that trust, set them up, and walk through their doors, not as myself—” I let the words settle before finishing,
“—but as the Black Wraith.”
A beat of silence.
“Too risky,” one of them countered.“You’re walking straight into the lion’s den.”
They were right, of course.But hesitation was a luxury we couldn’t afford—not with lives hanging in the balance.
“Risky, yes,” I conceded, my tone brooking no argument.“But necessary.I can move through the shadows, slip in and out unnoticed.Get the prisoners to safety before Alexander suspects treachery.”
Their expressions remained grim, concern carving lines into their hardened faces.But beneath the weight of what I was asking, I saw something else—trust.
Trust in me.
Trust in the Black Wraith.
Trust in the cause.
Finally, the first man exhaled and nodded, “Alright.”The others followed suit, one by one.
