“Yeah,” I reply, chuckling at the memory. “None of us wanted to be on a team together and now look at us.”
“Fate is tricky that way,” Aksel concedes, his light blue and brown eyes meeting mine.
“I’m glad,” I confess, feeling a warmth spreading through my chest. “You’re not so bad now that I know what’s on the inside.”
He doesn’t respond but I see a smile tug at the corner of his lips.
We sit in comfortable silence for a moment before the sound of the front door opening breaks the stillness. Our heads snap towards the entrance, and relief washes over me as Anna stepsin, followed by the rest of the group. Her green mossy eyes meet mine, and I immediately sense her exhaustion mixed with triumph.
“Did you get it?” Aksel asks, his voice barely containing the tension that has been building within him.
“Yes!” Anna exclaims, excitement palpable in the air. “We got the phone.”
Aksel stands quickly, his face a mixture of gratitude and concern. “And are you all okay?” he asks, looking over each member of the group.
Anna nods. I can’t drag my eyes away from her.
“Good job.” I wrap her up in a hug and pull her in for a deep kiss. I missed her.
“Let’s see it,” Aksel says, reaching for the phone as the rest of us gather in the living room, eager to uncover any information we can.
“There’s a little problem. We tried to check the phone on the way back, but it’s locked. We can’t access any of the information,” Anna says.
“Damn,” I mutter under my breath. I run a hand through my hair, frustrated.
“Actually,” Aksel says hesitantly. “The council office has a device that can unlock phones. We could try using it.”
I raise an eyebrow, intrigued by the possibility. “Is it safe for us to go there? We’ve been trying to lay low since we moved.”
“True,” he admits, rubbing his stubbled chin. “But we’re not exactly in hiding. We just moved because the fighting ring knew where we lived. We can still be seen in public, just… cautiously.”
I take a deep breath and center myself, tapping into the bond with Anna for reassurance. She’s calm, her relief a balm to my nerves.
“Alright,” I agree, my voice steady. “Aksel and I can do this. Let’s get what we need and get out as quickly as possible.”
“Agreed,” Aksel replies, his expression serious.
I press a kiss to Anna’s lips before we leave. She approaches Aksel for a kiss too and he soaks it up.
We move to the lawn before using transport charms to take us there.
Our footsteps echo in the quiet night as we make our way to the council chambers.
As we approach the council office, I can feel my pulse quickening with anticipation. Aksel gives me a reassuring nod, and we step inside the dimly lit building.
“Let’s find that device and get out of here,” I whisper, my voice strained with urgency.
“I want to stop in my office too. I need to appear like I’m a good councilman,” Aksel replies, his gaze never leaving the shadows lurking in the corners of the room.
As I stand there, watching Aksel flip through his mail with furrowed brows, the silence around us is almost suffocating. The council chambers are eerily quiet at this hour, but it only serves to heighten my senses - every creak of the floorboards, every flicker of the dim lights above us adding to the tension that coils within me like a tightly wound spring.
“Is there anything important?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
“No, I’ll just take it all,” Aksel replies, grabbing everything including a brown paper package.
Slipping into an unmarked room, Aksel swiftly locates the device needed to unlock the phone while I keep watch at the door. My heart pounds in my chest, each beat sending a shiver of apprehension down my spine.
“Got it,” Aksel whispers, pocketing the device before making his way back to me. “Let’s get out of here.”
