“Come with me,” Lucian says.
No one questions him. He just isn’t the type of person you question. You just listen.
I exchange a quick look with Felix, then follow. Kellan trails close behind, his jaw tight. The walk to Lucian’s office feels longer than it should, the marble floors amplifying the rhythm of our footsteps. Every turn, every shadow feels heavier. Like we’re heading to our execution.
When we enter his office, the door clicks shut behind us with the kind of finality that makes my stomach twist. Lucian stands behind his desk.
He doesn’t sit. The pit in my stomach grows.
“The mission was a trap,” he says.
Felix inhales sharply. Ice runs through my veins.
Lucian’s voice is measured, choosing his words carefully. “They located the cargo, but when they opened it, the team was ambushed.”
My pulse pounds in my ears. “What do you mean by ambushed?”
Lucian’s gaze locks on me, like he’s deciding how much truth I can handle.
“Noah and Luca were separated. Dakota and Isobel went another way. Somewhere during the chaos, Dakota and Isobel were forced apart. When the dust cleared—she was gone.”
I can’t breathe.
Gone.
Not dead. Just—gone. That single word detonates inside me.
Felix takes a step forward, voice cracking. “They’re looking for her, right? They’re?—”
“They’ve searched the area,” Lucian cuts him off. “There’s nothing. No trace. No sign of struggle beyond the initial crossfire.”
The room tilts. The walls seemed too close; the air too thin. I grip the backof one chair, my fingers digging into the leather. My knuckles are turning white.
“I knew it,” I whisper. “I knew something felt off tonight.”
Lucian’s expression doesn’t change, but I know he’s putting on a face. Iz is my sister, but she’s his daughter.
“So what now?” My voice comes out harsher than I mean it to. “Because standing here talking about it sure as hell won’t bring her back.”
Felix reaches for me, but I step away. I don’t want comfort. I wanted answers, an actionable plan.I need order. I needher.
Kellan finally speaks, low and calm. “Do we have any leads?”
Lucian’s gaze moves to him. “None yet. But the Guild will not stop searching.”
He says it like a promise. But there was something in his eyes that tells me even he isn’t sure.
My knees feel weak. “She’s out there. Alone.” It isn’t a question. It’s a prayer disguised as a statement.
Lucian doesn’t respond. He doesn’t need to. The silence says enough.
I turn toward the window, the lights blurring as my vision stung. “I told her this place would eat her alive,” I mutter. “But I didn’t think it’d be like this.”
Behind me, Felix’s voice was a whisper. “We’ll find her.”
I want to believe him. God, I want to. But for the first time since I’d met Isobel Ashthorne—my fearless, strong, fire-hearted best friend—I’m not sure.
The door bursts open hard enough to rattle the hinges.
