AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Where does Caius keep his prisoners?” Oberon asks, cutting to the chase.
Nero leans back, threading his fingers together. “Underground, mostly. Specifics? Can’t say. He moves them like chess pieces.”
“Even if we knew his location, he might already be gone,” Vance cuts in.
“Dead?” The word tastes bitter on my tongue.
“Could be,” Vance says, and his face tightens with a grimace. He’s seen too much death, I know that—but I can’t find the sympathy I know I should have. He acts like he wanted to help us this whole time, when accepting his help would have meant living under constant surveillance. “We can’t assume anything.”
“Then what’s our play?” Luka’s question hangs between us, heavy with the weight of our next move.
“First, we need concrete intel,” Vance says. “Without it, we’re blind.”
“Blind or not,” I say, “we have to try. There has to be a way.”
“Maybe there is,” Nero says, standing up. “But it’ll take more than brute force. We need to be smart.”
Luka’s hand hits the table with a thud that echoes in the high-ceilinged room. It’s not just wood meeting flesh; it’s a declaration, a challenge that sets my nerves on fire.
“I’m going in,” he states, his eyes never leaving Vance’s. “Gunnar needs us.”
“Dammit, Luka, not you too…” Vance mutters. “I swear, the pain in my ass that all of you have been ever since she showed up…”
“Vance, you owe him. We all do,” Luka fires back, the muscles in his jaw ticking. “The man is a legacy; Logan Finch saved your father’s ass more than a few times. Without him, none of us would be here. He’s the heir of the Angels almost as much as you are.”
Silence falls like a guillotine blade, heavy and final. Gunnar and I have talked about his family, of course—but I didn’t know anyone felt this way.
That Gunnar could have been the head of the Angels.
And despite myself…a new play starts to take shape in my mind.
Vance’s lips press into a thin line, blue eyes ice over, but there’s a flicker there, a sign of the battle raging within.
“Fine,” Vance spits out, each word laced with venom. “But when you get yourself killed, don’t expect a rescue party.”
Luka turns to leave, his back a wall of resolve as he shoulders past me, barely sparing a glance. I watch him go, feeling the pull, the urge to chase after him, but my feet stay planted.
I want to go with him, but he’s crazy if he thinks he’ll succeed without backup. Our best chance is still with Vance.
“Where does that leave us?” Oberon asks, his voice a low rumble in the thick tension.
“Here,” Nero answers, leaning back in his chair, hands clasped behind his head. “Waiting.”
“Waiting isn’t enough,” I snap, frustration boiling under my skin.
“Sometimes, it’s all we have,” Vance says, his gaze drifting to the window where the city pulses in the grip of night. “We can’t act impulsively–not now, when Gunnar’s life is hanging in the balance. I hope you understand that.”
Roman nods, his massive form rising from the shadows. Cassie follows, her steps silent as whispers. They slip away, seeking the solace of sleep while the rest of us remain, wrapped in the cold embrace of uncertainty.
“Come on, Aisling,” Oberon murmurs, his hand finding mine, warmth in the cool air.
“Where are we going?” My voice feels small, lost.
“Anywhere but here.”
He leads me away, and I don’t resist. There’s comfort in his touch, a promise that some things still hold fast in this fractured world.
As we exit, I can’t help but look back. Nero stares at the space Luka left behind, and Vance watches the darkness outside, each man lost in their own thoughts, their own wars. And I wonder if any of us will find what we’re searching for, or if we’re all just chasing ghosts in a world that’s forgotten how to forgive.
