Chapter 264

Agnes

The vent. If I could send a burst of flame through it, the fire might be visible from outside. It could be the signal Elijah and Richard were waiting for.

I stood up, trying to look casual as I stretched my arms over my head, gauging the distance to the vent. It was about seven feet up—I’d need to jump to reach it. The question was, could I create enough fire to be seen from outside without setting off any alarms inside?

I was just about to make my move when the door suddenly slid open with a soft hiss. I whirled around, instinctively pushing Thea behind me.

A guard was standing in the doorway, dressed in the same gray uniform as the others we’d seen. But this one was different—completely covered from head to toe, even wearing a mask that obscured their face. A respirator of some kind? I couldn’t make out any features at all.

“Come with me,” the guard said gruffly. “Both of you.”

My heart dropped into my stomach. Had they seen me eyeing the vent? Did they know what I was planning?

“Where are you taking us?.

“Director’s orders,” was all the guard said, stepping aside to let us pass.

I glanced at Thea, who was clutching my hand tightly. I could feel her trembling slightly, but her face remained calm. Too calm for an eight-year-old. She shouldn’t have to be this brave.

We stepped out into the corridor, and the guard immediately took the lead, walking briskly ahead of us. I kept a firm grip on Thea’s hand as we followed, my eyes darting around, looking for any potential escape routes or weapons.

We turned down a corridor I didn’t recognize, moving deeper into the facility. My nerves were screaming at me to run, to grab Thea and make a break for it. But where would we go? I had no idea how to navigate this maze, and for all I knew, this guard was leading us straight to my stepmother and the Stone.

And if that was the case, I needed to be ready.

I focused on my breathing, trying to keep the fire ready to burst forth at a moment’s notice. If they were taking us to my stepmother, I might only get one chance to attack. I had to make it count.

Suddenly, the guard stopped in front of what looked like a utility closet. Without warning, they grabbed my arm and yanked me inside, pulling Thea along with me. The door slid shut behind us, plunging us into darkness.

Before I could react, a light flickered on overhead, revealing a small, cramped space filled with cleaning supplies and maintenance equipment. The guard reached up and pulled off their mask.

I almost screamed when I saw who it was.

Lena. The woman who had infiltrated our home, gained our trust, and then betrayed us. The woman who had killed James and stolen the Lunaris Stone.

“You!” I hissed, raising my hand, fire already dancing between my fingers. “I’ll fucking kill you—”

But before I could release the flames, Lena’s hand clamped over my mouth, muffling my voice. Her grip was surprisingly strong, and I couldn’t break free without dropping Thea’s hand, which I refused to do.

“Agnes, please,” Lena whispered urgently. “I know you have every right to hate me, but I’m here to help. I’ve spoken to Elijah. He sent me.”

I froze at the mention of my mate’s name. Elijah had sent her? That couldn’t be right. Elijah despised Lena even more than I did after what she did to James.

Lena must have sensed my disbelief, because she slowly removed her hand from my mouth. “I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. I found Elijah and Richard in the forest. They sent me to help you.”

“Why would they ever trust you to help me?” I whispered harshly. “After what you did to James?”

If I didn’t know any better, I’d say I saw a flicker of pain cross Lena’s face at the mention of James. “They don’t trust me. Not really. But they believe that I have information that can help you, and they’re right.”

“What information?”

Lena took a deep breath. “There’s something I’ve been hiding from everyone, including your stepmother. I’m not just any elemental. I’m a blood elemental.”

I stared at her blankly. “A what?”

“There are five elemental types, not four,” Lena explained quickly. “Fire, water, earth, air... and blood. We’re extremely rare.”

My mind reeled as she explained everything to me—how her abilities worked, how her village died off without the stone, how she feared my stepmother and listened to her empty promises. “I’ve done a lot of terrible things, Agnes,” she finished. “Things I can’t undo. But I’m trying to make it right.”

“By doing what, exactly?” I demanded.

“By helping you destroy the Stone before your stepmother can use it. She’s planning to use it on you and Thea first, you know. To make an example of you.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. “What?”

“Did you really think she wouldn’t know that you’re planning to betray her? She knows Elijah and Richard are outside, waiting to attack. This whole thing—accepting your offer, putting you in that room—it was just to keep you contained until the Stone is ready. Then she’s going to use it to turn you and Thea into her first thralls. But I have a plan.”

“A… plan?”

She nodded. “The Stone draws power from elementals,” she explained. “It can’t create energy on its own—it can only channel it. That’s why your stepmother has been collecting child elementals whose powers haven’t fully emerged yet, to use as batteries.” Her eyes flicked to Thea. “But if too much power feeds the wrong kind of energy into the Stone, it’ll shatter.”

I frowned. “Are you saying I need to do this?”

“Not alone,” Lena said. “You’re powerful, but you’ll need help. The two of us together might be able to overload the Stone.”

“At what cost?”

Lena’s expression darkened. “It would likely wipe all elemental abilities within at least a mile radius.”

I bit my lip, considering. Losing my powers? After only just beginning to understand them?

Once, I might have jumped at the idea of getting rid of these powers for good. But things had changed. I had begun to see my fire not as something to fear, but something to be proud of. Something to wield and appreciate.

Something… beautiful.

But if it meant saving Thea, saving all those innocent people trapped in this facility...

“How do we get to the Stone?” I asked. “My stepmother will have it heavily guarded.”

“She does,” Lena confirmed. “But there’s one thing working in our favor—she trusts me completely. She thinks I’m still loyal to her.”

“And why should I believe you’re not?” I demanded. “Why should I believe this isn’t just another trap?”

“Because despite everything, I care about you. All of you. You and Elijah and Thea—you were the closest thing to a family I’ve had in a hundred years. I betrayed that, and I can never make it right. But I can try to save you now.”

There was something in her eyes—a weariness, a regret—that made me pause. Could she be telling the truth? Could she really want to help us?

“What’s your plan?” I asked cautiously.

“There’s a ceremony tonight,” Lena said. “Your stepmother is going to activate the Stone for the first time. All the high-ranking staff will be there, including your father. She’ll want you there too, to witness her triumph before she turns you.”

“And how does that help us?”

“Because I’ll be in charge of the Stone’s security,” Lena explained. “I’ll be the one carrying it to the ceremony. We can come up with a signal and act before she’s had a chance to know what’s happening.”

I shook my head. “That’s insane. There’s no way we’ll be able to break the stone before she notices.”

“It’s the best chance we have,” Lena said. “If we do nothing, your stepmother will activate the Stone, turn you and Thea into thralls, and then use you to help her build an army. Is that what you want?”

Of course it wasn’t. But risking Thea’s life on a plan that might not work...

I looked down at my daughter, who had been silent throughout this entire exchange. “Thea? What do you think?”

Her face was solemn, but there was a determination in her eyes that reminded me so much of Elijah it made my heart clench painfully in my chest. “I think we have to try, Mommy,” she said quietly. “We can’t let all those other kids get hurt.”

My brave, wise little girl. Always thinking of others, even in the face of danger. I pulled her close, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“Alright,” I said, turning back to Lena. “We’ll do it. But if anything happens to Thea—”

“I’ll protect her with my life,” Lena promised, and for the first time in a long time, I actually believed her.

“Now,” she went on, “I’m going to take you two back to your cell. If anyone asks, tell them you were taken for interrogating. Don’t cause a fuss when you’re taken to the ceremony later, and wait for my signal.”

I clenched my jaw. This wasn’t a perfect plan. Hell, it barely qualified as a plan at all. We were essentially walking right into the lion’s den, hoping we could destroy the Stone before anyone realized what we were doing. The risk was enormous.

But what choice did we have?