She was alive, but the distance was agonizing. Her fear was a blade in my chest, sharp and relentless, pushing me forward as I raced toward the heart of my territory.
I couldn’t do this alone.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and hit Luca’s number, the line ringing only once before he picked up.
Luca’s voice was sharp, no hint of the casual indifference he usually wielded. “What’s going on?”
“I need your help.”
“What’s happened?”
“Izo,” I snarled, the name tasting like poison. “That fucking sea serpent has Vivian. He took her. I don’t know how far he’s gotten, but I’m going after him.”
There was a pause, and then Luca’s voice came through, steady and resolute. “I’m on my way.”
“I need more than just you,” I said. “Vincenzo. Dorian. Bring them. We don’t have time to waste.”
“Done,” Luca said.
“I’ll meet you at your apartment. I can’t step foot in my territory with my magic waning.” I sighed. “Eldora said Lord Thorne is unhinged, waiting for me to return.”
“That’s fine, but I didn’t know you knew where I lived,” he added, a note of surprise in his tone.
“I know more than you give me credit for. Be there.”
I ended the call and immediately began dialing Jareth’s number.Fuck. He was on assignment on the other damn side of The Below. There was no way he could make it in time to help.
I dialed Camilla instead. The phone barely rang before she picked up.
“Boss,” she said.
“How close are you to the estate?” I asked.
“I just got back,” she said. “I’ve been asking around about where you are.”
I exhaled sharply. “Vivian’s been taken.”
There was a beat of silence before her voice hardened. “Who took her?”
“Izo, the fucking lord of the Ashen Faction.”
“Shit. What do you need me to do?” she asked without hesitation.
“Meet me at Luca’s flat,” I said, giving her the address. “We’re forming a plan to get her back.”
“I’m on my way.”
I hated wasting so much fucking time, driving like a damn human to Luca’s apartment. Veilstepping hadn’t been an option for me since I was fourteen. My father had decided to take away that ability once he realized I could easily escape his punishments whenever I didn’t perform the way he desired.
In a fit of rage, my father stripped me of my veilstepping capabilities with his dark magic. I never could figure out how he did it, or I would’ve counteracted the spell by now. It was a mystery, and I doubted I’d ever regain that ability.
After driving for a few torturous hours, the SUV screeched to a halt outside Luca’s apartment building. I barely remembered to kill the engine before I jumped out. I sprinted up the stairs,my chest heaving with adrenaline as I shoved open the door to his flat.
The tension in Luca’s flat was palpable the moment I stepped inside. My heart was racing, my mind already spinning with plans, but I barely had time to process before I felt everyone’s eyes snap to me.
Luca, Vincenzo, Dorian, and Celeste stood in a tight cluster, their expressions ranging from grim determination to barely restrained anger.
“Thanks for bringing the entourage,” I said.
