Chapter : The Ashes of Innocence

My blood turned to ice.

The picture on Elira’s phone stared back at me like a loaded gun—Rose asleep in her bed, her soft curls fanned out across the pillow.

And next to her… Elowen.

Her silhouette was unmistakable, even in the shadowy frame. Standing perfectly still, one hand stretched toward Rose like a grim reaper’s invitation.

“She’s in the villa,” I whispered, breath catching. “She got inside.”

Lucien ripped the phone from my hands. “How the hell did she bypass the guards?”

Elira’s face was pale. “I don’t know. We had six men stationed at the perimeter. No one reported anything. No alarms.”...