Chapter 27-
The night pressed in like a living thing as we followed Kael.
Jace never let go of my hand, his body always angled slightly between me and our so-called guide. Every few steps, his gaze flicked over Kael's shoulder, the weight of his suspicion as sharp as the knife at his hip.
The forest thinned, opening to a stretch of dead grass and rusted chain-link fencing. Beyond it stood a squat, crumbling building — the relay station. Its windows were nothing but black squares, its roof sagging under years of neglect.
"This is it," Kael said, scanning the shadows. "Two guards outside. More inside. They'll be armed."
I swallowed hard, my heart doing a painful staccato in my chest. "And my parents…?"
Kael's voice softened, just a fraction. "They're here. All of them. But we move fast or we lose the element of surprise."
Jace stepped closer to him, voice low and dangerous. "If you're lying—"
"I'm not," Kael cut in, his gaze locking with mine instead of Jace's. "And you'll see that soon enough."
We crept closer, the tall grass brushing against my legs. Kael pointed to a section of fence sagging near the ground. "There. Quiet."
Jace went first, then offered me his hand, pulling me through. Even in the darkness, his touch was warm, steady — the only thing keeping my knees from buckling.
The two guards at the entrance were laughing about something, their rifles slung lazily across their shoulders. They didn't even see Kael until he was behind them. Two swift, silent moves — and they were on the ground, out cold.
Jace raised an eyebrow. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."
Kael ignored him. "Inside. Now."
The air in the relay station was thick, smelling of oil and damp concrete. Faint light spilled from a room down the hall. I could hear it — the muffled sound of someone coughing.
My breath caught. "That's my dad—"
A sudden shout snapped the moment in half.
"INTRUDERS!"
Boots pounded against the floor, shouts growing louder. Jace yanked me behind a stack of crates as gunfire erupted, bullets shattering the walls.
"Stay down!" he ordered, drawing his own weapon.
Kael was already moving, slipping between cover like shadow and steel. In seconds, two attackers went down. Jace fired over the crates, the sound deafening in the narrow space.
I couldn't stay still. Not when my parents were somewhere beyond that chaos. My legs moved before my brain caught up, darting toward the lit room.
"Valerie!" Jace's voice cracked like a whip behind me, but I didn't stop.
I slammed through the door — and froze.
My mother was there, tied to a chair, bruised but alive. Ethan and Lena sat against the far wall, eyes wide when they saw me.
But next to my father… stood a man with a gun to his head.
"Move, and he dies," the man growled, pressing the barrel harder against Dad's temple.
Behind me, I heard Jace and Kael enter, their weapons raised. The air turned electric, every heartbeat stretching into eternity.
And then… my father spoke. His voice was rough, but steady.
"Valerie… there's something I never told u".