Page 40 of Fated By Fire
Her eyes flash. “Yes, I do. And if you try to stop me, I’ll call Mara. And we’ll see how your little secrets hold up under police scrutiny.”
I freeze, my jaw clenching. She’s right. I can’t force her to stay. Not without risking exposure.
“Fine,” I say finally. “Go. But if you value your life, you’ll stay out of this. And out of my way.” It’s an order that feels hollow because I don’t know how I’m going to stick to it myself. The thought of letting her go out there without keeping tabs seems impossible.
She doesn’t respond. Instead, she turns on her heel and storms out, slamming the door behind her.
I stand there for a long time, the weight of her absence heavier than I expected.
Something is happening here, something I can’t explain, and I get the distinct feeling that it’s already too late to turn back.
Chapter 15
Elena
The door to my loft slams shut behind me, and I lean against it, my pulse still racing from the insanity of the last few hours. The light from the streetlamp outside sends flitting colors across the room, and I slip off my shoes, my mind a whirlwind of confusion and fear.
Mara is sprawled on the couch, scrolling through her phone, but she jumps up the moment she sees me.
“Elena!” she exclaims, her hair bouncing as she rushes over. “Where the hell have you been? I’ve been calling you nonstop! I was about to call the cops!”
“I’m fine,” I say, but my voice is shaky. I don’t even sound convincing to myself.
Mara narrows her eyes, taking in my disheveled appearance—the torn blouse, the bruises on my face, the wild look in my eyes.
“You don’t look fine. What the hell happened? Did he hurt you?” She squeezes my shoulder briefly, then impulsively pulls me into a quick hug. She releases me quickly when I stiffen.
“Who? Caleb?” I shake my head, moving past her to collapse onto the couch. “No. It’s… it’s complicated.”
“Complicated?!” Mara plops down beside me, her eyes wide with concern and curiosity. “Start talking because I’m not letting you off the hook this time.”
I take a deep breath, trying to piece together the events of the night into something coherent. “Okay, but… you’re not going to believe me.”
“Try me.”
I take a deep breath, my fingers fidgeting with the hem of my sleeve as I begin. “Things started getting freaky when I reached the vault. The biometric scanners—they just let me in, Mara. Like they were faulty or… or waiting for me. It was so easy, it felt wrong.”
Mara leans forward, her elbows resting on her knees, her brows knitting together. “What do you mean, waiting for you? Did they recognize you somehow?”
I shake my head, uncertainty creeping into my voice. “I don’t know. I just… I walked up, and the scanners beeped, and the doors slid open like I belonged there. And inside, there was this crystal.” I pause, my hands gesturing as if trying to shape it in the air. “It was fist-sized, red, glowing faintly, and it… it pulsed. Like it had its own heartbeat. The air around it felt strange, alive. I felt that same weird energy I first noticed in the basement that first day I went down there—that strange pull. It was like it was calling to me.”
Mara’s eyes widen, her lips parting slightly. She doesn’t interrupt, but her body language shifts—she’s fully absorbed now, her hands clasped tightly.
I continue, my voice dropping lower. “And then… he was there.”
“Caleb?” Mara interrupts.
“No. Someone else. Later, Caleb called him Malakai. I didn’t even hear him come in, but suddenly, he was behind me. We fought, Mara. He was strong—unnaturally strong. And then…” I swallow hard. “He dragged me out of there, tied me up, threw me in the trunk of a car, and took me to a place just outside town.”
“Heabductedyou?” Mara’s eyes are huge.
“I guess you could say that. He locked me in a cellar or something. A downstairs room that stank of stale water and mildew.” My nose wrinkles. “I thought I was in serious shit.”
“You probably were, babe.” Mara looks horrified. “How did you get out?”
“Caleb arrived. And that’s when things got really weird.”
“Oh, you mean they weren’t weird before,” she scoffs.
