***
Darkness hugged the edge of the compound like a predator waiting to pounce.
Jace and I crouched behind a ridge, breaths slow, steady—trained. Tristan’s voice echoed faintly in the distance, muffled by the wind but unmistakable. Confident. Smug.
He always had that tone when something terrible was about to happen.
Theo’s voice cracked in our earpieces. “Still have eyes on Roman. He’s heading to the south wing. The one with the reinforced doors.”
“That’s where they’re keeping Ivy and my mom,” I whispered.
“Confirmed,” Theo said. “Infrared shows two stationary figures inside. One more pacing. You’ve got less than twenty-five minutes before they initiate lockdown protocols.”
Jace checked the clip in his weapon and slid it back in with a click. “Then we move now.”
I touched his wrist
