The tracker was warm in my palm.
Too warm.
I stared at the tiny black device, then at the symbol engraved across its surface.
The same symbol was carved into the key.
The same symbol that had appeared on the files in the underground room.
My stomach dropped.
“They didn’t follow us,” I whispered.
Damien glanced at me from behind the wall.
“What?”
I held up the device.
“They tracked us.”
Adrian’s face changed.
“Where did you get that?”
“It was on the floor.”
He stared at it.
Then his eyes moved toward the door.
“They’re already here.”
Gunfire exploded through the house.
Damien grabbed my waist and pulled me down as bullets tore through the wooden wall.
“Stay down!”
Adrian fired toward the hallway.
Two men fell back.
Another rushed through the doorway.
Damien fired.
The man dropped.
I pressed myself against the wall, my heart pounding.
This wasn’t supposed to be happening.
I had finally found my father.
I had barely spoken to him.
And now armed men were trying to kill us.
“Adrian!” I shouted.
He looked at me.
“Where’s the tunnel?”
“Behind the bookshelf!”
Damien ran toward it.
He shoved the bookshelf aside.
A narrow entrance appeared.
“Go!”
Adrian grabbed my arm.
“Amara, now!”
We ran.
Damien stayed behind us, firing at the attackers.
I turned.
“Damien!”
“KEEP MOVING!”
A bullet struck the wall beside his head.
My heart stopped.
“Damien!”
He looked at me.
“I’m right behind you.”
I wanted to believe him.
I had no choice.
The tunnel was dark and narrow.
Adrian led us deeper underground.
Victoria’s warning echoed in my mind.
Someone betrayed us.
I looked at Adrian.
“Who knew you were here?”
He didn’t answer.
“Dad.”
His steps slowed.
“Only two people.”
“Who?”
“Victoria…”
He hesitated.
“And Damien.”
I stopped.
Damien almost walked into me.
“What?”
Adrian turned.
“You knew where I was?”
Damien’s expression hardened.
“No.”
“You knew this house existed.”
“Yes.”
“And you knew Amara was coming here.”
“Yes.”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed.
“Then how did Evelyn know?”
Damien didn’t answer.
I stared at him.
“Damien.”
He looked at me.
“I don’t know.”
Adrian stepped closer.
“You expect us to believe that?”
Damien’s jaw tightened.
“I’ve spent five years trying to find Adrian.”
“And now you conveniently bring Amara straight to him.”
“I didn’t know he’d be here.”
“You’re lying.”
“Enough!”
My voice echoed through the tunnel.
Both men stopped.
I looked at Adrian.
“You think Damien betrayed us?”
“Yes.”
Then I looked at Damien.
“Did you?”
“No.”
His answer was immediate.
I wanted to believe him.
God, I wanted to.
But the tracker was still burning in my palm.
And the truth was becoming impossible to see.
We reached the end of the tunnel.
A steel door blocked our path.
Adrian entered a code.
Nothing happened.
He tried again.
Still nothing.
“What is it?” Damien asked.
“It’s been changed.”
“By who?”
Adrian stared at the keypad.
“I don’t know.”
Then the lights came on.
All of them.
A red emergency light flashed above our heads.
My blood turned cold.
A speaker crackled.
Then a woman’s voice filled the tunnel.
“Hello, little girl.”
I froze.
Evelyn.
“You’ve finally found your father.”
Adrian stepped toward the speaker.
“Evelyn!”
She laughed.
“You always were predictable.”
“Where is Nadia?”
“Safe.”
“Let her go.”
“Give me Amara.”
I stepped forward.
“No.”
Damien grabbed my hand.
Evelyn laughed again.
“You sound just like your mother.”
My heart tightened.
“Don’t talk about her.”
“She talked about you every day.”
“Where is she?”
“Dead.”
The word struck like a knife.
Evelyn continued.
“And you know who killed her.”
I clenched my fists.
“You did.”
“No.”
Silence.
Then:
“Ask your father.”
I turned toward Adrian.
His face had gone pale.
“Adrian?”
He looked away.
“What is she talking about?”
He didn’t answer.
“Dad.”
“Amara…”
“You know who killed Mum.”
He closed his eyes.
“I was there.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“I was there the night your mother died.”
The tunnel seemed to spin.
“You told me Evelyn killed her.”
“I believed she would.”
“But you were there.”
“Yes.”
“And you let her die?”
His eyes filled with tears.
“I tried to save her.”
“Did you?”
“I failed.”
I stepped backward.
“You lied to me.”
“I was protecting you.”
“Everyone keeps saying that!”
My voice broke.
“Everyone lies and calls it protection!”
Damien stepped toward me.
“Amara—”
I turned on him.
“And you.”
He stopped.
“You lied too.”
His face fell.
“I never lied about loving you.”
“But you lied about everything else.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
I laughed bitterly.
“That’s everyone’s excuse.”
The steel door suddenly opened.
We all froze.
A woman stood on the other side.
Black dress.
Long dark hair.
A silver necklace.
I recognized her immediately.
Victoria.
She walked toward us.
Adrian raised his weapon.
“Don’t.”
Victoria stopped.
“Adrian.”
“You betrayed us.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I had no choice.”
I stared at her.
“You told them where we were.”
She looked at me.
“Yes.”
My heart shattered.
“You betrayed me.”
“I was trying to save Nadia.”
I shook my head.
“You used me.”
“I had to.”
“Why?”
Victoria looked at Damien.
“Because Evelyn has her.”
I froze.
“Who?”
“Your sister.”
My breathing stopped.
“Nadia?”
Victoria nodded.
“She has Nadia.”
I stepped toward her.
“Then take me to her.”
“No.”
“Take me to my sister!”
“Amara, listen to me.”
Victoria grabbed my shoulders.
“If you go to Evelyn now, you’ll never leave.”
“I don’t care.”
“I do!”
She pulled me closer.
“Your mother died trying to keep you away from her.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
“And I refuse to let her sacrifice mean nothing.”
I stared at her.
For the first time, I saw something behind her fear.
Guilt.
Terrible guilt.
Then she whispered:
“There’s something else you need to know.”
“What?”
“Your mother didn’t die because she betrayed Evelyn.”
I frowned.
“Then why?”
Victoria looked at Adrian.
“Because she discovered who Evelyn was working for.”
Adrian’s face went pale.
I looked between them.
“Who?”
Victoria opened her mouth.
A gunshot rang out.
Her body jerked.
“VICTORIA!”
She collapsed into my arms.
Blood spread across her dress.
I screamed.
Damien caught her before she hit the ground.
“Stay with me!”
Victoria’s eyes fluttered.
She looked at me.
“Don’t…”
Her voice was barely a whisper.
“Don’t trust…”
She coughed blood.
“…the Vale.”
Then she died.
Again.
Right in front of me.
I stared at Damien.
My heart shattered.
Because Victoria’s final words were still ringing in my head.
Don’t trust the Vale.
Damien looked at me.
“Amara, listen to me.”
I stepped backward.
“Don’t.”
“Please.”
“Don’t come near me.”
His face broke.
“I would never hurt you.”
I looked at Victoria’s body.
Then at Adrian.
Then at Damien.
Suddenly, the lights went out.
A woman’s voice whispered through the darkness.
“That’s the problem, Damien.”
Evelyn.
“She already knows what you did.”
The lights came back on.
Damien was gone.
I stared at the empty space where he’d been standing.
“Damien?”
No answer.
Adrian grabbed my arm.
“We have to go.”
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where is Damien?”
Adrian’s expression was grim.
“He’s been taken.”
I stared at the darkness.
Then my phone vibrated.
One message.
From an unknown number.
I opened it.
A photograph appeared.
Damien was sitting in a dark room.
Blood ran down the side of his face.
My heart stopped.
Another message appeared beneath the photograph.
YOU WANTED THE TRUTH.
Then another.
NOW COME AND TAKE IT.
And finally:
COME ALONE, AMARA.
I stared at the screen.
My hands began to shake.
Because beneath the messages was an address.
An address I knew.
The place where my father had supposedly died five years ago.
THE VALE MANOR.
And underneath it were four words:
OR HE DIES TONIGHT.