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The guy’s name was Blaze, and he was a Fire Elemental like Maya. Of course, if he knew who Maya was, he’d know her as ‘Scarlet’.

As for the girl, her name was Gold, and she was a Storm Elemental. Her magic was of the Aether.

Max resisted the urge to tap his foot. No mention of Maya yet. No mention of where she went, or if she was even alive.

Finally, for the first time in minutes, Blue faced their group and translated something new. “Blaze says they…broke out.”

Their group was crowded around the fire-resistant chamber, still sweating and out of breath from the encounter that had nearly incinerated them all.

Max’s spine straightened. “Broke out? Ask him about Maya—Scarlet, I mean. Please.”

Blue turned toward Blaze, who looked like he was ready to bolt for the doors at the first sign of danger. Blaze might have wreaked most of the destruction during the fight, but Max sensed that the girl—Gold—was potentially even more dangerous.

Blaze and Blue conversed for a few seconds in tense, quiet Ilevyn, Gold observing quietly at Blaze’s side. Dominic listened the whole time, clearly trying to decipher, too.

Finally, Blue faced Max. “Scarlet was part of the group. The group that…escaped.” She gestured to Max, speaking to Blaze and Gold now.

Dominic murmured to Max, “She’s telling them that you’re Scarlet’s brother.”

Blaze faced Max with reluctance, and when he spoke this time, he was addressing Max—in Ilevyn, of course.

“What did he say?” Max’s attention flicked to Blue.

“Blaze says Scarlet mentioned you a few times.” The ghost of a smile curved Blue’s lips. “They tried to erase her memories, like…like they did mine.” Sadness filled her eyes. “But she never forgot you.”

Max’s throat was suddenly too tight to breathe. All this time, Maya had been in this building. “Where is she?”

Blue’s next translation was a bit shaky. “Blaze says that Maya and the others were on their way to Eve…Eve’s…Witch?”

“Yveswich,” Max said. He shared a glance with Dominic.

Blue nodded. “Yveswich,” she said again. “They look for…family. For…homes? He did not wish to go with them. He and Gold came back to look for girl. They lost her during the…” Her voice trailed off, and she shook her head, frustrated with herself.

“The breakout,” Dominic offered.

Blue nodded. “Breakout, yes. Aurora. Her name was Aurora.”

Dallas murmured, “Aurora.” Her eyes flicked to Max. Rainbow aura, if her name was any indication. And apparently, names meant everything around here.

Blue whispered, “He does not…he does not wish to say anymore. He—they,” she gestured to Blaze and Gold, “wish to be free.”

Malakai said, “And I wish to be free of this headache.”

Max faced Blaze. “Thank you,” he breathed.

He seemed to understand that, and nodded once.

They left the Facility after searching the top floors. There were more tanks, chambers, pools, padded rooms—a whole bunch of shit that gave Max full-body chills. But no sign of other Elementals. No sign of Aurora. Blaze and Gold must’ve realized this too; they disappeared sometime during their search with no indication that they were leaving.

By the time they got out to the vehicle, it was nearly noon, the sun beating down so hard, Max could feel it burning his skin. It gave him another chill that felt weird in the heat. He’d been this close to being incinerated in there—by the same magic that apparently ran through his own veins.

Dallas fell into stride beside him. She was limping slightly, and there were streaks of dried blood on the side of her face and neck, but aside from this, she was okay. Max had nearly lost it in there—when Malakai had refused to let him out of the chamber. Had anything happened to Dallas…

He swallowed, his throat tight. The thought of anything happening to Dallas made his blood boil.

“Where do we go from here, big guy?” Dallas asked him. “You tell me, I’ll follow.”

Max used the hem of his shirt to wipe the grime off his face. “There’s nowhere to go now. Not unless we go on a wild goose chase in Yveswich.” Which would mean going to the same place as Darien, which wasn’t a part of the agreement.