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Because this particular siren, the drawn-out beginning followed by five quick beeps, meant a territory’s leader pulled their emergency alarm and was looking for immediate backup.

Jonan turned away from Marlena, making for a quick exit while she fought to pull herself together and get out of the torture pool.

She knew what territory had sounded the alarm. “Father, wait!” she called, pushing against the weakness in her muscles.

“Go back to your room, Marlena!” he boomed, never looking back at her.

She ignored the chill in her bones and rolled her shoulders back, ready to argue. “It’s Vates. They’ve fallen.”

Jonan stopped, glancing over his shoulder at Marlena. “Who told you?” he asked through gritted teeth.

“Sage. I heard it from Sage the night she came begging for Mother’s help,” Marlena spilled.

Footsteps echoed down the hall, and by the sound of the heels, Marlena knew her mother would appear seconds later.

“Let me help,” Marlena pleaded on a breath.

“No,” Ryanna answered when she appeared at the threshold.

“Pleas—”

“I said no!” her mother interrupted, her screech echoing against the stone walls. “Go home. Lock the doors. We will have guards around the entire estate. Tell Vega nothing.” Ryanna turned, ready to end the conversation.

But Marlena wouldn’t give up so easily.

“Arlet,” she squeaked… which did exactly what she hoped it would do. It stopped her parents from rushing off without her. They both slowly turned to face her, and before she lost her nerve, Marlena continued. “Imagine what losing Arlet would do to Vega.”

They would do anything for their youngest daughter—she was their true weakness, and Marlena wasn’t opposed to using her against them.

I’ll do anything to have them pay attention .

Her parents shared a sidelong glance. Jonan raised a brow, and Ryanna nodded before turning her attention to Marlena. “You have one job and one job only. Find Arlet. Do not get in the way, and if something goes wrong, you leave her. We aren’t losing you.”

“We’ve put too much effort into training you,” Jonan groaned.

They didn’t want her to be careful because Marlena was their daughter, but because they’d invested too much of their precious time into making Marlena the obedient pet she was now.

Marlena ran through the halls of the Videris’ burning home, pushing against the smoke with her fresh wind and air. “Arlet!” she screamed, placing her hand on a doorknob so hot it singed her skin.

She pulled back with a hiss, shaking her wrist out to ignore the pain shooting up her arm.

Everyone in Vates was gone. Marlena passed not a single soul on her way in. But Sage had told Marlena to look after Arlet… She’d begged her to watch over the daughter she planned to leave behind.

Arlet was here—she had to be. Marlena wouldn’t leave without her.

Her parents might not think they were Marlena’s friends, might have made Marlena feel like she’d been the tagalong her whole life, but she knew that wasn’t the case.

Arlet and Khort were important to her too, just not as important as Vega… but Vega would lay her life down for the two of them, and Marlena would be fucking damned if she had to watch Vega lose them.

“Arlet!” she called again, ignoring the heat from the handles as she opened every door she came across in Arlet’s family home.

“ Please, Arlet! Fuck, you have to be alive!” Marlena didn’t cry often, had been taught to hold it all in or she would look weak, but right now, she could feel tears threatening to spill out.

“You take care of my girl, okay? Don’t let anything happen to her.” Sage’s words reminded Marlena what she was here to do, forcing her to pull herself together and focus.

Marlena pushed and pushed, ignoring the burn in her lungs. She bellowed once more, expecting to be met with nothing but the searing flames of the house fire again, but this time, a familiar voice cut through the blaze.

“Mar? Mar!”

“Arlie!” Marlena returned her nickname, listening for another response.

“I’m trapped in my room!” Her voice traveled through the ceiling.

Marlena zipped down the hall, avoiding burning debris as she took the charred steps two at a time. “I’m coming! Hold on! I’m coming!”

Reaching the door, Marlena used all the oxygen she could find in the suffocating fire to break down the door to Arlet’s room… and good thing she did, because part of the roof had caved in, and Arlet was left stranded in a burning room with a three-story drop to the hard ground below.

Creating a whirlwind to protect her from the licking flames, Marlena stepped through Arlet’s room and yanked Arlet against her with a little too much force. They didn’t have enough time for her to be gentle or to think about every move. “I’ve got you. Don’t worry, you’re safe.”

Marlena didn’t know what had happened tonight, but whatever it was, the fear in Arlet’s eyes told Marlena that she did… that she’d seen it all. “Did you pull the alarm?”

She nodded vigorously, coughing against the rising smoke. “Get me out of here, please. I need air,” Arlet gasped, pulling at Marlena’s soot-covered clothing .

Marlena’s movements felt mechanical as she half-dragged Arlet to the only window in her room.

The old frame was stuck on its tracks, melted from the heat of the house fire.

Marlena snatched a chair from the corner, shielding Arlet before ramming it through the glass.

It shattered to the ground below as a plume of smoke shot through the newly opened window.

“Arlet, do you trust me?” She turned to face her.

“Yes,” Arlet blurted.

“Then jump.” Marlena moved out of her way and shoved her towards the open window with its jagged edges.

“Jump?” she squeaked. Debris fell from the ceiling, clattering around them both as they dodged pieces of Arlet’s crumbling home.

“Jump, Arlet! I’ll get you down safely! I promise!” Marlena kept shoving her until Arlet finally climbed out of the window, hesitating for too long on the ledge. “Arlet,” Marlena choked, running out of her own clean air. “Go! You have to go. I’ll burn out soon, and I won’t be able to save us!”

With a sharp inhale, Arlet threw herself out the window, and with everything Marlena had left inside, she let her wind catch them both as she flung herself out after Arlet.

Their landing was rough, the ground below breaking their fall harder than Marlena had hoped, but it was better to have the wind knocked out of them than stay a second longer inside Arlet’s burning home…

because a thunderous crack echoed through the night, and Arlet’s home started to collapse in on itself moments after they jumped.

Arlet gasped, finally taking in clean air, only to cough until she gagged.

Marlena pulled her in close, shielding her from the sight of her world caving in around her. “It’s okay, I’m here. I’ve got you. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Voices sounded in the distance, but Marlena’s burnout finally took hold, and her muscles turned to jelly. All she could do was hold on to Arlet’s shaking body and remind herself they would be okay.

Marlena chanted the words she’d always wanted to hear for herself…

I’ve got you. I’ve got you. I’ve got you. You’re safe. You’re safe. You’re safe.