Page 49

Cassandra’s POV

No one left the castle. No one entered.

Alec had locked everything down. Every exit, every entrance, sealed tight. We were trapped in a cage of stone, and every minute felt like an eternity.

Now, we wait.

Jack, Damon, and Elias were stationed at different points of the castle, alert and on edge, watching every shadow that moved. Sophie remained near Amara and Edgar, guarding them like the protective warrior she was.

And Alec and I?

We were the bait.

The air was thick with tension, the weight of it pressing against my chest. I could feel the pulse of danger, the shadows closing in on us even though I couldn't see them. Alec and I walked through the winding, dimly lit corridors of the castle, our senses sharp, every step calculated.

Then—

A shadow moved.

Alec’s posture stiffened, and his voice was low. "There."

We turned the corner just in time to see a figure slipping into a side passage. My heart pounded in my chest.

Without thinking, I ran.

I sprinted after them, Alec right behind me, the scent of blood and steel filling the air. The figure was fast—too fast.

I threw a dagger, and it missed by an inch.

"STOP!" Alec's command was a snarl, but the figure didn’t stop.

Instead, they slowed just long enough for me to see it—a glint of silver, the same kind of blade that had killed the spy.

Then they were gone.

I skidded to a stop, my breath heavy, my mind racing. "Did you see—"

Alec’s jaw was tight, and his silver eyes were stormy. "I saw."

I turned to face him, heart hammering. "We're close."

His gaze burned with intensity, but there was an edge of frustration. "Not close enough."

---

The next morning, the silence was broken by the first real clue. Not a shadow, not a whisper.

A name.

Sophie burst into the war room, her face pale, her steps hurried. "It's the council," she said, voice tight with urgency.

I stiffened. "What?"

She swallowed hard, her voice shaking as she continued. "Three council members were caught trying to flee the castle."

The room fell silent. The weight of her words hit like a blow. I could feel the cold certainty creeping into my bones.

I exhaled slowly, trying to keep my composure. "Where are they now?"

"Locked up," she replied. "Damon and Elias are handling them."

My mind raced. Three council members. This wasn’t just an outside threat. This was an inside job. And if it was inside, it could be anyone.

I turned to Cassie, her expression unreadable, but I could feel it—the shift.

"This is bigger than we thought," she said softly.

I nodded, my jaw clenched. "We make them talk."

---

The dungeons were cold. Silent. The air was thick with the scent of damp stone and old blood. Three council members sat in chains, their faces expressionless, though their eyes betrayed the fear they tried so hard to hide.

Alec stood in front of them, his silver eyes dark with fury. I had seen him angry before. But this? This was different. This was lethal.

I stepped forward, crossing my arms, keeping my gaze fixed on the men before us. "You were caught trying to flee."

Silence. No one moved, no one spoke.

Alec’s voice was ice, cutting through the tension. "Tell me why."

One of them, a man named Gregor, lifted his chin defiantly. "We were afraid."

My brow arched. "Afraid of what?"

His jaw clenched. "You know what."

Alec’s patience snapped. He grabbed Gregor by the collar and slammed him against the cold stone wall. "Do not play games with me."

Gregor flinched, but the man next to him, Calden, sighed. His eyes flickered to Alec, and then—softly—he spoke.

"We were following orders."

My blood ran cold.

I forced my voice to stay steady. "Whose orders?"

Calden’s eyes darted to the ground for a split second before he lifted them to Alec again, a smirk curling on his lips.

And then he spoke, the words cutting through the air like a blade.

"Elias."

My heart skipped a beat. The air seemed to freeze in the room.

I whipped my gaze toward Alec, who had gone rigid. His grip on Gregor tightened, the claws on his hands itching to extend.

"What did Elias promise you?" Alec’s voice was low, dangerous.

Calden’s smirk didn’t falter. "A future. Power. A kingdom."

The room seemed to spin.

My pulse raced in my ears, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. "You’re lying," I hissed.

But Calden’s expression never wavered.

Then, as if on cue, the sound of footsteps echoed from the dungeon’s entrance. Jack, Damon, and Elias appeared in the doorway, their expressions unreadable.

I felt the sudden shift in the atmosphere—the weight of suspicion, the seeds of doubt already being planted. I couldn’t think straight.

"Elias?" I looked at him, my voice barely a whisper. He didn’t meet my gaze. His eyes flickered, but only for a second.

Alec, still gripping Gregor by the collar, turned slowly to face him. "Elias, what do you know about this?"

The question was like a spark, igniting everything in its path.

Elias’s eyes widened in shock. "What? No—" He stepped forward, trying to reach Alec, but the tension was suffocating. "I don’t know what they’re talking about! I didn’t—"

"Give me one reason why I should believe you," Alec cut him off, his voice cold as steel.

Jack stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "If Elias really is behind this, we need proof. We can’t act on accusations."

But the damage was already done. Doubt had been sown, and suspicion was now in the air. Elias tried to defend himself, but his words were lost in the rising chaos.

I stood frozen, my heart torn between disbelief and the fear that everything might fall apart. "What happens now?"

Alec’s gaze flickered between Elias and the traitors in front of him. His voice was steady, but there was a storm behind his eyes. "We hold them. We wait. We make them confess."

---

I had seen this before—how chaos could spread like wildfire when trust was shattered. And right now, trust was the most fragile thing we had.

Elias stood there, his eyes wide with confusion and fear. He hadn’t expected this. None of us had.

But as I watched him try to defend himself, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. This was too neat, too perfect.

And this all started with the arrival of one person.