"What are you doing here?" I ask, my hand still on my dagger, though I'm not sure if I could bring myself to use it against her. Is she here as my mentor, or did she rejoin the Council? Mara was once a member whom Alden thought he had freed. We thought we could trust her, but now I am unsure. Why did she fake her death, and why has she been gone for three years?
"Protecting you," she says simply, her eyes flicking to the diamond in my chest. "They're close, Layla. Closer than you think."
My heart sinks. "Alden… he's hurt. I left him behind."
Mara's expression softens, just a fraction. "He'll survive. For now. But we need to move. The Syndicate won't stop until they have the diamond."
I nod, though my mind is reeling. Trusting Mara feels like stepping into a void, but I have no other choice. "Where are we going?"
"Somewhere safe," she says, her voice firm. "But we'll have to hurry."
She turns and begins walking, her strides purposeful. I follow, my legs heavy, my mind a whirlwind of questions and doubts. The alley seems to stretch on forever, the darkness pressing in around us. Mara moves with the confidence of someone who knows exactly where she's going, her steps sure despite the treacherous terrain.
As we turn another corner, a loud crash echoes through the night, followed by the sound of shouting. My heart stops. It's coming from the direction I left Alden.
"We have to go back," I say, my voice urgent. "He's in trouble."
Mara stops, her eyes narrowing. "Layla, we don't have time—"
"He saved my life," I interrupt, my voice shaking. "I'm not leaving him behind."
Before she can argue, I'm already running, my feet pounding against the pavement. Mara curses under her breath but follows, her long strides easily matching my pace.
We round the corner, and my breath catches in my throat. Alden is on his knees, his back against the wall, his pendant dim but still glowing faintly. Two Syndicate members are closing in on him, their faces twisted with malice.
"Alden!" I shout, drawing my dagger.
He looks up, his eyes widening in relief. "Layla—"
Before he can finish, one of the Syndicate members lunges at him. Alden throws up a shield of fire, but it's weak, flickering like a dying candle. The man pushes through, his hand closing around Alden's throat.
I don't think. I act. With a roar that's more dragon than human, I charge, my dagger slicing through the air. The man turns, his eyes widening in surprise as my blade catches him in the shoulder. He staggers back, clutching the wound, his face contorted in pain.
The second man whirls toward me, his hand raised, dark energy crackling around his fingers. Mara steps forward, her eyes glowing brighter, her hands outstretched. A wave of force slams into him, sending him flying into the wall. He crumples to the ground, unconscious.
I rush to Alden, my heart pounding. He's pale, his breath coming in shallow gasps, but he's alive. "Are you okay?" I ask, my voice trembling.
He manages a weak smile. "Better now that you're here."
Mara appears beside us, her expression unreadable. "We need to go. Now."
Alden nods, though the movement seems to pain him. I help him to his feet, his arm draped over my shoulders. Together, we follow Mara, the night closing in around us like a shroud.
The city feels different now, its streets no longer a maze but a battleground. Every shadow holds a threat, every corner a potential ambush. But with Mara by our side, I feel a glimmer of hope, a fragile thing that I cling to desperately. However, that hope soon fades when we are ambushed by a group of bounty-hunting shapeshifters. "Fucking Syndicate, fucking Council," I mutter as I ask Alden to shift into his snail form. I tucked him safely in my cleavage as Mara opened a portal before a shifter removed her head.