Page 74 of Called By Fate

The floor is concrete, which is fine as our footsteps are more silent and don’t squeak like they would on linoleum or something. The entryway leads into a room that houses several cameras showing the feeds of the lower levels. What is it with these dudes and basements? Didn’t they get the memo they’re creepy?

And where are the guards?

Just as that last thought occurs to me, an Elite pops up to our right with a drink in his hand.Rapist,my intuition whispers. Immediately, my shadows slither from the ground and swallow him whole. Like, poof… gone. One second, he’s standing there and the next he’s nowhere to be found. Hopefully the Goddess drags him straight to the depths of the underworld where he belongs.

So much for being inconspicuous, though.

When I look over at the guys, I find them staring at me with comically wide eyes. You’d think Elian would be used to my magic doing weird shit by now, but apparently not. Honestly, he looks kind of turned on too. Looking down, I confirm my thoughts when I see a bulge there. Strange motherfucker. Either there’s a crotch knife in his pocket or he’s super happy to see me.

Dammit, Sadie. They’re going to notice him missing,Elian projects.

I can’t help it, I mentally hiss.My magic does what it wants sometimes. We’ll just have to find everyone before they notice him gone and kill the hostages.

“Remind me never to fuck with you, Shadow Girl,” Malachi whispers in awe and then gathers himself with a shiver. “This room houses the security system. I’m going to work on disabling the cameras and any wards I can find.” He ducks into the security room without another word with Niall on his heels like I lit a fire under his ass.

Heh, I’m a scary bitch when I want to be.

My face is tingling from the intensity of Elian’s eyes on me, so I refocus on him, only to be ensnared by his emerald eyes. He reaches out and yanks me to him roughly, cupping my cheek. “There’s something I need to tell you, Pet.”

“Uh, is this the best time?” I ask, glancing at our surroundings in this dungy building. He growls softly and brings my focus back to his face. “Okay, what is it?”

“I love you.” Elian doesn’t say it with any fanfare or frilly words. Three words is all he needs to take my breath away. The look in his eyes says it all for me. He means it, though he does have really bad timing.

“I love you too, Eli,” I respond and place my lips against his. He greedily meets me with his own lips and devours me, slipping his tongue inside my mouth. Every brush of our lips is a daring reminder that we belong together.

Two broken people finally found their way to one another.

All too soon, Niall and Malachi are emerging from the security room, saying, “We’re good to go.”

Elian and I break apart, but not before he squeezes my hand reassuringly. He takes the lead, and we follow the path the security guard came from, finding a staircase leading down to the lower portion of the building.

“Judging from the security cams, I’m guessing she will be on to the right at the bottom. The left looks like a dead end,” Niall informs us as we descend. “I didn’t see any other guards on the cams, but I’m certain there will be more.”

The air is stale from the lack of fresh air, and it makes me miss the open outdoors of the safe haven. The further we go, the more the anticipation in my gut brews, a silent reminder of what’s at stake here.

At the bottom of the staircase, Elian looks left and right before heading in the direction Niall recommended. To the left is only a single door. I stare at it for a second too long and Niall bumps into me, which in turn, makes Malachi bump into him.

“Sorry,” I whisper out of habit before I catch up to Elian. We’re in a long hallway of sorts and on either side are glass doors with people—shifters and Weavers from the looks of it—trapped inside.

“Holy shit,” I breathe. Either they think we’re Elites or they can’t see us because none of them start begging to be let out or really give any indication they know we’re here. Most of them are sitting or pacing the tiny length of their cells.

“These must be the people Bedi was talking about,” Niall murmurs.

“Yeah, must be,” I respond and continue walking. Ash must be here somewhere. We’ll worry about getting everyone out after we find her.

“Did you hear something?” a gruff voice says somewhere ahead of us.

Elian stops in his tracks and puts me behind him with one swift move, then he’s pulling the four of us into the shadows. Next thing I know two guards round the corner in front of us stopping under a blinking overhead light, their eyes searching the shadows with weathered faces that are harsh and angry, but they won’t find us. The shadows are where we thrive, fuckers.

Torturers, rapists, murders,my mind whispers. My magic reacts to the call of the vengeance in my veins, and the light the men are standing under becomes their worst nightmare, engulfing them whole. Intuitively, I know wherever they’re going is much worse and it brings me a tiny bit of satisfaction.

I could fucking devour you right now,Elian says into my mind at the same time Niall says, “Holy fuck,” in awe.

I’m all about getting their jaws to hit the floor today, I guess. It gives me the tiny confidence boost I didn’t realize I needed.

The four of us continue searching for Ash. Eventually, the hallway turns to the right where the guards came from, essentially going in a giant square. We come to a stop before one of the last rooms, and all the breath leaves me. “Ash,” I whisper.

Ash doesn’t seem to notice me. She’s laying on her side on a tiny cot, and the sight of her curled up in a ball tugs on my heartstrings. Seeing the button on the side panel of the door, I press it and the glass door slides open.

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