Page 15 of Lost in Fire

“Personal investigation. Deep-background verification of anyone with access to the relevant systems.” Cassia’s voice drops. “Starting with the most obvious candidates.”

Anyone who could have known about the bloodline assessments. Anyone with access to verification systems. Anyone whose movements could be correlated with the timing of successful protections.

Anyone like me.

“Can you delay the verification?”

“For a while. But not indefinitely.” She looks around the garage, paranoia evident in every gesture. “We need to accelerate whatever contingency plans we’ve discussed. If this investigation goes deep enough, it’ll expose everyone we’ve been helping.”

Everyone. The mixed-heritage individuals we’ve shielded from disciplinary action. The families we’ve helped relocate when their status became problematic. The handful of people feeding us intelligence from within various clan operations.

And Ember.

“How much time do we have? Realistically?”

“A week. Maybe ten days before Vex pushes for comprehensive investigation.” Cassia pockets her phone.“After that, they’ll assign independent teams. Blood magic authentication that I can’t manipulate. Deep-scan protocols that will expose every secret we’ve hidden.”

Ten days. Ten days to save everyone I’ve sworn to protect before the investigation destroys them all.

“There’s something else,” Cassia continues. “Aurora intelligence has been asking questions about our operations. They know someone’s been helping people escape persecution, but they don’t know who.”

My stomach drops. “How much do they know?”

“Enough to be interested. Not enough to identify any of us.” She pauses. “Yet.”

Vex suspects internal manipulation. The Aurora Collective knows someone’s helping from within. And somewhere in the middle of this brewing storm, the encrypted message I sent three days ago is making its way through channels that could expose everything.

“I need additional resources,” I tell her. “Emergency protocols. Clean documentation for rapid extraction. And alternative identities. For multiple individuals.”

Cassia goes very still. “How many individuals?”

“At least three. Possibly more, depending on how this develops.”

“Vanya.” Her voice carries years of friendship and shared secrets. “If you run, Vex will know. He’ll tear apart everything we’ve built. Everyone we’ve protected over the years—they’ll all be exposed.”

“And if I stay, the investigation exposes us anyway.” The words catch in my throat. “Along with everyone I care about most.”

“Including me?”

I swallow hard. “Cassia, I—”

“It’s okay.” She holds up a hand. “I’m a big girl. I know what I’m involved in.”

We stand in silence, listening to the distant hum of activity above us in the Enclave. Two women who’ve spent decades fighting a war from the shadows, finally facing the reality that every secret eventually comes to light.

“I’ll get you the resources,” Cassia says finally. “But understand—once you use them, there’s no coming back. The network we’ve built, the people we’ve saved—it all dies with the exposure.”

I know. I know exactly what I’m choosing. The careful balance we’ve maintained between helping others and protecting ourselves is about to collapse.

But as I drive away from the Enclave, Elder Vex’s suspicions hanging over me, I realize it’s not really a choice at all. It never was.

I will protect those who depend on me. Even if it means sacrificing everything else I care about.

My phone buzzes. A message from Ember.

Coming home for dinner? I’m making that pasta you like.

I squeeze my eyes shut for a second. Dinner. Pasta. Normal conversation. The pretense that we’re just an ordinary mother and daughter, sharing an ordinary life.

---