Page 16 of Lost in Fire

Soon she’ll know the truth about everything. About the dangerous legacy flowing through her veins. About the war being fought for her protection. About the choices I’ve made to keep her safe.

I send back a simple response:Wouldn’t miss it.

Because maybe, if I move fast enough and fight hard enough and sacrifice everything else I care about, I can give her a few more days of ordinary.

Before the alternative destroys us all.

Chapter 6

Hargen

The truck stop sits on the edge of the highway, neon lights flickering pink and blue into the darkness. I count fifteen vehicles in the lot—enough cover, not enough to draw attention. The coffee in my hand tastes bitter, but I need the caffeine. Need something to steady the tremor in my fingers that has nothing to do with the cold.

They’re going to kill our daughter.

Vanya’s words circle my mind on a loop. The words that changed everything. That led me here, to the border between Aurora territory and Syndicate hunting grounds, preparing to make the call that will either save the woman who contacted me or lead me to my death.

I finish the coffee inside the truck stop, the hot liquid doing nothing to calm my nerves. The fluorescent lights buzz overhead, casting everything in sickly yellow. Too exposed in here. Too many witnesses.

I head back to my truck, settling into the driver’s seat where I can watch the access roads while I make the call. The communication protocols I’m about to use are older than most of the Syndicate’s current operatives. But Alastair Creed will remember them. Will understand what it means that I’m reaching out directly to him instead of going through proper channels.

It means I’m desperate enough to be either very dangerous or very useful.

My thumb hovers over the keypad. It’s been three days since I helped Lila escape and walked away from twenty years of service as her handler. Since I betrayed everything I’d sworn to uphold in the name of duty, and found myself choosing something else instead.

The numbers dial themselves—muscle memory from decades of service. Three rings. Four. On the fifth, a voice cuts through the static.

“This line is secured for emergency use only. State your authorization.”

“Theta-Seven-Alpha-Nine.” I reel off the code. “Request immediate priority contact with Command Authority Creed.”

Silence stretches between heartbeats. I know they’re checking records, identifying the name attached to the code I just submitted.

Then: “Hargen Cole is wanted for questioning. Suspected treason.”

“Tell Creed that the Rossewyn handler wants to discuss magical coercion and broken bonds.” I keep my voice steady, professional. “Tell him I have intelligence he needs. About the bloodline. About Aurora operations. About why I helped Lila Rossewyn escape.”

Another pause. Longer this time.

“Hold your position.”

The line goes dead, but I don’t hang up. This is the moment of truth—either Creed’s curiosity outweighs his caution, or I’m about to become a very public corpse in a very ugly truck stop.

Seven minutes. That’s how long I wait before the phone buzzes again.

“Hargen Cole.” Alastair Creed’s voice carries an edge of barely controlled violence. “You’ve got brass showing your face after what you pulled. You have exactly sixty seconds to convince me why I shouldn’t have your location triangulated and a strike team deployed.”

I take a breath. Steady. Confident. Like I’m still the loyal operative who served the Syndicate for decades.

“Because I was under magical influence, sir. The Rossewyn witch—she manipulated me through our handler bond. Forced me to help her escape, to betray my oath, to abandon my duty.” I let exhaustion bleed through my control. “But I broke free. And I have information about Aurora Collective operations that Command needs to hear.”

“Magical coercion?” Creed’s tone is calculating now. “That’s a convenient excuse for treason.”

“Test me,” I say smoothly. “I’ll submit to any verification you require. Blood magic. Memory scanning. Neural probes. Whatever it takes to prove I’m free of her influence.”

“And in exchange?”

“I want back in. The Syndicate is my life, sir. Has been for decades. That witch stole my judgment from me, made me betray everything I believed in. I want her recaptured. I want my position restored. And I want to make sure no other handler suffers what I’ve endured.”

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