Chapter 99
Chapter 99
His thumb traced small circles against her palm, sending warmth spiralling up her arm despite the gravity of their discussion. "Together," he promised, the single word carrying all his determination and love.
The strategy council continued well into the evening, with representatives from each territory reporting on manufacturing progress, extraction team assembly, and intelligence gathering. Ioannis observed the unprecedented cooperation with a mixture of hope and lingering concern. The pendant maintained its steady warmth against her skin, occasionally pulsing gently as particularly important points were discussed.
When the council finally adjourned, Nickolas guided her through the compound toward their quarters, his hand resting protectively at the small of her back. Pack members they passed offered respectful nods, many still studying her with curious interest that made her hyper-aware of her dual status, both Luna of Storm Striders and the Goddess's chosen vessel.
"You're tired," Nickolas observed as they entered their suite, the doors closing behind them with a soft click. Through their bond, she felt his concern washing over her like gentle waves.
"Just processing," Ioannis replied, moving toward the wall of windows where twilight had transformed the mountain vista into a tapestry of indigo and silver. The pendant pulsed once against her skin as she gazed out at what was now her home. "Everything is happening so quickly."
Nickolas joined her at the window, his presence beside her as solid and reassuring as the mountains themselves. "Too quickly?"
"No," she said, touching the pendant at her throat. "Not when children are involved. I just wish..."
"That it wasn't necessary at all," he finished, his storm-grey eyes reflecting understanding that flowed through their bond. "That these children had never been taken."
Ioannis nodded, leaning slightly into his strength as she watched mist gather in the valleys below. The pendant warmed against her skin, its gentle pulse matching her heartbeat as Nickolas wrapped his arm around her waist.
"We'll find them," he promised, the certainty in his voice flowing through their bond like golden light. "And we'll bring them home."
"Home," Ioannis repeated softly, the word carrying new weight as she absorbed the reality of their situation. "Some may not remember what that means. If they were taken young enough..."
Nickolas's arm tightened slightly around her waist, his protective instincts evident in the gesture. "Then we'll teach them. All of us, together."
A soft knock at their door interrupted the moment. Nickolas moved with fluid grace to answer it, positioning himself protectively between the entrance and Ioannis before opening the door. Federico stood in the corridor, tablet in hand and expression focused despite the late hour.
"Forgive the interruption," he said, inclining his head respectfully toward Ioannis. "But there's been a development that couldn't wait until morning."
The pendant cooled slightly against her skin, a subtle warning that matched the sudden tension flowing through their bond from Nickolas. "What's happened?" he asked, stepping back to allow Federico entry.
"Sera has returned with news," Federico said, his expression grave as he stepped into the suite. "And she's brought someone with her."
The pendant at Ioannis's throat turned ice-cold against her skin. She moved closer to Nickolas, drawing strength from his solid presence as Federico's words settled between them.
"Who?" Nickolas asked, his voice carrying the calm authority that always emerged in crisis, though Ioannis could feel his concern flowing through their bond.
"A child," Federico replied quietly. "A boy, approximately ten years old. According to Sera, he escaped from the facility three days ago."
Ioannis's heart skipped a beat, the pendant pulsing with urgent coldness against her skin. "He escaped? How? Where is he now?"
"In the healing centre. Luna Harvey is with him." Federico's fingers moved across his tablet, bringing up an image that made Ioannis's breath catch in her throat.
The boy was thin, painfully so, with hollow cheeks and dark circles beneath wary eyes that seemed too old for his young face. His light brown hair had been shorn close to his scalp in what appeared to be a military-style cut, and he wore what looked like standard-issue grey clothing several sizes too large for his frame.
"His name is Lucas," Federico continued. "No family name that he remembers. Sera found him hiding in a drainage culvert about twenty miles from the facility. He was severely dehydrated and showing signs of exposure."
"How did he get so far on his own?" Nickolas asked, his tactical mind already calculating distances and terrain as Ioannis studied the boy's image with growing concern.
"That's where things get interesting," Federico replied. "According to Sera, he didn't escape alone. There were three of them initially, but they became separated during pursuit. Lucas doesn't know if the others were recaptured."
The pendant grew colder against Ioannis's skin, its warning chill spreading through her chest. Three children had attempted escape. What had happened to the others? Through their bond, she felt Nickolas's protective rage building like gathering storm clouds.
"We need to speak with him," she said, already moving toward the door. The pendant's chill urged her forward, its silent warning impossible to ignore.
"Luna Harvey cautioned that he's extremely traumatised," Federico warned, falling into step beside them. "He's barely spoken since Sera found him, and he reacts with terror to most adult males."
Nickolas nodded, his expression grim as they moved through the compound toward the healing centre. "I'll keep my distance initially. He may respond better to Ioannis."
Through their bond, she felt his tactical mind already calculating how to approach the frightened child, how to gain vital intelligence without causing further trauma. The pendant pulsed with cold urgency against her skin as they approached the healing centre, a serene structure of stone and glass nestled against the mountain's edge.