Chapter 162 My Angel | 055
NOELLE
An hour later, the taxi drops Blue and I at a warehouse. She'd managed to sneak us out of campus without alerting the security Azren put in place. That in itself is terrifying. The air smells like rust, salt, and diesel. There are rows and rows of abandoned shipping containers. The address Haden sent is a windowless building at the far end with one bulb above a side door that looks like it hasn't been used in years.
Blue stands beside me with her hands in her pockets, scanning the place like she's done this a hundred times.
I hug my jacket tighter around myself even though the afternoon isn't cold.
"Is this really okay?" I whisper. My voice sounds small against the hum of distant waves and the low buzz of electricity lines overhead.
Blue glances at me, one corner of her mouth tilting up.
"Relax, Luna. I'm a legendary fox, remember? Nine tails or not, I've got tricks even Haden hasn't seen." She winks. "Besides, if he wanted to kill you outright, he wouldn't bother with the theatrics. He wants you alive. That gives us room to play."
I manage a shaky smile despite the knot in my stomach. Her confidence helps. A little.
"Okay," I breathe. "Let's do this."
We move together towards the building, sticking to the darker patches between the containers. Blue leads as if she already knows every pothole and every single blind spot. I follow closely, my heart hammering so loud I'm sure the guards can hear it.
Halfway there, I reach out without thinking and grab her hand tight, needing the anchor. Blue stiffens instantly, letting out a sharp hiss.
I yank my hand back immediately.
"I'm sorry—did I—did I hurt you?" My voice cracks. "I didn't mean—"
She's already looking down at her palm. A perfect red welt blooms across the center, the shape of my fingers, angry and blistered.
My heart shrinks.
Before I can speak, the burn fades, the skin knitting together in seconds, looking smooth and unmarked again.
Blue flexes her hand, then she flashes me that easy grin.
"Just a little static," she says. "Fox thing. We're sensitive to magic sometimes. No big deal."
But her smile doesn't reach her eyes. And mine is gone entirely. Yet, we keep moving.
She points to the back door, a rusted, half-hidden structure. "There. Cameras are on the front and roof. We slip in quietly, find Danika, and get out. Simple."
Simple.
Right.
She knows the layout too well. She knew exactly where the cameras were. She maneuvered us past two patrols without hesitation like she'd walked this route before.
My steps slow. Blue reaches the door first, her hand on the handle.
I stop.
My wrist—the flame mark—is suddenly warm.
Blue turns back, her brow raised. "Are you coming?"
I stare at her, the pieces fitting in.
The way she flinched when I touched her. The too-perfect knowledge of this place. Her fake smile.
My heart slams against my ribs.
Nyxara can shapeshift.
The realization hits me like ice water to the face.
Blue—no, not Blue—tilts her head, her smile fading.
"Noelle?"
I take one step back.
"You're not her," I whisper.
Her smile drops completely. Before I can escape, her hand lashes out and slams straight into my face.
Everything goes black. I don't even have time to feel afraid.
...
My head throbs as if someone took a sledgehammer to the front of my head. Everything is dark at first, and then the pain sharpens enough for me to realize that my eyes are open.
I'm lying on concrete. It's cold and rough. My wrists are bound behind my back with zip ties that bite into the skin every time I shift. My ankles are tied too, tight enough that my toes are already numb.
I blink hard. The room swims into focus.
Danika is directly across from me, maybe ten feet away. She's on her knees in the same position as the video, her mouth gagged with duct tape wrapped so tight it pulls at the corners of her lips.
Her eyes are filled with terror, glistening with unshed tears.
The second she sees me conscious, she starts thrashing against the ropes. Muffled sounds slip through the gag, desperate and frantic.
She jerks her head towards me, then towards the door, then back to me again. Then tears slide down her face. She's trying to speak, trying to warn me. Trying to tell me to run even though neither of us can.
My chest cracks open.
This woman isn't my mother. She never claimed to be. But the way she's looking at me right now, like she would dig through concrete with her bare hands if it meant getting me out of here, feels heavy. A fierce, burning protectiveness spikes through me right then.
I'm not letting them touch her again.
I jerk my gaze around the room, searching for any way out, any weapon, anything.
That's when I see Blue.
She's crumpled against the wall to my left, unconscious, her head lolled to the side. Her leather jacket is torn at the shoulder. There's a dark bruise blooming across her temple and a thin trickle of blood from her nose. Her chest rises and falls with shallow movements, but she's way too still apart from that.
Panic grips me.
"Blue—"
My voice is hoarse, barely a whisper.
Footsteps echo from the hallway outside.
The door opens. Haden enters first.
He's in a tailored black coat, his hair swept back, looking like he's attending a gala. His smile is satisfied, the same one he used to give me right before he locked the door to my room.
My entire body locks up, my heart slamming so hard, it feels like it's going to explode.
Behind him, Nyxara glides in wearing a different face.
My voice cracks when I speak. "What did you do to her?"
Nyxara tilts her head and smiles.
"I borrowed her for a little while," she says. "Possession is such a useful trick. She fought hard, though. Almost admirable."
My stomach rolls.
Haden walks over in three strides and crouches in front of me. His gloved fingers reach out to brush my cheek. I jerk away as far as the zip ties allow, a growl ripping out of my throat.
He laughs and backhands me so hard that my head snaps to the side. Pain explodes across my cheekbone, and copper floods my mouth.
I taste blood.
He grabs my chin and forces my face back towards him.
"Still got fight in you," he beams. "Good. I'd hate for this to be boring."
He lets go, and I slump sideways, coughing. He doesn't stop there. He drives his boot into my stomach three times. Each kick forces the air from my lungs in wet, ragged bursts. I curl instinctively, trying to protect my middle, but the zip ties bite deeper into my wrists.
Danika is screaming behind the gag, the sounds tearing at my heart. She's thrashing so hard, her wrist bleed.
Haden turns towards her, his smile widening.
I lunge desperately, grabbing his pant leg with my bound hands, yanking as hard as I can.
He stumbles, looking down at me like I'm an insect.
Then he kicks me again, harder this time. My ribs scream and I taste more blood.
Nyxara steps forward, placing a hand on Haden's arm.
"Darling," she purrs. "Let me handle her. We have scores to settle."
Haden chuckles, stepping back.
"By all means, Mother."
My blood runs cold in my veins.
Mother? As in, Haden is her son?!
My eyes snap to Nyxara. She smiles, pleased, as if she's been waiting for me to understand this harsh truth.
"You didn't think I'd let my son play alone, did you?" she says softly.
I stare at her, and everything spins. I can't believe it. If he's truly her son, he must have her abilities too.
Haden drops into a metal chair nearby, crossing one leg over the other like he's watching a movie.
Nyxara crouches in front of me, close enough that I can smell her harsh scent.
"Azren can't save you," she says, her voice tender. "He won't even know where you are. These walls are lined with my barriers. Nothing gets in or out unless I allow it. No scent. No bond. No mind-link. No golden wolf light." She reaches out, tracing a finger along my jaw.
I jerk away.
"By the time he finds you, if he finds you, you'll both be corpses. And he'll have no one left to blame but himself."
I spit blood at her feet. She laughs, delighted.
Haden leans forward in his chair.
"Mother," he says in a bored voice. "Stop monologuing. We have work to do."
Nyxara sighs, standing gracefully.
"Always so impatient, darling."
She glances at Danika, who's still thrashing and crying behind the gag, then back to me.
"Let's begin."
My heart slams against my ribs, dread sinking in.
Just what are they planning?