I pressed the phone tightly against my ear, my hand trembling as I whispered, "His name came up in one of Dmitri's conversations. He seems important—connected to something called The Cave and an antidote. I don't know what it means, but I need to find out."
Mira's breath hitched on the other end. "The Cave? Zahra, do you even know what you're getting into?"
"No," I admitted, my voice quivering. "But I have to. I need something—anything—to use against him. I can't keep living like this, Mira. He'll break me."
A long pause followed, filled only by the faint sound of Mira breathing on the other end. When she finally spoke, her voice was resolute, though tinged with fear. "I'll do it. I'll find out everything I can about Dominic Vazklov. But, Zahra…"
"Yes?"
"If this gets dangerous, promise me you'll find a way out. You can't keep putting yourself at risk. You deserve better than this."