No More Safe Places

Chapter 15

Seraphine paced the room, her sharp eyes darting to the doorway as if expecting it to burst open at any moment. The safe house, once a sanctuary, felt smaller now, the walls closing in under the weight of the growing threat. Evelyn stood nearby, her fingers running over the edge of the coin that had revealed too much. She glanced at Marcus, who hadn't moved, the knife still clenched tightly in his hand.

"You've been found."

Those words echoed in her mind, hollow and chilling. Whatever magic the coin held, it was more than just a relic—it was a beacon. And they were running out of time.

Seraphine's voice broke the tense silence. "We can't stay here. The wards won't hold much longer. We need to move, fast."

Marcus looked up, his eyes wide with fear. "Move where? They'll keep finding us. If they tracked us here, they can track us anywhere."

Evelyn stepped forward, her heart still pounding, but her voice steady. "We can't keep running forever. We need to go on the offensive—find out who's behind this and stop them. Hiding won't save us."

Seraphine nodded in agreement, but her gaze was distant, calculating. "We're not prepared to take them head-on yet. But you're right—staying hidden will only delay the inevitable. We need answers, and we need them fast."

"The Council…" Marcus began, but Seraphine shook her head.

"The Council will help, but they're slow. And we don't have time for slow."

Evelyn glanced at Marcus, the fear in his eyes mirroring her own uncertainty. She had no idea what they were truly up against—wraiths, shadows, and now an unknown enemy that seemed to have a personal vendetta against them. But she wasn't about to let them be hunted like animals. Not anymore.

"Then where do we start?" Evelyn asked, her voice firmer now, the weight of her determination settling in.

Seraphine hesitated for a brief moment before her eyes sharpened with resolve. "There's someone who knows more about these kinds of magic than anyone in the Council—a rogue mage, someone who operates outside the rules."

Marcus frowned. "A rogue mage? Isn't that dangerous?"

Seraphine gave him a grim smile. "Very. But if we want answers, we need to take risks. He deals in dark magic, artifacts, the kinds of things the Council doesn't want to admit exist."

Evelyn stepped closer, her pulse quickening. "Where can we find him?"

Seraphine met her gaze, her expression hard and serious. "The Undermarket. Beneath Grimvale."

Marcus paled, the knife in his hand lowering slightly. "The Undermarket? That's… that's where criminals go. Assassins, smugglers. No one goes there unless they're desperate."

Seraphine's eyes gleamed with cold resolve. "Exactly."

Evelyn clenched her jaw. She didn't like it, but there were no other options. If the enemy was closing in, if the coin was somehow leading them straight into danger, then waiting for the Council to act wasn't enough. They had to act on their own.

"We go to the Undermarket," Evelyn said, her voice cutting through the heavy air. "We find this mage and get the answers we need."

Seraphine nodded, already moving toward the door. "Grab what you can. We leave now."

Evelyn glanced at Marcus, who was still rooted to the spot, his face pale with dread. She reached out, resting a hand on his arm. "Hey," she said softly, trying to pull him back from whatever dark place his mind had wandered to. "We'll get through this. But we have to keep moving."

Marcus swallowed, his grip tightening on the knife. He looked up at her, the fear still there, but with a flicker of determination behind it. "Okay. Let's do this."

They gathered what little they had, their movements quick and tense. There was no time for hesitation now. As they stepped out of the safe house, the cold night air hit them, the streets eerily quiet.

Seraphine led the way, her posture rigid with tension, her senses on high alert. The darkness around them felt thick and oppressive, as if the city itself was watching their every move. They moved swiftly through the narrow alleyways, the only sound their footsteps echoing off the cobblestones.

Evelyn kept her eyes scanning the shadows, every flicker of movement sending her heart racing. She had been in dangerous situations before, but this felt different. This wasn't just about survival—this was about finding out the truth. And that truth was buried deep in Grimvale's underbelly.

As they approached a set of stairs leading down into a dimly lit alley, Seraphine paused, turning to face them. "The Undermarket is dangerous. Once we're inside, stay close. Don't trust anyone but each other."

Marcus nodded, his face set in grim determination. Evelyn gave a single nod, her fingers brushing against the coin in her pocket. It was warm, pulsing faintly, as if it knew what was coming.

Without another word, they descended into the darkness below.