Chapter 87

Elara’s POV

“Did we do the right thing?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Both of them turned to look at me.

“Leaving him there to die,” I continued, swallowing the lump in my throat. “I thought… I thought being kind was the best revenge.”

Lucas reached for my hand. “Elara, the world isn’t kind,” he said. “It’s cruel. And we’ll do whatever it takes to protect you.”

Sabrina nodded, her eyes softening for the first time since we’d left the scene. “No matter the cost,” she added. “No matter who we have to kill.”

The finality in her tone sent a chill down my spine, but it was oddly reassuring. I wasn’t alone. I wasn’t just a burden or a problem to be solved. I was… protected. Loved.

I glanced between them, the two people who had become my family, and a bittersweet ache settled in my chest. “Thank you,” I whispered.