Chapter 13 · Who Sold You Out?

"Where is it?"

Lucas lunged forward, his fingers clawing at the air, but Cain’s hand snapped out, gripping the man’s throat and pinning him against the jagged stone wall. The sound of Lucas’s back hitting the rock was a dull thud that echoed through the cavern.

"The stone, Lucas," Cain purred, his voice a low vibration that seemed to rattle the very air. He didn't even look at the man; his eyes were fixed on Ella, watching her reaction with a predatory curiosity. "You said it was a seal. Now tell me what exactly you were trying to keep locked away before my little pet touched it."

Lucas choked, his face turning a bruised shade of purple. "It... it wasn't for me... the Elders... they ordered it!"

Ella stepped forward, her legs still shaking, but her voice steady. "The Elders? You told me you loved me. You told me we were building a future together while you were hiding a cursed relic in your pocket?"

"I did it for us!" Lucas gasped, his eyes wide with a mixture of terror and desperation. "The stone... it keeps the Void-Eaters at bay.