Chapter 43: Freedom’s Price
ARIA POV
The ground beneath me shook so hard I fell to my knees. Dust rained from the roof of my cell as another boom echoed through the underground prison.
"They’re coming," I whispered, hope rising in my chest.
The scar on my shoulder glowed brighter, pulsing with energy. I could feel them—Kael, Jaxon, and Lucien—their combined power flowing through our bond like lightning.
I closed my eyes and tried to focus. If they could send power to me, maybe I could send something back. A signal. A place.
"Aria!" Mira’s voice echoed from somewhere close. "Are you there?"
"Mira!" I shouted back, running to the bars. "I’m here! Cell number four!"
A crash shook the building again, closer this time. The light bulb above me swung wildly, making shadows dance across the walls.
I pressed my hand against my glowing birthmark, focusing hard. "Find me," I whispered. "Follow the bond."
The warmth spread through my body. My fingers tingled with strange new power—the Moon Alpha power Darius had feared. I grabbed the cell bars and gasped as they grew ice-cold under my touch, frost spreading from my fingers.
Another explosion rocked the building, and suddenly the wall at the end of the hallway collapsed. Three figures stepped through the dust cloud, their eyes sparkling in the darkness—red, gold, and blue.