Chapter 0411

Athena

"Sometimes it's infuriating when he's right." Nyx groans. She was just as eager as I was to end Evelyn, but Alexander was correct—we couldn't risk losing Theodore, especially without knowing the full situation.

"So we're letting her live?" I whisper to Alexander as my claws retract. They emerged with almost no pain now, sometimes without me even noticing.

I watch Evelyn staring at us. Her expression mixes fear with hope, believing Alexander is saving her.

Now that she's awake, I no longer hear her whimpers, though our connection remains undeniable. I could command her—I felt that power—but could she sense it too?

"Why is everything so loud?" Evelyn suddenly cries, pressing her hands over her ears. It was strange how sound returned to her last. For me, it had been the first sensation when my binding broke.

"You have your Lycan, you stupid bitch!" Seraphina screeches, making Evelyn flinch.

"You're wrong," she cries back.

"Enough!" Zachary snaps.

"Sebastian, take Seraphina to my office," Alexander orders. "Zachary, ensure she doesn't do anything reckless."

'Is he going to kill her? We have information now. We don't need her anymore. He must be, right?' Nyx asks.

'I don't think so.' I could tell Alexander was contemplating something. If he intended to kill her, he would have done it immediately without hesitation.

He gestures toward the stairs and offers me his hand. He remains silent until we're outside. "We need to relocate Seraphina."

"Why? She's secure in the cell."

"Yes, but she's made it clear she's furious with Evelyn now that some truths are exposed. She'll be useless for gathering more information. You heard her—she wants Evelyn dead. She'll focus solely on that. If Evelyn dies, Theodore likely dies too. I know you don't want that."

I shake my head. "You're right."

"So we handle this carefully. I'll offer the bastard a trade."

"A trade?"

"Theodore for Evelyn and Seraphina. Two for one. We'll see how much he values his sister—it's either both or none."

"Won't that make him think Theodore is more valuable?"

"Deals often involve offering something the other party believes benefits them. They don't have to actually benefit—they just need to believe it will."

I watch as Zachary and Sebastian appear with Seraphina. She stays quiet, keeps her eyes down, and doesn't resist as they lead her away.

"We don't even know how to contact him," I say, scanning the dark grounds. "We don't know where he's taken Theodore."

"Something tells me we won't need to. He'll soon realize the spell or drug has worn off, and he can reconnect with his sister. If he's desperate enough, he'll show up at our doorstep."

"Okay," I mutter. "What will you do with Seraphina?" The slam of the dungeon door makes me jump. "You said she can't stay there. You can't expect me to agree to let her live in the house."

"Of course not. I need someone to watch her, and I know just the person to ask."

He never made people wait for death. If they deserved it, they got it swiftly. So why was he letting her live?

"Do you think Levi will be angry if we kill her too?" I ask.

"Possibly."

"She's too much of a risk," I keep my voice low as Zachary and Sebastian take Seraphina toward the house.

"She is, but I don't think you're her target anymore. She didn't want to come here—Evelyn talked her into it. I don't believe you've been her focus for a while. I'm not saying forgive her; she doesn't deserve that. But maybe we can put her to work, nothing involving security. Just until we figure out our next steps."