9. Chapter 9

9

Clara

“ B uddy,” I plant a kiss on Elijah’s cheek, “time to sleep.”

We’re sprawled across the king-sized bed, white sheets tangled around us. Elijah’s head rests on my arm, his Batman pajamas—courtesy of Kayla’s shopping spree—still stiff with newness.

The bathroom door stands ajar, steam still escaping from our bubble bath adventure. Elijah had gasped when he saw the marble tub. “Mommy, it’s like a swimming pool!”

He wasn’t wrong.

I peek at the floor-to-ceiling windows. More guards patrol the grounds now than during daylight. Four… no, five men circle the perimeter, their black suits stark against the manicured lawn.

“Can we have another bubble bath tomorrow?” Elijah’s voice pulls me back. His damp hair tickles my chin.

“Sure, buddy.” I run my fingers through his curls. “Did you count the bubbles this time?”

“Too many!” He giggles. “And the shower has rain, Mommy. Real rain!”

I squeeze him closer. For a moment, I almost forget where we are.

Almost forget that Kayla had locked us in after dinner, her only words being, “We need to go back to room.” And almost forget that we’re trapped on the top floor with three other mysterious doors that remain sealed shut.

Almost.

“Mommy.” Elijah’s small hand touches my cheek. His brown eyes, so like his , are heavy with sleep. “I miss Pikachu.”

My throat tightens. His favorite plush toy, left behind in our hasty… departure. “I know, baby.” I stroke his cheek. “We’ll get Pikachu back once we’re out of here.”

He considers this, nose scrunching up like it does when he’s thinking hard. “Yes, we’ll train these bad guys, Mommy.”

A snort escapes me. He’s still on about this. Only my kid would think about rehabilitating the Russian mob.

“We’ll train them to be good guys.”

My hands slide down to Elijah’s shoulders, patting him gently. My jaw tightens.

Sure, right after I figure out how to get us out of here alive. Right after I deal with Leonid fucking Kuznetsov. The man in the Raven mask. Jake’s killer.

But something nags at the back of my mind. Those eyes. Leonid’s eyes are brown, not blue like the ones I saw that day. The ones that haunted my nightmares for years.

The pieces of the puzzle won’t fit together, no matter how hard I try.

I’m too tired to think now, so I tug Elijah closer, breathing in his baby smell. The one that still makes me soft, even after all these years.

“Yes, baby.” I press my lips to his forehead. “We can try. Now sleep.”

His breathing evens out almost immediately. My own eyelids grow heavy, but I force them open, counting the guards one more time. Six now. They’ve added another.

Elijah shifts in his sleep, clutching my T-shirt. Before him, I would’ve already tried to fight my way out. Would’ve done something stupid and reckless.

But he changed everything.

My eyes drift shut. The lavender-sandalwood scent from the diffuser fills my lungs. It’s too nice, too peaceful for a prison.

That’s what makes it dangerous.

That’s what makes him dangerous.

My last thought before sleep takes me is that I need to stay alert. Need to stay sharp.

But Elijah’s steady breathing and the ridiculously comfortable bed pull me under, anyway.

My eyes snap open to darkness.

Something’s wrong.

Red drops hit my face. Warm. Wet.

Blood splashes across my face.

“Jake!”

My feet pound against wet concrete. The alley stretches endlessly, getting darker with each step. Jake’s always just ahead, just out of reach.

“Stop! Please!”

Jake turns. His chest blooms red, the stain spreading like spilled wine. Those final moments replaying like a broken record.

“Run, Clara.” His voice echoes. “Run.”

The Raven steps out from the shadows. Black mask gleaming, those blue eyes burning through me. Fifteen years old again, paralyzed, watching my brother fall.

But this time, it’s different.

“Mommy?”

My heart stops.

Elijah stands beside Jake, small hand reaching for his uncle.

No. No, no, no.

“Baby, come here!” I surge forward. My legs won’t move. Concrete turns to quicksand. “Elijah, don’t!”

The Raven extends his hand. That fucking mask tilts, considering my son like a predator eyeing its prey.

“You can’t have him!” I thrash against invisible restraints. “Jake, don’t let him—”

Jake crumples. Blood pools around his body. Elijah steps closer to The Raven.

“Look at me, baby. Look at Mommy!”

Elijah turns. His brown eyes meet mine—Leonid’s eyes. The eyes he got from… him.

“It’s okay, Mommy. We’re training the bad guys, remember?”

The Raven’s hand closes around Elijah’s shoulder.

“NO!”

My scream tears through my throat. I fight harder. Muscles burning, straining. Concrete hardens around my feet.

A door materializes behind them. Steel and ancient, radiating heat. Hell’s gate.

The Raven’s mask catches the red light. Blue eyes pierce through me as he guides my son forward.

“Give him back!” My voice breaks. “Take me instead. Please. PLEASE!”

The door creaks open. Fire spills out.

Jake’s body drags across the ground, pulled by unseen forces. Elijah follows, small steps willing. Trusting.

“Baby, stop! ELIJAH!”

The Raven’s mask turns one last time.

Those blue eyes…

Something warm touches my cheek. Everything vanishes. Black swallows the door, the fire, my son.

I sob, the sound barely a whimper in the void. My heart squeezes so tight I can’t breathe.

But I can’t move. My body won’t respond.

It’s too heavy.

Like being buried alive.

“Shhhh,” a deep voice cuts through the nightmare. Not Jake’s. Not The Raven’s.

“Sleep, Clara. Everything’s okay.”

The warmth spreads. Gentle. Almost… tender.

My eyelids fight to open. Just a sliver.

A massive shadow moves across our room. Moonlight catches on broad shoulders.

The door opens without a sound.

Something tugs at my consciousness. Important .

Those eyes in the nightmare were blue, but the shadow…

The door clicks shut.

I sink back into darkness.