(Almira’s POV)
The fortress looms just past the olive trees, half in ruins, half reinforced by tech that doesn’t belong in a place this ancient.
Motion sensors. Night vision cams.
No doubt, someone rich and dangerous has paid good money to make this dump invisible to regular eyes.
We crouch behind the brush, breathing slow. Damon’s a few paces behind, watching the road. Lysander is too close to me for comfort.
“You take the west wall,” I say. “I’ll go straight in.”
He frowns. “You always want to be the bait, don’t you?”
“I don’t trust anyone else to do it right.”
“Even me?”
“Especially you.”
His jaw tightens. “You really think I’d let anyone touch our kids?”
“I think you’ve lied to me before,” I shoot back. “You’ve made decisions like you were the only one who mattered. Forgive
