They descended quickly, their heavy boots loud on the stone.

They grabbed Victor by his arms and dragged him to his feet.

“Take him to the warehouse near the canal,” Lucian said.

“Keep him alive until I get there.”

The guards nodded and dragged Victor up the stairs.

His boots scraped against the concrete until the heavy door shut behind them.

The cellar grew quiet again.

The only sound was the steady drip of water from a rusty pipe in the corner.

Lucian turned his dark eyes back to me.

“Your mother was a brave woman, Mara,” he said.

“I was blind.”

“Grief makes people blind,” I said.

“But now we see clearly.”

I held out the black notebook and the flash drive.

Lucian reached for them, but I did not let go immediately.

He looked at my hand, then into my eyes.

“The people on this list will come for me once they realize Victor has fallen,” I said.

“They will come for both of us.”

“Let them,” Lucian said.

“I will put an end to them.”

“Not alone,” I said.