The smoke from the gunfire still hung in the air as Serena stared at Adrian, her mind whirling with disbelief. Of all the people to show up in the middle of this mess, Adrian had been the last person she expected—and the one she trusted the least. But here he was, standing amidst the bodies of the mercenaries, that infuriating smirk still plastered on his face.
Adrian's sharp eyes glinted in the dim streetlight as he wiped a fleck of blood from his jacket, unfazed by the violence around him. "What's the matter, Serena? Not happy to see me?" he asked, his voice dripping with mockery.
Serena kept her gun raised, her pulse still racing from the firefight. "What are you doing here, Adrian? You're the last person I'd expect to swoop in and save the day."
Adrian chuckled, as if the situation was nothing more than a game to him. "Come now, Serena. I couldn't let you have all the fun. Besides, I'm invested in your success. I still have a stake in the Sangreal and Crux Ignis—remember?"
Serena narrowed her eyes, lowering her gun just slightly but not enough to let her guard down. She wasn't about to let Adrian off the hook, especially not after his cryptic warnings about other players in the game.
"So, what?" she asked, her voice hard. "You've been following us this whole time?"
Adrian's smile widened. "Something like that. Let's just say I had a feeling you might run into some trouble tonight, and I wanted to make sure you didn't lose those precious artifacts of yours. After all, we wouldn't want them falling into the wrong hands, would we?"
Serena gritted her teeth, torn between gratitude and suspicion. Adrian's help had been timely—there was no denying that—but his motives were never straightforward. He was always playing a long game, and Serena knew better than to trust him.
Behind her, Rebecca and Alex had re-emerged from the alleyway, guiding a still-smug Elena toward the car. They froze when they saw Adrian standing in the street, the tension palpable.
"Adrian," Rebecca said, her voice filled with surprise and more than a little wariness. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Adrian turned, flashing her one of his signature grins. "Ah, Rebecca. Always a pleasure. I was just helping out a few old friends. You should be thanking me."
Rebecca glanced at Serena, her expression questioning. Serena shook her head slightly, signaling that they would deal with Adrian later. Right now, they needed to focus on getting out of here before anyone else showed up.
"We need to move," Serena said, her voice tense. "Those mercenaries weren't the only threat. If more are coming, we can't stay here."
Adrian raised an eyebrow, his amusement fading slightly as he sensed the urgency in her tone. "Fair enough. I suppose I'll ride along—wouldn't want to miss the party."
Before Serena could protest, Adrian was already moving toward the car, slipping into the passenger seat with a casual ease that made Serena's blood boil. He was always inserting himself where he wasn't wanted, and this was no exception.
But she didn't have time to argue. She climbed into the driver's seat, with Rebecca, Alex, and Elena squeezing into the back. The car was cramped, and the tension between them was thick as they sped through the streets of Paris, leaving the auction house far behind.
Serena drove in silence for several minutes, her mind racing. Elena sat beside Rebecca, her demeanor cool and composed despite the chaos they had just escaped. She hadn't said a word since the firefight, but Serena could feel her eyes flicking between them, weighing her options.
Adrian, meanwhile, leaned back in his seat, his arm resting casually on the window. He seemed entirely unconcerned by the danger they were in, as if this was all just another business transaction to him. Serena had to suppress the urge to slam on the brakes and throw him out of the car.
"So," Adrian finally said, breaking the silence. "What's the plan, Serena? I assume you have a safehouse set up somewhere?"
Serena clenched her jaw. "We're heading to a secure location, but you're not staying long. You've done your part—now it's time for you to go."
Adrian chuckled softly. "Always so quick to push me away. You know, Serena, if we worked together instead of constantly bickering, we'd make quite the team."
"I doubt that," Serena snapped, her patience wearing thin. "You've got your own agenda, and we're not playing into it. You helped us tonight, but that doesn't mean I trust you."
Adrian gave a nonchalant shrug, but there was a glint in his eyes that told Serena he wasn't done manipulating the situation. "Fair enough. But you'll need me soon enough. Trust me on that."
Serena didn't respond. She wasn't interested in whatever game Adrian was playing, but she knew better than to completely dismiss him. He always had a way of staying one step ahead, and whether she liked it or not, he had proven useful when it mattered.
As the car sped toward their destination, Serena's thoughts turned to Elena. They had risked everything to get her out of the auction alive, and now it was time for her to hold up her end of the deal.
Serena glanced at Elena through the rearview mirror. "We kept our end of the bargain. Now it's your turn."
Elena's lips curved into a slow smile, her dark eyes gleaming. "I never doubted you, Serena. I have to admit, your timing was impeccable. And now that I'm safely away from the Covenant's reach, I'll tell you what I know."
Serena's grip on the steering wheel tightened. "Start talking."
Elena took a deep breath, her expression growing more serious. "The third artifact is called the Lumen Corvus. It's an ancient relic, far older than the Sangreal or the Crux Ignis. The three artifacts together are said to possess unimaginable power—capable of bending the laws of life and death, of reshaping reality itself. That's why the Covenant wants them so badly. They're not just collectors—they want control over that kind of power."
Serena's pulse quickened. This was worse than she'd thought. The Sangreal and Crux Ignis were dangerous enough on their own, but combined with a third artifact? The idea of that kind of power falling into the wrong hands sent a chill down her spine.
"Where is the Lumen Corvus?" Rebecca asked, her voice tense.
Elena hesitated for a moment before answering. "It's hidden. I've spent years trying to track it down, but it's been lost for centuries. However, I've uncovered leads—clues that point to a location in eastern Europe, deep in the Carpathian Mountains."
"The Carpathians?" Alex muttered from the back, his voice heavy with skepticism. "That's a wide range. You're telling us you don't have an exact location?"
Elena's smile faltered slightly. "It's not that simple. The artifact is heavily protected, buried in a place that's been forgotten by time. But I have information—enough to get us started."
Serena's mind raced. This was it—the lead they needed to track down the final piece of the puzzle. But the road ahead was going to be treacherous. The Covenant would stop at nothing to get to the Lumen Corvus first, and if Adrian was involved, there were bound to be more obstacles waiting for them.
As they drove further into the night, Serena felt the weight of the mission pressing down on her. They were on the cusp of something dangerous, something world-altering.
And with Adrian back in the picture, the stakes had never been higher.
"Looks like we're going to the Carpathians," Serena said, her voice low and determined. "And we're going to find the Lumen Corvus before anyone else does."
Adrian's smirk widened from the passenger seat, his eyes glinting with dark amusement. "Now this is getting interesting."
Serena glanced at him, her jaw clenched. "Don't get too comfortable, Adrian. This isn't over yet."
It was only just beginning.