I felt my pulse quicken, the panic rising like bile in my throat. "Axel, I don't know how they found out about the place, but I promise to fix it," I said, my voice trembling despite my efforts to keep it steady. I set the cup down, my hand shaking as I grabbed my coat. The warmth of the tea did little to calm the chill of dread creeping up my spine. I was barely holding it together. "I'm working on it."
Axel's tone dropped, cold and menacing, "You better, Griffin. If this isn't handled, you're done."
The finality in his words struck me like a blow. I downed the rest of the tea in one gulp, the burn of the liquid doing nothing to ease the growing knot of fear in my chest. I stumbled out of the door, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. How did they find the lair? What the hell am I going to do now?
