Tangled Shadows [COMPLETE]

chapter 15.

Kian's pov-

My leg bounced restlessly against the floor, the ticking of the clock slicing through the tense silence like a blade. My eyes flickered back to the screens in front of me—each one showing nothing but static. I had planted those cameras meticulously around Eliana’s house, ensuring every blind spot was covered, but now... nothing. Not one of them was working. I had tried calling her, messaging her, but there was only silence. Hours had slipped by, the night deepening, pressing down on my chest like a weight.

It was nearly midnight now, and I couldn’t shake the gnawing feeling in my gut that something was terribly wrong. She had said she’d be back soon, just a few hours, that’s what she had promised. But that promise was as broken as the static-filled screens before me. I ran a hand through my hair, frustration curling tight in my chest.

Just as I was about to head out and search for her myself, my phone buzzed on the table, an unknown number flashing across the screen. For a second, my hand hesitated over the device, a cold dread seeping into my veins. Then I answered, pressing it to my ear.

"Hello?" I barked, the tension clear in my voice.

A low chuckle crackled through the speaker, mocking and cold, chilling me to the bone. "Well, well, Kian... It seems you've lost your little bird," came the voice. Magnus. I could recognize that smirk even through the distortion of the call.

My blood ran cold, turning my grip on the phone into a vice. “Where is she?” I demanded, my voice dropping into a dangerous growl. I already knew the answer, but I needed to hear it, needed to know he hadn’t—

"Oh, she’s safe... for now," he drawled, drawing out each word like he was savoring the taste of them. "But that could change, you see. It’s all up to you."

A knot tightened in my chest. “Magnus, if you hurt her, I swear—”

He cut me off with a snort of amusement. "Always so dramatic, Kian. Don’t you get it? It’s simple, really. If you want her back, you’re going to have to give up something... precious. Your life, for hers. Seems fair, doesn’t it?"

My breath caught in my throat, my mind racing. “You think I’d just—”

"Surrender," he interrupted, his tone gleeful, taunting. "That’s all you have to do. Come to me, and I might just let your precious Eliana go. Refuse, and... well, you can imagine the rest." He paused, letting his words sink in before adding, almost as an afterthought, "Tick-tock, Kian. Time’s running out. So, what’s it going to be? Her life or yours.... Find me before it's too late?"

And with that, the line went dead, leaving me in the silence that felt like a noose tightening around my neck. My chest heaved, the world spinning around me as I gripped the edge of the table, trying to steady myself. The image of Eliana’s face flashed through my mind, her smile, her eyes, the way she look when she thought I wasn’t watching.

I couldn't let him hurt her. I wouldn't let him hurt her. But the choice he’d left me with twisted like a blade in my gut. For a moment, I just stood there, the darkness pressing in around me. Then, with a grim determination settling in my chest, I grabbed my jacket and headed for the door.

Magnus wanted me? Fine. He’d get me. But I wasn’t going down without a fight.

The second Magnus hung up, I felt like the ground had dropped out from under me. But then, like a shot of clarity, I remembered the necklace. That delicate piece I’d given Eliana, she thought it was just a gift, something to remind her of me. But hidden inside was a tiny GPS tracker, a precaution I’d never told her about.

I fumbled for my phone, opening the tracking app I had hoped I’d never need to use. After a few tense seconds, a small dot blinked to life on the screen. There she was, on the outskirts of town, near an old factory that Magnus had used in the past. Relief flooded through me, but it was quickly replaced by a simmering anger. Magnus thought he could play this game with me. He thought I’d panic.