Chapter 11 - What Elena Survived
Aldo left Luca to question Liana.
Dr. Vale entered Samuel’s room to prepare the children for transport.
Behind the glass, Elena watched every movement.
Luca placed the leather bag on a table and opened the copied ledger.
His expression changed after the first few pages.
“This is not the original.”
“It was all Matteo gave me.”
“You are lying.”
“I met him yesterday.”
Luca seized her wrist.
Elena shouted from behind the glass.
“Don’t touch her.”
Luca looked toward Elena.
“That protective instinct has always made you easy to control.”
He left to speak with Aldo.
The instant the door closed, Elena pointed toward the locket at Liana’s throat.
“Twist the moon.”
Liana turned the crescent emblem.
A tiny blade emerged from the locket’s edge.
“Our mother had the lockets altered when she learned Saint Agnes was selling children,” Elena said.
“She spent her life searching for me.”
“Why didn’t she tell me?”
“She was afraid they would return for you.”
Liana used the blade to cut through the plastic binding around her wrists.
“Elena, why didn’t you come home after the crash?”
“Aldo showed me live footage of Nico sleeping.”
“He said Luca would kill him if I contacted Matteo.”
“I spent months pretending to help them find the ledger.”
“I escaped three weeks ago.”
“You went to Nico.”
“I went to say goodbye in case I didn’t survive the night.”
Elena’s eyes filled.
“Then I learned about Samuel.”
“I tried to reach you, but Vale had you watched.”
Liana moved to the control panel beside the glass.
“You knew Sam was alive?”
“I saw his transfer record.”
“I am sorry I could not reach him sooner.”
“You kept him alive by keeping Aldo focused on the ledger.”
Elena looked at her sister.
“I kept telling myself that.”
Liana opened the glass door.
The sisters stood face-to-face for the first time.
Elena touched Liana’s cheek.
Their mother had died believing one of her daughters was lost forever.
Now both were standing in the same room beneath the organization that had separated them.
Liana cut Elena’s restraints.
An alarm sounded in the corridor.
Elena took a guard’s abandoned weapon.
“Matteo?”
“He is coming.”
“What about Nico?”
“He’s safe.”
Elena closed her eyes for one brief second.
May you like
Then gunfire echoed above them.
Matteo Varric had arrived at Black Harbor.
