Salvation

Tonight.



I launched out of bed and sprinted down the hall—ignoring the fact that I was A, in my underwear, and B, cursed with the biggest hangover I’d ever had in my life. I barged into Mr. Aleksandrov’s office. Everyone in the room stared at me awkwardly as stood there practically naked, but I wasn’t embarrassed. I had an amazing body. My eyes fell on Xavier, whose arms were folded across his chest as he gawked at me, wide-eyed. I turned my attention back to Mr. Aleksandrov.



“Lucian is coming tonight.” I marched across the room and slid my phone across Aleksandrov’s desk.



Mr. Aleksandrov read my text and handed my phone back. “Ruby, I need a moment alone with the guardians.”



I became confused. “Am I not a head guardian?”



No one said anything. I glanced at Xavier and then back at Aleksandrov. “So now I’m the one on the need-to-know basis?”



He looked at me sympathetically. “Please.”



I turned on my heel and stormed from the office. From the ground floor, guardians stared up at me. You’d think no one had seen a girl in her underwear before.



“Good morning,” I grumbled at them before slamming Mila’s door behind me.



“What is it?” she asked, sitting up eagerly for some kind of news.



“Lucian is coming tonight. Eli texted me.”



Her mouth opened. “He texted you?”



I nodded and climbed back into bed.



“Now?”



“Yes…”



“Are you going to text him back?”



“No, it’s too risky.”



“Ruby, it’s daytime.”



“What if he’s kept in some underground cell? And is being watched?”



She shrugged. “I don’t think that’s possible. Lucian and the vampires are close by. I don’t think they have a set up like that.”



I chewed my bottom lip in thought and opened the text message. My fingers bounced around the screen as I typed the text message, but I paused before I hit send.



We WILL get you back. See you tonight.



I hit send and shut my eyes. I wanted to tell him how much I loved him and missed him…but I couldn’t. If someone read it, then he’d be in serious trouble. Despite how much we loved each other, we weren’t allowed to be together. My phone vibrated immediately and Mila squeed in excitement.



Don’t do anything stupid. You promised me.