Narrow Escape [The Trilogy]

Deborah's POV

How to arm Tirfothuinn with advanced weaponry had become my most pressing challenge.

Stealing weapons from Ablach was out of the question.

Every inch of this city was under relentless surveillance—guards patrolled constantly, drones hovered in the skies, and the faintest anomaly could trigger immediate suspicion. I didn't even dare to casually pick up a metallic object in my own quarters, knowing that any unnecessary movement could trigger suspicion.

After much deliberation, a thought emerged in my mind: Hybrasil.

I thought of the underground armory buried beneath the ruins of Hybrasil—a vault that once served as the backbone of the Lee family's defenses. Those weapons had been the lifeline that safeguarded our home. I wasn't sure if they had been confiscated or destroyed during the massacre, but they were my only chance, my only hope.

Yet returning to Hybrasil wasn't just a mission; it felt like willingly stepping into exile. I didn't know if I could suppress the storm of emotions that would erupt when I stepped back onto the land that had once been my family's foundation.

Sitting by the window, I gazed past the towering walls of Ablach into the distant horizon, my mind a tangle of thoughts. I had to go to Hybrasil, but the bigger question loomed: How would I get there?

Should I face this journey alone, or bring someone along?

Barron?

I quickly dismissed the idea.

Though Barron had proven himself an ally, even helping me in Macha, his identity as the heir to the Thorne family made him an unreliable companion for this mission. Could he truly defy his family's interests for the sake of a friend? Would he support Tirfothuinn in striking back at the Sky Cities? Could he stand by while the cities lost their free labor? If Hybrasil's weapons fell into Tirfothuinn's hands, they would become the greatest threat the Sky Cities had ever faced. Would Barron really aid me in this? The answer was painfully obvious.

Besides, Hybrasil was Lee family territory—a burial ground for my past. I couldn't imagine taking an outsider there. Every brick, every patch of soil was soaked with the blood of my family. No matter how close Barron and I had become, he could never comprehend the weight of grief that land bore.

Matthew?

The thought of bringing Matthew to Hybrasil was fleeting before I dismissed it.

As the Alpha of the White Wolves, Matthew was Tirfothuinn's leader and its pillar of strength. He had been away from his people for too long. Each day he spent in exile only deepened their uncertainty. He needed to return to them, to steady their course and lead them through the mounting crisis.

Moreover, Ablach's vigilance toward werewolves had never wavered. Attempting to leave the city with Matthew would expose his identity and jeopardize my entire plan. It was a risk I simply couldn't afford.

Chad?

The mere thought of Chad ignited a surge of fury within me.

Chad? Impossible. He was the butcher who had annihilated my entire family, the executioner who had destroyed Hybrasil. That land was already soaked with blood, and every drop pointed back to him. How could I let him step foot on that soil, let alone accompany me in a search for the armory?

Most crucially, Chad could never discover that I was Lianora. If I brought him to Hybrasil, there would be no way to conceal my true identity. And if he discovered who I was, he wouldn't just recognize me—he would expose my plans. That would be the end of everything, plunging me into a catastrophe I couldn't escape.

Going alone?

This seemed like the only viable choice, but it came with its own set of challenges. Hybrasil was far from Ablach, and the journey would take me through numerous heavily-guarded checkpoints. Any misstep could mean my capture. Every step I took would inevitably reach Lugh's ears.

And what of Hybrasil itself? Since the Lee family's downfall, I hadn't heard a single word about its condition. It could have been reduced to rubble, repurposed as a military base, or completely destroyed. Whether the underground armory still existed—or was intact—remained a haunting question, an unshakable shadow over my thoughts.

I took a deep breath, willing myself to stay calm. This was a journey I had to face alone. Only alone could I minimize the risks and maximize my chances of success. Bringing anyone else would only complicate the mission and increase the danger.

My mind drifted to the map of the Sky Cities, tracing Hybrasil's location. Once my home and the heart of the Lee family, it had become my trial, my test, my reckoning.

Outside, the wind picked up, rustling the branches of the trees. I stared into the distance, my resolve firming. I had to go to Hybrasil.

For the past few days, my thoughts had been consumed by the journey to Hybrasil. How to get there, what to do once I arrived, whether the weapons still existed—all of it weighed heavily on me, an unrelenting cloud.

Meanwhile, Lugh had been busy with what he deemed a more "urgent" matter: arranging my marriage to Barron.

Word had reached him that Emily was staying at Tairngire, visiting the Thorne family's estate. The news had infuriated him.

"Unbelievable!" he had shouted, slamming a stack of papers onto his desk. "What does Emily think she's doing at Tairngire? Barron is a key piece in the Edwards family's strategy!"

He turned to me, his expression tense and calculating. For a moment, I thought he might direct his anger at me, but instead, he sighed heavily and stood, closing the folder in his hands.

"Dara," he said, his tone softening, though the tension lingered beneath the surface. "Don't let these distractions get in your way. You are my pride, the future of the Edwards family."

With that, he turned and retreated to his office, shutting the door behind him.

Through the narrow gap, I glimpsed him at his desk, speaking into the phone. His voice was low and measured, tinged with fatigue.

Watching him, I felt a momentary pang of dissonance. Lugh's mind was sharp, always scheming, always trying to use me to secure the Edwards family's power. Yet I couldn't deny the genuine care he held for me. His fatherly affection wasn't an act or a calculated ploy. Beneath the layers of manipulation, there was real love. And that left me conflicted.

Life in Ablach was monotonous and stifling.

The city, with all its precision and cutting-edge technology, felt lifeless. Even with every comfort at my fingertips, I felt restless and trapped.

Most of my movements were restricted to the Edwards estate. Though in my past life I had mastered the art of piloting airships, as Deborah, I had to feign ignorance. To maintain this façade, I relied on others to drive me wherever I needed to go.

Chad or Barron usually handled the airship, but their destinations were always predetermined: official meetings, mission sites, or other monitored locations. Freedom was not an option.

I often found myself sitting in the garden, my mind drifting back to the ground.

Life there had been dangerous, every day a fight for survival against mutated creatures. But it had also been alive. Matthew, Cora, the people of Murias—they had made those days vibrant. With them, I had felt free, untethered in a way that I hadn't since returning to the Sky Cities.

I missed Hybrasil, the city of my birth. It had been my family's sanctuary, the place my parents had devoted their lives to defending. Now it was nothing more than ruins, and the thought of it filled me with an ache I couldn't ignore.

"Let's go."

A deep voice broke through my thoughts, pulling me back to reality.

I turned to see Chad standing behind me, his expression as unreadable as ever. His tone carried an authority that left no room for argument.

"What?" I asked, startled.

"I said, let's go," he repeated, his voice calm but firm. "Mr. Edwards asked me to run an errand. You look bored. Come along if you want."

I hesitated. "Where?"

"You'll find out when we get there," he replied, already heading toward the airship parked in the front yard. "Or don't. Makes no difference to me."

Without waiting for a response, he climbed into the airship.

For a moment, I stood there, watching his retreating figure. Chad was always an enigma, his words impossible to decipher. But this time, I decided to follow him.

The reason was simple—leaving the Edwards estate, even for a short while, felt like a reprieve. And if I could glean any useful information from Chad, it would be worth the risk.

I stood and quickly caught up with him, stepping into the airship just as he was about to close the hatch.

Chad glanced at me, a faint, almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He said nothing, simply starting the airship.

As we lifted off, the landscape began to shift. I sat back, my gaze fixed on Chad's profile, my mind brimming with questions.

Where was he taking me?

Wherever it was, I would have to stay on guard.

Chad, no matter how calm he appeared on the surface, never had simple motives beneath. His intentions always ran deeper, layered and elusive, impossible to decipher at first glance.