>Alisha
"Madame, there is an emergency."
Marcus sprinted toward me, his face pale and tight with worry. I stood up abruptly from the cold stone floor of the columbarium to face him. My brow creased as I watched him struggle to find his voice; his knuckles were white where he gripped his tablet.
"Your sister…" he began swallowing a few.
My chest constricted, but I forced my expression to remain composed. "Which one?" I pressed.
Deep down, I knew whatever followed wouldn't be good because Marcus was not a man to panic when things go wrong, yet I still prayed against the inevitable hoping I was wrong. Both of them, as flawed as they were, were still precious to me. They are still my sister.
I clenched my fists and straightened my spine.
"What happened?" I asked again, my voice sharper this time.
"Mallory has been kidnapped," he said breathlessly. "Eleina… she was the culprit."
The words hit me like a physical blow.
