Chapter 248

Audrey

Edwin and I stood outside the orphanage, staring up at the stark white facade and gleaming windows. The place had… changed since I’d been here.

When I was last here, the roof had practically been caving in, the shingles falling off the sides of the building, the windows covered in spiderwebbing cracks that let in the cold winter air,

But now, it seemed that the entire place had been torn down and rebuilt.

Instead of a dilapidated Victorian mansion, it was a sleek and modern structure with clean lines and large windows. Even from outside, we could see children moving around the brightly lit hallways with smiles on their faces.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing as I stared past the colorful flower gardens out front, the sound of children’s laughter and squeaky swing sets echoing across the quiet street.

“You okay?” Edwin touched my shoulder, snapping me out of my reverie. “If it’s still too much, you don’t have to go in. You can wait in the car.”

I shook my head and tugged my jacket a little closer around my shoulders even though it was a balmy sixty-five degrees outside. “No. I feel like I need to do this.”

When Charles had told us that he believed the orphanage I used to live in was one of the biggest responsible for sending kids to unknown locations in Coldclaw territory, I couldn’t believe it.

We had already questioned the new director here-it was the first place we targeted during our crusade.

But I had probed her mind, and found nothing. She was innocent. Only the previous director, the crotchety old man who had been in charge while I was there, had been involved in the mistreatment of human kids. She didn’t even know that it had been going on, and was abhorred by it.

I still remembered that interrogation like it was yesterday. The director, a sweet older woman named Sophia, had been all smiles and warmth. I knew, of course, that looks could be deceiving when it came to such things-Fiona was a prime example of that-but Sophia really had been innocent.

That was why, rather than sending Charles and a bunch of warriors to arrest her again, Edwin and I had decided to make a visit to the orphanage ourselves. We needed to investigate with our own eyes before we made any moves.

“Okay,” Edwin ceded with a soft sigh. “But if you start to feel uncomfortable, I want you to tell me so we can leave.”

“I will.”

that, we headed up the front path, hand-in-hand, with Charles and a couple of Crescent warriors behind us. We knocked on the large wooden door and

wearing a professional blouse and tailored trousers. She had an apron on top of everything, which was smeared with paint as if

exclaimed, clasping her hand over her chest. “To what do I

monitoring his words and his facial expression carefully

Charles and the warriors. Normally, Crescent warriors wore a black uniform with a silver crescent moon sigil-a design we’d come up with together since

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Chapter 248

again, so as not to raise any red flags. If Sophia really was working with Coldclaw, then it was best

a lie, of course, and saying it

stepped aside, gesturing for us to enter while she untied her apron with one hand. “Of course. Please, come in. I was just in the middle of arts and crafts

over.”

so, Sophia gave us a tour. I

and plush furniture. The children’s dormitories were painted with brightly-colored murals depicting animals and fairytale scenes, with the dorm walls for the older kids plastered with band posters and drawings

the fact that she allowed the kids to personalize their own spaces, even down to the

it was like this when I lived here,” I mused with a tiny laugh as we peered into a room specifically made

the feat to build this place,” she explained. “But thanks to our anonymous benefactor, we made it

I glanced at each other.

child approached me and asked

glanced around at the high ceilings and pristine tile floors. “May we ask who it

to remain anonymous.

opened my mouth to demand the name, maybe even use my powers to read her mind, but Edwin stopped me with a nudge through the bond. “Not

better to stay quiet and observe for now; so I smiled and nodded and continued

tour.

on the other kids to help care for us, and the old director only ever called

Sophia moved

I said, pointing down the hall. “Can we

she said. “We had

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