Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 213 Ava: It's Gone

"Did you see that?" I ask Kellan, my voice barely above a whisper.

He glances at me, brows furrowed and body alert. "See what?"

I shake my head, not quite sure how to explain the strange phenomenon. "Nothing. Never mind."

As we exit the car, I can't help but glance behind us, taking in the six guards that follow in our wake. Their presence should be reassuring, a sign of Lucas' commitment to my safety, but instead it only serves to heighten my unease.

There's something in the air, a buzzing energy that sets my teeth on edge and makes my skin feel too tight. It's like the world is holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.

We enter the building, our footsteps echoing in the empty hallways. Kellan leads the way, broad shoulders tense beneath his suit jacket. I trail behind him, my heart hammering in my chest as we descend the stairs to the basement, noticing that there's no light coming from below.

Kellan and I both pull out our phones to use as flashlights, but don't stop our descent.

When we reach the bottom, I stop short, my breath catching in my throat. The office, the reception desk, the colorful artwork that had adorned the walls—it's all gone. In its place is nothing but a bare, concrete room, devoid of any sign of life. As if no office had ever existed. No drywall. No electric wires.

Just… nothing.

"What the hell?" Kellan mutters, his eyes scanning the empty space.

I step forward, my fingers trailing along the rough wall. "It was here, wasn't it? We didn't take a wrong turn?"

A silly question. It's the same building, in the same neighborhood.

Nothing's changed.

And yet Steve isn't here.

head, his expression grim. "No, we didn't.

Selene growls, her hackles raised.

making the fine hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Every instinct screams at me

was never right about Steve

the basement of

when I

I think Steve's

tilts, reality blurring at the edges as the air is sucked from my lungs. I crumple to my knees, one hand clawing at my chest, the other scrabbling

engulfs us, the light from our phones snuffed out like candles in a hurricane. I'm drowning, suffocating, my lungs screaming for

it began, or maybe

feeding oxygen to my starving lungs. Sunlight sears my eyes, blinding after the

discarded ragdolls. The guards are scattered around us, some on their knees,

the building

is now nothing but empty space. No rubble, no debris, not even a single brick to mark its

never

lot, my mind reeling. "I think Steve's a Fae," I

pushes himself to his feet, his face ashen. "No shit," he mutters, dusting off

surrounded Steve, the way her office seemed to exist

this. A building that vanishes into thin air, leaving no trace of

can only assume it's Fae

magic of

hair, his expression grim. "We need to tell Lucas. If Steve's a Fae, she could be working with the vampires. I don't know how much information she's

a Fae working with vampires is a new level

feel. "Why she was helping us, what her endgame

I have a gut feeling that I'm

where is she, and why is the