Chapter 282: No More Hiding
Third-person POV
Irina’s jaw tensed as she stood rooted at the entrance to the old, half-collapsing bunker, glaring at the two girls standing before her like cockroaches who had scurried out of the shadows. Iris and Yuna.
Of course it had to be them.
She had hoped, truly hoped, that they would get through the night without any interruptions. Meaning she wanted no guards, or snitches, but here they were, both of them standing like they owned the place, with their lips curled into those smug expressions that made Irina want to throw a brick through something.
She could feel her blood beginning to boil, and the air was already heavy with tension, made worse by the silence behind her. Inside the bunker, Seraphina and Electra needed safety, and now these two idiots had followed them, drawn by nosiness, spite, or that weird obsession Iris had with Electra.
Irina didn’t know exactly what Iris’s problem was, but she knew one thing: if Iris and Yuna were here, then the royal guards were probably not far behind. Iris didn’t exactly look like the kind of girl to do anything without dragging an authority figure into it, especially when it meant ruining someone else’s plans.
And if the guards showed up and realized who was inside that bunker, if they even suspected Electra was in there, Queen Jella would have her taken away and killed without a moment’s hesitation.
Irina clenched her fists, mentally making up her mind that she couldn’t let that happen.
Iris was already squinting toward the bunker’s crooked doorway, as if trying to peer past Irina, and her hand hovered near her hip, close to a communicator badge sewn into her jacket. She hadn’t pressed it yet, but she looked ready to.
Irina didn’t hesitate.
She stepped forward, right into their line of sight, blocking the narrow path toward the entrance. Her posture was stiff, head tilted slightly to the side, chin up just enough to convey one thing: You don’t belong here.
As she did, her left hand flicked backward in a casual motion, barely noticeable unless you knew what to look for.
Roxana, who had been standing half-shielded by the bunker’s side, caught the signal instantly.
Without saying a word, she stepped inside and slammed the bunker door shut, turning the rusted latch with a heavy clack. The lock clicked into place, muffled by the layers of wood and metal, but the sound made Irina breathe a little easier.
It was something.
"I’m sorry," Irina said, raising an eyebrow as she crossed her arms, "but what are you two doing here, exactly? It’s late, and most people are in bed. You know, sleeping, and not tiptoeing around old, abandoned buildings in the dark."
Yuna snorted, loud and derisive.
"Funny," she said, stepping up beside Iris with her arms folded. "I thought you were the expert on sneaking around in the dark, Irina. You and your little band of secret-keepers."
Her voice was sharp, full of accusation, but it was her smirk that really got on Irina’s nerves.
"I mean, really," Yuna continued, flicking a hand toward the bunker. "You’re out here with your little crew, dragging things around in the middle of the night, and you’re seriously asking us why we’re not in bed? You can’t be that stupid."
Iris rolled her eyes beside her. "They got caught," she said, clearly speaking more to Yuna than Irina. "They think they’re clever, but look at them, practically sweating with guilt."
Irina’s face remained expressionless, but her heart was pounding in her chest.
’Keep them talking,’ she told herself. ’Keep their attention on you, and not on what’s behind that door.’
"Caught doing what?" Irina asked casually. "You don’t know what we’re doing. You just followed us like stalkers, so if anyone should be answering questions right now, maybe it’s you two."
Iris narrowed her eyes. "Don’t play dumb. Electra’s in there, isn’t she?"
Irina didn’t respond right away, and her mind started to race for a convincing lie, something that was quick and equally believable, but before she could open her mouth, Penelope jumped in.
"Of course she’s not," Penelope said quickly, her tone sharp and incredulous, like the very idea was ridiculous.
She stepped in front of Iris and waved toward the dilapidated bunker. "Why would we keep our friend, the princess of Elmeria, just in case you’ve forgotten, in a place like this? Look at it. It’s damp, disgusting, and probably full of rats, and you think Electra Vale would be here?"
Penelope crossed her arms, her voice rising just enough to demand attention. "You know Electra hasn’t been well, right? Thanks to something your dumb ass must have done, her health isn’t great, and she needs care, so do you honestly think we’d let her rest here? Are you dumb?"
There was a flicker of hesitation in Iris’s expression. Penelope had delivered her words with such natural outrage that for a brief moment, it made sense, but Yuna wasn’t buying it.
She scoffed, stepping forward with a roll of her eyes and an unimpressed sneer curling her lip. Irina really hated the look on her face, especially since it was coming from an absolute nobody like Yuna Ashwyn.
"Oh, please," Yuna said. "Do you really think we’re stupid? Do you look like idiots to you? You girls have been sneaking around like you’ve got something to hide, and now you’re out here guarding a rotting door like your life depends on it, when you’re supposed to be asleep."
She shifted her weight and glanced at the others. "If Electra’s not inside, then step aside and let us take a look. It’s not as hard as you’re making it out to be."
Irina clenched her jaw, and her hand subtly moved behind her back, fingers brushing against the bunker wall as if that could ground her while her heart thudded loudly in her ears.
Iris, sensing the shift in control, stepped forward beside Yuna, her gaze sharpening. "You can keep lying if you want, but just so you know, the royal guards will be here any moment now. So let me ask you again, do you really want to keep dragging this out and get caught hiding the princess of Elmeria? When the guards get here and check the bunker themselves, how do you think the king and the queen, who are worried sick about their daughter, would react?"
Roxana stiffened beside Irina, and Penelope’s mouth opened as if to speak again, but Irina raised a hand to stop her.
She needed to think of something, and she needed to do it fast.
Iris was right about one thing: if the guards came and found Electra inside, there would be no talking their way out of it, especially not with Queen Jella, who was probably pissed that they had ruined her plans by sneaking Electra out of the infirmary.
Her mind spun with plans that made no sense. Could they stall longer? Make a run for it? Move Electra before the guards arrive? Could Roxana create a distraction?
All of these thoughts were running through her mind at the same time, but before she could act on any of those thoughts, a loud sound and from inside the bunker, immediately startling her.
Bang!
Everyone froze. Iris narrowed her eyes, while Roxana took a step back, wondering what could be happening.
Bang.
The sound came again, louder this time, and the door rattled in its frame, with dust falling from the old wood, and then, clear as a bell, Electra’s voice rang out from inside.
"Irina, open the door," she ordered, but for a moment, no one moved.
Even Iris and Yuna looked stunned, blinking in disbelief at the sound of the very voice they’d been hunting for days. Iris had expected that by now, Electra was either already dead, or almost about to meet her maker, but hearing her voice, and hearing how alive and well she sounded, Iris couldn’t help but clench her fists in both anger, and disgust.
Irina’s heart dropped to her stomach, and she quickly turned to the door, her throat tightening. She’d wanted time, time to protect Electra, and more time to figure out what to do and delay the inevitable, but that voice, Electra’s voice, didn’t sound like the voice of someone who was panicking, nor was it weak.
It was calm and almost certain.
"Irina," Electra called again. "Let me out."
Iris found her voice first.
"Well," she said with a crooked smirk. "Looks like we won’t need the guards after all."
Yuna crossed her arms, her smirk matching Iris’s. "Told you it was obvious."
Irina didn’t respond. She reached for the latch slowly, her fingers brushing the rusted metal. Behind her, Roxana looked alarmed, eyes darting between her and the two intruders.
"Are you sure?" Roxana whispered. "If you open it, there’s no turning back."
"I don’t think there was ever a chance to turn back," Irina said quietly.
She drew in a breath and pulled the latch free, and the door creaked open slowly, groaning like it hadn’t been opened in years, and as soon as it came open, there stood Electra with an exhausted look on her face.