42. Lula
42
LULA
T he first explosion shakes the ground beneath me, the whole building groaning as if it, too, can feel the weight of what's coming. My heart jumps into my throat. The walls rattle, the floor cracks beneath us. Dust falls from the ceiling in a thick cloud, and I choke on it as I cough. I grab onto Allegra, my hand instinctively clutching hers.
“What was that?” Allegra’s voice is a soft, terrified whisper.
I don’t answer right away, too caught up in the sound of my own heartbeat pounding in my ears, too lost in the tremor still shaking the floor.
The second explosion follows. Louder. Closer. The ground rolls beneath us again, and I stumble, trying to stay steady on my feet. I wish I could tell her everything’s going to be okay. That this is just a scare. That the explosions are nothing but a warning, a way of making us feel more afraid than we should be. But deep down, I know better.
I’ve been through this before. I’ve been through the fire. The chaos. The smoke.
“I don’t know,” I finally answer, my voice rough. “But it sounds like war, doesn’t it? The men are coming for us.”
Allegra’s breath quickens, her fear palpable in the tightness of her grip on my hand. I wish I could say something to comfort her, but we both know the truth. No matter how much we hope, how much we pray, there’s a chance we won’t make it out of this.
“They’re coming for us,” I repeat, my words more for myself than for her. I squeeze her hand tighter, trying to steady her. “And they won’t stop until they find us. They won’t let anything stand in their way. Kanyan… Scar… they’ll be here soon.”
Allegra’s face is pale, her lips trembling as she bites them, trying to hold back her tears. “But what if they don’t? What if they can’t?”
I shake my head, pressing my forehead against hers for a moment. The contact is brief but grounding. She needs to feel like she’s not alone, like we’re still together in this, even when everything feels like it’s falling apart.
“They will,” I whisper fiercely, even though doubt claws at me from the inside. “I promise. They’ll come for us. They won’t leave us here. They won’t.”
I pull back just a little to look into her eyes. I need to keep her strong, keep her focused, because if I falter, she will, too. If I break, so will she. And I can't let that happen.
Allegra doesn’t say anything for a long time, but the fear in her eyes speaks volumes. Her lips quiver, but she doesn’t cry, doesn’t make a sound. She’s holding it together, just like I’m trying to.
But we both know we might not make it out.
The third explosion is closer still. The sound rips through the air with a deafening crack, and I can’t hold it in anymore. My eyes sting, my heart aching with the weight of the situation, with the weight of what might come. I push away the fear, because if I give in to it, everything we’ve worked for, everything we’re fighting for, will break.
“Lula?” Allegra says my name, her voice barely above a whisper.
I look at her, and there’s something in her eyes—a flicker of something that tells me she’s thinking the same thing I am. That we might not see our families again, might never hear Kanyan’s voice or see Scar’s laugh or feel the warmth of our homes.
“If something happens…” Allegra starts, but her voice falters. She can’t finish the sentence.
I know what she means. I know the weight of those words, the way they hang in the air between us like a sickness. If something happens… if we don’t make it out of here…
I swallow hard, forcing the lump in my throat down. This is it. The moment where everything goes from real to something more than we’re ready for. But I won’t let her fall apart. Not now. Not when we’re so close.
“If something happens,” she starts, trying to steady her shaking hands, “I need you to tell Scar… tell him I fought. Tell him I didn’t give up. And tell him I loved him. Always. That nothing—nothing—could change that. Scarlett, too. Tell her I loved her with everything in me…”
“Allegra, shhh. You’re going to make it out of here and you’re going to tell them you love them yourself. Every day for the rest of your life…you’re going to remind them what they mean to you.”
“I’m serious, Lula.”
“So am I, Allegra. I refuse to let you give up.”
Her eyes water, and I can feel the tears threatening to spill over in my own eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. I won’t let them break me in front of her. Not when she needs my strength more than anything else.
“Lula…” Allegra whispers.
I shake my head, pressing my fingers against her lips to stop her. “Don’t. We’re not done yet. We’ll make it out. But if we don’t, we need to be at peace with what we’ve done.”
She looks at me for a long moment, her eyes filled with something almost like hope. But she doesn’t speak. She doesn’t need to. I know she feels the same.
Another explosion rips through the monastery, the floor trembling beneath us like it might give way at any moment. Dust rains down from the ceiling in thick clouds, filling the air with grit. Allegra stifles a sob beside me, pressing her hands to her ears to block out the chaos.
The sound of shouts, orders being barked, and footsteps pounding down the stone corridor filter through the heavy wooden door. My heart leaps into my throat. They’re close. They’re so close.
I rise on shaky legs, adrenaline surging through me like a live wire. My palms are sweaty, my knees weak, but I force myself to move. I stagger toward the door, my pulse hammering in my ears. The shouting grows louder, more frantic. Men screaming. Gunfire ringing out. Boots pounding the ancient stone floor.
I press my ear against the door, the wood cool and rough against my skin. My heart pounds so hard it feels like it might burst. “They’re here,” I whisper, my voice hoarse from dust and fear. “Allegra, they’re here.”
She doesn’t answer right away, still huddled against the far wall, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. When she finally looks up, her eyes are glassy, red-rimmed, her face streaked with grime and fear. “What if it’s not them?” she asks, her voice trembling. “What if it’s… someone else?”
I shake my head fiercely. “It’s them,” I say, more to convince myself than her. “It has to be them.”
Without thinking, I lift my fists and start pounding on the door, my knuckles slamming into the wood with a dull thud. “We’re in here!” I scream, my voice cracking. “Please, we’re in here!”
Allegra scrambles to her feet and rushes to join me, her hands slamming against the door beside mine. “Help us!” she cries out, her voice raw and desperate. “Please, help us!”
The footsteps are right outside now, the shouting clearer. I hear someone yell, “Check every room!” and my heart soars. That voice—God, I think it might be Kanyan.
“Kanyan!” I scream, my voice tearing through the noise. “We’re here! Help us!”
I bang harder, harder than I think I can. The skin on my knuckles splits, the pain shooting up my arms, but I don’t care. “Kanyan!” I scream again, my throat raw.
The footsteps slow outside the door, and I hear a muffled voice. “In here!” someone shouts. A second later, there’s a metallic scrape, followed by the heavy clink of keys.
I stumble back as the door creaks open, and the first face I see is Brando’s, blood smeared on his forehead, his dark eyes blazing with a mix of relief and fury.
“Lula!” he breathes, stepping inside. Behind him, Kanyan pushes his way forward, his eyes locking on mine. His face is bruised, caked with dirt and blood, his shirt torn, but he’s here. He’s alive.
“Kanyan,” I whisper, my voice breaking. Tears spill down my face as he crosses the room in three long strides, his arms wrapping around me and pulling me into his chest.
I collapse against him, my body shaking with relief, with the sheer weight of everything we’ve been through. “You found us,” I whisper into his chest. “You found us.”
His hands are firm but shaky as they stroke my hair. “You knew I would,” he says, his voice low, rough. “I’d tear the world apart if it meant finding you.”
Behind him, Brando is already checking on Allegra, his voice low and calming as he reassures her. But there’s no time for relief, no time to celebrate. The sound of more gunfire echoes through the corridor, louder now, closer.
“We need to move,” Kanyan says, pulling back just enough to look me in the eye. His jaw is tight, his gaze sharp. “Kadri’s still here. He’s not going to let us leave without a fight.”
I nod, wiping my face with the back of my hand. There’s no time for weakness, no time to break down. “Let’s go,” I say, my voice steadier now. “Please.”
Kanyan grabs my hand, his grip firm, and together we step out into the chaos. The hallway is thick with smoke, the walls blackened from the explosions. Men are shouting, guns firing, the air electric with tension.
Allegra clings to Brando as they follow close behind, her eyes darting around like a trapped animal. But she’s holding it together, just like I asked her to. Just like she promised she would.
As we make our way through the labyrinth of corridors, I can’t help but glance at Kanyan, his jaw set, his eyes burning with determination. As long as Kadri is alive, this will never be over.
But as long as Kanyan’s hand is in mine, I know we at least have a chance.