#Chapter 140: Behind Bars

ELENA The car hummed steadily beneath us, eating up the endless miles of asphalt stretching toward the northern border. I sat stiffly in the back seat, arms crossed tightly over my chest, watching the pines blur past the windows in shadowy smears. Derek sat beside me, his presence filling the small space even though he hadn't said much in hours. When I'd told him about Maggie’s request, I hadn’t expected him to insist on coming with me. But he had. And though I hadn’t fought him on it—some small part of me grateful for his steadiness—the tension between us was sharp enough to cut glass. Neither of us could pretend things were normal. Not after what the Priestess had said. Not after the soul-binding truth that still sang between us whenever we so much as glanced at each other. The silence stretched long and brittle. Even Nox, usually restless and brimming with commentary, stayed unnervingly quiet. I shifted in my seat, trying to unkink the muscles in my lower back. It