Reichardt's POV
The shrill wail of the security alarms split through the night like the enemy's blade.
At first, I thought it was another test, a perimeter malfunction, maybe an animal triggering the motion sensors. But when the walls shook, when the faint smell of iron and rot drifted through the air, I knew better.
They found us.
The hybrids.
"Stay here." The words came out of instinct, sharp and commanding as I turned toward her.
Ahce looked at me, not afraid, not even startled. Her eyes were indifferent, the kind that belonged to a soldier, not a duchess-to-be. Before I could move, she was already heading for the wall panel near the kitchen entrance. Her fingers danced across the console, typing a sequence only someone who knew how to hack security systems would dare input.
The shutters opened, revealing a hidden compartment. Inside, a matte-black rifle and two silver pistols gleamed under the emergency light.
"What..." I began.
