Sacred Flame: His Enemy, His Mate (BL)-Chapter 85: Run

Kain Locke

The air down here was thick, damp, and reeking of rust. Our steps echoed faintly despite how careful we were, shadows shifting under the weak emergency lights. Bella moved just ahead while I followed close behind.

After agreeing to help her infiltrate Caspian’s house, there was just one problem: getting off this island.

Thankfully—if you could even call it that—she knew about this place. A tunnel she believed led straight to the island.

"Stay low," she said quietly. "There are pressure plates and motion sensors here. One wrong step and this whole base comes down on us."

"How far do we still have to go?" I murmured, glancing around. I didn’t even know this tunnel existed until now.

"Not much further. It was Just around the curve. But don’t relax yet."

No chance of that.

We moved in sync. I counted steps without meaning to, my heart pounding too loud. I tried not to think about what we were doing, but it pressed in anyway—like I was walking into a memory I didn’t choose.

"Keep your weight even." Bella warned as we reached a stretch lined with metal seams.

I followed her lead, careful to avoid the center plates.

We reached the last bend at long last. A steel door waited at the end, it was rusty and had a panel with keypad and screen on it.

"Here," she whispered, crouching by the keypad. Her fingers flew across it, like she’d done it a lot of times.

There was a beep before the door slid open.

I stepped in first to see the room was cold and empty.

"Where’s the ship?" I asked turning to face her given she’d said we’ll find one.

She didn’t answer right away, just moved quickly toward the back. I couldn’t resist following her, my nerves already prickling at the thought of not finding one here.

Then she stopped, bent down, and pulled at an old panel near the floor.

"Here."

I crouched beside her. The hatch opened with a groan, revealing a narrow hole that led into another chamber, but there was no ship here. Just a dusty car.

"We’re taking this to his estate?" I asked.

"Yes. It’ll get us past the checkpoints. But once we’re close, we’re on our own. It can fly and the tires still work, so going over the sea won’t be impossible."

I didn’t think twice before dropping down, boots landing with a dull thud. Bella followed, sealing the hatch behind us.

She opened it and we got into the car, Bella at the wheel, me in the passenger seat. The engine roared to life, and we sped forward as the tunnel walls closed in around us.

Suddenly, a gate above slid open with a loud screech. Bella hit the gas without hesitation. The car shot through, and in a blink, we were outside, the sky wide open above us.

As soon as the tires hit solid ground, the car jerked. A shock ran through me as it lifted off, smoothly rising into the air.

I looked out the window just in time to see the tunnel gate slam shut behind us—like it had never been there. The ground swallowed it up, leaving no trace, as if it had never existed.

"How long have you known this place existed?" I asked.

She glanced at me for a second before facing the front again, "Since the day you came here."

I nodded not asking any further because I knew the more I asked, the more disappointed I’d be.

The car kept going for the next hour until we’re in the city and eventually it finally slowed and landed.

"We’re here." Bella said getting out of the car and I followed.

"Where’s this place?" I asked, looking around, because the buildings here looked like any normal luxurious mansion.

"Caspian’s house." She pointed to a house slightly far from where we are.

I stared at the building Bella pointed out, just across the road. It looked like any other luxury home in this district, three stories, smooth walls, mirrored windows, beautiful and elegant. Not like what I’d imagined.

And yet, I felt nothing called ease, in fact I was starting to feel maybe coming here was bold or just plain stupid. Although he wasn’t home, his absence didn’t make the house less terrifying.

"Front’s always guarded," Bella said, her voice low. "But there’s a side door. It has fewer cameras. And the guards are usually more passive about the front. So If we go now, we’ll slip in clean."

I didn’t have to ask why she was sure in contrast to Caspian being out didn’t mean his ghosts were. His people would still be inside.

We crossed the street fast like every normal person moving to and fro, cars, chatter, and the usual chaos. No one paid attention to us.

Bella led the way down a narrow alley beside the building. Her pace was quick, focused. The way she moved made it clear—this wasn’t her first time.

At the end of the alley, she crouched beside a dull, dusty pipe. Ran her hand along the edge like she was searching for something. And when a soft click finally came, a panel shifted open in the wall.

"In," she said quietly.

I slipped inside first. The door clicked shut behind us, sealing off the city like it was a dream we’d stepped out of.

The hallway inside was bright, there were artworks on the wall, the floor was polished, but there was no décor, just a clean, hollow silence, this place looks more like a house than a home.

Just as we passed the hallway, it led us straight into the sitting room, Bella headed straight for the stairs—but something on the couch caught my eye. A leather jacket, left on a chair like someone had just taken it off. It looked normal, almost unfamiliar, but when I got closer, the scent hit me.

I reached for it without thinking, grabbed the fabric and pulled it to my chest. My body moved on its own. I breathed in. too much, taking in the scent I recognized and somehow missed at the same time.

"Kain," Bella whisper-yelled from the stairs. "What are you doing? We have to go."

That snapped me out of it. My heart jumped as I dropped the jacket like it burned. My fingers hovered over it for a second before I turned and ran after her, the scent still stuck in my head.

This wasn’t the time for moments like that. But what is Kael’s jacket doing here? I mean he was at the base, but that shouldn’t be surprising. His jacket was lying somewhere in his father’s house shouldn’t be a big deal right?

I followed her lead and sooner after we reached the cellar door without being noticed.

She dragged an old wine cabinet to a normal looking wall behind it, then she pulled out a key from her pocket.

Where the hell had she gotten that? And how did she know this was here?

She soon unlocked it with hands that wouldn’t stop shaking.

"It’s down here," she whispered. "I hid it in a false panel at the far end."

I followed her down the narrow steps. The smell of old stone and dust hit me immediately. It was darker here. Colder too. And to be honest, my heart was thumping really loud at this instance. I just want to get the hell out of here.

Bella moved quickly, and crouched in front of a wall, pulling at a loose slab. And inside the space was a small folder, stuffed to the seams.

But before she could reach for it, we suddenly heard footsteps.

We both looked up at once.

"Shit," Bella breathed. "Someone’s coming... What are we going to do?" She raised her eyebrows.

"You go. Get the file and look for a wayout, I’ll join you soon. "

"Kain—"

"I’ll handle it. Go!"

I didn’t wait for her to argue before I peeled away from the shadows and pressed myself against the wall right beside the door. If it was one of the guards, I could disarm him. Hopefully.

The door creaked followed by the sound of a gun cocking.

I held my breath.

And when the door pushed fully open. I moved quickly and grabbed the person’s arm, twisting it hard in a way I expected it to rattled to the floor so I could pick it up and cleanly have the person under control but I didn’t expect to be caught mid-motion.

"Kain?!" The voice hissed furiously and my brain stopped functioning for a moment, "What the hell are you doing here?!" he demanded with a fire in his eyes.

Before I could say anything, Bella’s voice shot from across the room.

"There’s a problem."

I turned toward her to see she was stepping back from the wall with her back turned to me, the folder still in hand.

"What is it?" I asked, chest tightening.

"We just walked into a trap."

Click!

Whirrrr...

The light overhead blinked thrice. Then died.

A red emergency bulb flickered on the very next second.

Kael’s fingers unclenched from my arm. Just for a second. Then—

"Run!" he shouted, grabbing my wrist and yanking me forward.