Liana's Pov

The safe house was not what I had pictured. It was not a grimy bunker or some off-the-grid cabin in the woods. It was a modest, two-story duplex tucked away in a quiet part of the city, guarded by tall hedges and discreet neighbors who kept to themselves. The rain that afternoon had slowed to a misty drizzle, and the streetlights flickered dimly through the living room's sheer curtains.

Serena was sitting on the couch, legs tucked under her, her eyes darting around the ...