Elena saw Nella get down from the truck, her eyes finding Elena and Kaz as if she could sense them. Her lips curl into a smug smirk. Another man gets down—a bald dark man with muscles that looked like he could crush skulls with bare hands—and leaned against the truck, watching them with a silent, predatory glance. 

Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit.

Kaz suddenly leaned forward across the table, harshly whispering, "If we can steal that damn truck, we are stealing it."

Despite her terror, Elena grinned at him. "Hell, yeah."

The tiny bell chimed again as Nella entered the diner, her high-heeled boots clicking against the tiles. Everyone turned to look at her. She gave off a powerful aura in her dark clothes, her hair pulled up in a high ponytail. Elena slipped out of her seat and dropped next to Kaz so one of them won't be cornered if Nella decides to sit and have a little chat. Hopefully, she will do that; Not pull a gun on them again.

"Hello," Nella gave a charming smile, gracefully slipping into the seat across them. "Elena," She nodded at her folding her hands on the table.

"What the fuck do you want, Alden?" Kaz snapped.

Nella glared at him, her nostrils flaring. "Mordino. Charming. As always."

"Seriously, Nella," Elena said trying not to show how she was freaking out inside. "What do you want?"

"Now, now," The woman said cooly. "You don't want to cause a scene here, do you? I thought I'd better warn you to stop coming after us," The malicious gleam in her dark eyes betrayed her calm demeanour. "I don't want the blood of two children on my hands, but, I warn you, darlings, if you don't stop, I won't hesitate."

"You really think that the Devils will just let you go after you betrayed us and murdered a whole troop? " Kaz's voice was level despite his clenched fists as he leaned forward. "You were supposed to stop crime—you swore a goddamn oath—not to gang up with the criminals and sell the most dangerous, most powerful artefact to a bunch of stupid humans who probably have no fucking idea what they have got."

Nella looked unbothered; Her hands dropped from the table. "That's rich coming from someone who was born and raised as a thief."

Kaz's eyes blazed. Elena could sense a major fight coming but she didn't want to lose her head by butting in at the wrong time. Besides, she had no idea what the hell was going on.

"I'm a thief, and a liar," Kaz's voice was low, veiled with so much anger and hatred that didn't suit someone so young. "And I know no one—not even my father and brother—trusts me, because, hell, they shouldn't. But I was doing what I've always been taught to do and I changed. So did you, Alden, but for the worst."

"You know," Nella scrunched her nose. "I'm getting tired of this. Maybe I should end this now."

Elena's eyes widened when she realised what she meant. At the same time, Nella's hand came into their sight, a cocked gun in it, Kaz leapt forward grabbing her hand and twisting just when the shot fired. It bounced off the ceiling and shattered a light. People screamed as glass sprayed down on them. Elena leapt to her feet, punching Nella in the face. Her grip loosened and Kaz managed to pull the gun out of her hand. 

The bald man standing outside was racing towards the diner; People were trying to run for the exit all at once. Elena punched Nella again, this time at her temple and she noticed the veins in her hand glowing. Nella dropped unconscious in a heap.

Her companion was shouting curses at the frightened people, unable to get through the door. 

"Elena. Window," Kaz shouted. Elena grabbed a chair and hurled it at the glass; Both of them ducking out of the way of the few small shards of glass that flew inwards. 

"We need to stop jumping out of windows," Elena panted as the two of them jumped out of it.

The man noted this and raced at them like a bull coming at a red flag. Kaz made a run for the vehicle; Elena plucked a knife out of her belt, bringing it through the air in a gleaming arc. Blood sprayed and the man yelped, grabbing at his injured hand. Elena tore the keys from where it was hanging from his belt loop and tossed them at Kaz. Before the man could grab at her, she sprinted past him, throwing herself into the back seat of the truck. Kaz pulled it into the road even before Elena could properly shut the door.

"That was close," Elena panted turning back to look at the man cursing loudly. Someone was holding a phone, probably calling the police. Great. Wait, how do I even about the police?

"I didn't think she'd pull a gun in there," Kaz muttered.

Elena couldn't see his face but he sounded a bit shaken after what Nella said about thieves. What did she mean? What was Kaz's story? She decided she'll save that in the file to ask later. It looked like something Kaz didn't want her to know. Why does he seem so reluctant to tell her about him? What was their relationship like when she knew him? Elena remembered him saying that she had changed. Was she a bitch before she lost her memories?

"Where are we going now?" Elena asked, resting her cheek on the back of the passenger seat.

"Honestly, I have no idea. Let's hope the Devils find us soon."

"Can you tell me about the Devils?"

"It's sort of like an organization, you know, like the police. We try to stop our people from selling small artefacts to humans. They don't give them power but they can do little things for them. Like love charms and little voodoo stuff to get revenge on your enemies, yada yada." Kaz waved a hand in the air. "Somehow, this time someone had gotten their hands on a major artefact. It was protected inside the main base, but well, the gang had an inside man—an inside woman—and she stole it. We don't know who has it now."

Elena felt something stir up in her brain but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. "What can it do? The artefact."

His shoulders tensed. "All we know is it's destructive. If handled the wrong way it will release a powerful force that can destroy our whole world. The Lost City will be gone and we will be too along with it."

"Kaz," She said in a small, trembling voice.

He glanced at her momentarily. "Yeah?"

"I think I knew where it was before I lost my memories."

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