(Jace's POV)
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Ethan and I exchanged a tense glance, our eyes silently communicating what our mouths wouldn't. None of this added up.
The Abbey was falling apart, yes—but not in the way of an abandoned ruin, left to nature's slow decay. No. People still very much lived here, and it was only natural that they make efforts to protect what is theirs.
However, this didn't seem to be the case here. This was something else. A contradiction. While it reeked of human presence, it was wide open, unsecured, vulnerable. That didn't sit right with either of us. At all!
"Why the hell would Maven leave his place open like this?" I whispered, barely moving my lips. "It's too exposed. Too easy."
Ethan's brow furrowed as he scanned the entrance again, his instincts clearly screaming as loudly as mine. Still, he nodded once and replied, "This is the address. I triple-checked it."
I leaned in slightly, speaking lower. "Are you a hundred percent sure?"
