Hey guys, I hope you're doing well! This is yet another insanely long chapter (the longest one yet of Unlocking the Key), clocking in at 5300+ words. Read on for deep conversations and Gralexei feels!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Embassy Row series and all the characters (except for Tanner and Jordan and Alexei's Moscow friends, who are my own creations). They belong to Ally Carter. I am merely using her characters and plotline to create this fanfiction. I have no intention of profiting off the Embassy Row series in any way. This fanfiction is purely for entertainment purposes and would not exist without Ally Carter's wonderful works.

The events that happen in this fanfiction are not meant to be representative of real life. Any similarities to any real-life events or fictional works is purely coincidental and not intentional (with the exception of the original Embassy Row books by Ally Carter since this fanfiction is literally Take the Key and Lock Her Up but from Alexei's, not Grace's, perspective). The character's actions may not always reflect my own opinions or views. Based on what is mentioned in this chapter (spoiler alert), I do not condone harming other people.

Content warning: mild to moderate
This fanfiction is rated M, for explicit and suggestive themes (such as mental health and abuse), language, and violence. This chapter contains mild to moderate language, mental health struggles, and mentions of death, physical health concerns, and harming other people. Please read at your own discretion.

Chapter Nineteen: Crossroads

We drove for hours, only stopping once for a gas, food, and bathroom break and to switch drivers, with Noah taking the lead. Other than that, we kept going, the road around us rapidly changing as we crossed back into Adrian territory. Eventually, day turned to dusk turned to night; yet, we kept driving, speeding along the highway as fast as we could. I did my best to stay awake, keeping watch and staying vigilant.

The car was more or less silent, aside from Karina's erratic singing and Noah and Megan's quiet conversation up front. Rosie had already passed out, fast asleep, and Grace was sitting quietly, keeping her eyes glued to one of Megan's many burner phones. At first glance, we could have been a normal group of friends going on a road trip. However, this wasn't a fun adventure and our lives were far from normal. There was too much at stake and we couldn't afford to waste a second. One wrong move and we were done.

As it got later, midnight coming and going, Grace started shaking. She was reaching her limit and I knew she would break if we didn't stop soon. I met Noah's eyes in the rearview, as we shared a glance at Grace.

"How much longer?" Noah briefly turned towards Megan.

"Only a few more kilometres," Megan replied, looking up from her phone. Sure enough, the SUV's headlights landed on a large barn up ahead. It was completely deserted, with no other buildings or signs of life nearby. On one hand, the barn looked somewhat sketchy. For all I knew, it could have been home to a murderous cult. Yet, it would also be the perfect place for our haphazard group to spend the night.

"Wait. What are you doing?" Grace's voice cut through the silence as Noah steered the SUV towards the barn.

"We're stopping," Noah said, parking in front of the barn's large double doors and killing the engine.

"No," Grace protested. "We can't stop. Ever. We have to keep driving." I so badly wanted to hold her in my arms, to pull her close to me and let her know everything would be alright. I knew she wanted to put as much distance as possible between us and whatever dark forces were out there, chasing out, threatening to take us down. But we had to stop eventually, before exhaustion got the better of us. After all, we were only human and couldn't run forever.

Noah took a deep breath, doing his best to stay calm as he looked directly at Grace. "Okay. Where are we driving to? And what are we going to do when we get there?"

Grace pouted. Noah got her and she knew it. Undeterred, she turned towards Megan, who seemed to be the mastermind behind all this.

"If the royal family is after you, then we should be okay here," Megan started. "Adria is more into tourism than national defense. They don't exactly have a bunch of satellites they can reposition on a whim to track us down. So … we should be okay."

"And if it's not the royal family?" I asked, addressing the thought that no one dared to say but was looming in front of us.

Megan shrugged, almost hopelessly. "I have no idea what the Society is capable of." There was only so much we could do and that was what ate us up. With the Society, there was no limit to their capabilities. Only that none of us would have the power to stop them if it ever came to that. If, not when, I had to remind myself. I wouldn't let it happen, not if we could do something now. But we couldn't and so staying on the run was the best option.

Everyone got out of the car. I turned to Karina, addressing her in Russian. "Come on, let's go."

"Where are we?" she asked, squinting out the window.

"Somewhere safe. Come on," I reiterated, trying not to lose my patience. Luckily, she let me lead her into the barn without too much question. Rosie was already gathering some stones. Grace huddled in a quiet corner, watching as Megan directed Noah to park the SUV in the barn. I pulled Karina over to the other side, where bales of straw were stacked. I grabbed the nearest one and pulled it closer.

"Here. Sit." I gestured towards the straw bale, hoping she would sit down. Karina looked down at the straw bale, as if considering her options, before a flash outside caught her attention. Lightning. It wasn't long before the thunder followed, a roaring boom that took us all by surprise. Karina stared at the barn doors, transfixed by what was going on outside.

"It's nothing. Come sit." I placed my hand on her arm, dragging her back towards the straw bale. She relented for a second, before the wind picked up, instantly chilling the air inside the barn. Not a moment later, it started pouring, big, fat raindrops steadily hitting the ground against a continuous background of thunder and lightning.

"It's raining!" Karina exclaimed. Before I could stop her, she had broken out of my grip, running towards the doors. I ran after her, trying to stop her before she ran out into the raging storm. Unfortunately, she made it out before me. She stopped just outside the barn doors, staring up at the dark, stormy clouds, as rain poured down around her. Through it all, a big, maniacal grin lit up her face, like this was the best thing that could have happened. It made me wonder just how much of her mind she had lost.

"And, there she goes." I turned to find Megan coming up to me.

"I'll say, along with the last shreds of her sanity," I muttered. So much for trying to keep Karina out of trouble. Not even five minutes and she was already out in the rain like a lunatic.

"Hey, she probably hasn't been outside to experience the rain in a long time."

"Are you trying to excuse her behaviour?" I growled, immediately getting on the defensive.

"No, I wasn't. Just stating a fact. I'm sorry." Megan held her hands up in apology. "I imagine the drugs haven't left her system yet."

"Are you kidding me? Just look at her. There's no way she isn't still high on something," I muttered darkly, as I watched Karina dance like an innocent schoolgirl, spinning in circles as the rain washed over her face.

"What are we going to do with her?" Megan looked out at Karina.

"I don't know," I admitted. "It was sort of a last-minute decision to take her."

"I'll say. None of us expected her to show up but we just rolled with it since we didn't have any time to waste." Megan looked from me to Karina and back again.

"What?" I asked, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

"You look like her, you know. You have the same eyes. Shape and colour." I always thought I inherited my mother's eye and hair colour and my father's facial features. Yet, I supposed I had more of my mother in me than I thought.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it in a bad way," Megan said after a moment. "I think you should give her a chance. Let the drugs wear off, let her go through withdrawal. Maybe she'll come out of it totally fine."

"Or maybe it's a long shot and we should just send her to rehab," I said darkly. Megan just looked at me, like she couldn't believe the words that had come out of my mouth.

"Look, she was in that place for ten years. Years. Do you really think it's going to be easy to come off of ten years of drugs? Ten years of the most powerful sedatives and hallucinogens out there? Do you think she'll be fine just like that?" I snapped my fingers for emphasis. "No one comes out of an experience like that mentally and emotionally intact. It's a miracle we even got her out of there in the first place." I startled when something grazed my arm.

"Sorry, that was me." Megan removed her hand from my arm. "Look, I know this is a sensitive subject for you. I get it. But we have her here and we can't abandon her now."

"Well, what are you suggesting we do then?" I looked at Megan intently, knowing she must have had some semblance of a plan for dealing with Karina.

"We go back to Valancia, for one," Megan started.

"And then what?" Megan didn't reply, which worried me. Up to this point, she seemed so sure, always one step ahead of the game. But looking at her now, with a sad, tired look in her eyes and a weary face, I realized that not even the masterminds had all the answers.

"Alexei, I… I don't know," Megan wailed, her voice cracking. Even though she had been behind all this from the start, at the end of the day, she was just a teenage girl who didn't deserve to have the weight of the world on her shoulders.

I led her over to the straw bale I had laid out earlier. She instantly sunk down, leaning back against the other stacked bales and closing her eyes.

"You okay?" I asked, after a moment.

"I… I don't know," Megan repeated, opening her eyes. "I thought everything would be fine once we found Grace in Paris. Then you happened to show up, which was fine. I thought we'd take the train home to Valancia and be on our way. But then you brought out that backpack of Grace's mother's things and we ended up taking that detour to Binevale. I thought that would be fine. Just a quick in and out. But then the guards started doing a bunch of sketchy things when you and Grace were inside so Noah, Rosie, and I frantically had to come up with an escape plan. And it all escalated from there. I'm hoping we can get back to Valancia in one piece but honestly, at this rate, it's a miracle if we even make it back alive and without anyone chasing us." Megan took in a gasping breath. She was usually very level-headed and not one to freak out, unlike Tanner or Grace. But as I looked at Megan, whose breathing was still shallow, I realized she had been through too much and had reached her breaking point.

"It sounds like this has been a lot for you." Megan glared at me. Clearly, my sympathy wasn't appreciated.

"You don't say. I was just trying to help Grace but things just kept escalating. And now, I don't know how much longer I can help her with her problems." I knew where she was coming from. Grace had a lot going on in her life and many people who were after her. It could be exhausting to keep up with it.

"I understand, Megan. Is there anything I can do to help?" I offered. Megan just looked at me incredulously.

"What can you do that I can't? Face it, we're just a bunch of kids, Alexei. What can we possibly do?" Megan exclaimed.

"You've already done more than enough," I pointed out.

"Yeah but against the royal family? The Society? We're powerless. They've got us and they know it."

"Then we may need backup," I stated.

Megan balked. "I – I couldn't do that to Grace. Not after she trusted me to come alone to help her."

"Well, what else are we going to do? You said it yourself, we're powerless against the royal family and the Society. We've done everything we can at this point, like it or not. If we want to get any further, then we're going to have to ask for help." I looked Megan right in the eye, willing my point to get through to her. She looked like she was about to cry but she nodded instead.

"Okay. I really hope Grace won't be mad though. I feel like I'd be betraying her." Wow, this was serious character development for a girl who claimed to hate Grace just a few months ago.

"Megan, I'm sure Grace will understand. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is ask for help and that's the best course of action now. You've done everything you can and Grace knows and appreciates it." Megan nodded, biting her lip as a stray tear rolled down her cheek.

"I really hope I'm doing the right thing," she said quietly.

"You are." I placed my hand on her arm. "You being here for Grace is already plenty. Do you have anyone you can reach out to?"

Megan thought about that for a moment. "I guess I could always call my mom. And Ms. Chancellor. She always seems to know what to do."

I gave her an encouraging smile. "That sounds like a good plan."

"Honestly, thanks so much for letting me vent, Alexei. I'd give you a hug but I have a boyfriend for that."

"Well, Noah's a pretty chill guy. I don't think he'd care."

Megan gave me a disapproving look. "Besides, don't you have a girlfriend who might get a little mad?"

"Honestly, I don't think she'd mind, all things considered." I glanced over at where Noah and Grace were sitting, leaning against the SUV, deep in their own conversation. I couldn't help noticing the small smirk that crept onto Megan's face.

"Either way, better safe than sorry. The last thing we need to add to this mess is relationship drama." I definitely agreed with her. Things were already tense enough; relationship drama would just make it worse.

"Why don't you call your mother then? I'll see about getting us some food." Megan nodded as she pulled out her phone, heading over to a quiet corner of the barn. I walked over to Rosie, who was sitting by a fire with cans of food.

"Baked beans and sausages. You want to try some?" Rosie held out a can and a plastic spoon.

"Sure." I grabbed the can and dug in, surprised at how hot and well-cooked the food was. I tried to keep myself from wolfing it down because of how hungry I was.

"Good?" Rosie asked.

"You have no idea," I mumbled around a mouthful of beans.

"What's cooking?" I turned to find Megan walking towards us.

"Baked beans and sausages. You want some?" Rosie asked, looking up at Megan.

"Sure." Megan grabbed a can and dug in, nodding her approval at Rosie.

"Were you able to get in touch with your mother?" I asked, in a low voice.

Megan nodded. "And Ms. Chancellor. They'll be here in a few hours." It looked like all we had to do was stay out of trouble until then and we'd be home free. Hopefully, there wouldn't be any more surprises thrown at us.

"Come on, let's go join them," Megan said. The three of us headed over to where Noah and Grace were sitting. I pulled over two more straw bales, so we could all sit in a circle.

"What comes next?" Noah asked, turning to look at all of us. That was a fantastic question. Up until this point, we always had a concrete plan to follow. But now that we had hit a crossroads, there wasn't much else we could do, except look into the future.

"Tomorrow, I'll drive you guys to the train station, and you'll go back to Embassy Row," Grace said, surprising everyone, including myself. She certainly hadn't mentioned that to me. She clearly had a mission in mind and it was something she wanted to do alone.

"What are you going to do?" Rosie pouted, sounding hurt. I didn't blame her. I thought Grace and I had already discussed that she wasn't to go anywhere without me. It looked like I'd need to have another talk with her.

"On the bridge that day, Princess Ann kept asking me if I'd found it – if my mom had told me where it was."

"What did she mean by it?" Noah asked.

Grace shook her head. "I'm not sure. I thought that maybe it was something Mom found on that last trip. I thought maybe …" She trailed off, glancing at Karina, who had settled onto a straw bale at the opposite end of the barn. I knew Grace had so desperately wanted Binevale to be a success, to get answers from Karina. Yet, all we had left with was more questions and a crazy, hallucinating woman. If she wanted answers, then she was going to have to look somewhere else.

"I have to find it," Grace continued, her resolve strengthened. "Whatever it is."

"Which means you have to come with us," Megan said. "You've got to go back to Valancia."

"No." Grace shook her head, like the thought of going back to Valancia scared her. Her hands started shaking, further confirming her fear. "No. I can't. It's not safe there. No."

"On your mom's last trip, she saw Karina and she saw your grandfather," Noah said calmly. "If there are answers, they're in Valancia." He had a point. Grace's grandfather was still in Valancia. Even if Karina couldn't be of any help, then surely, he knew something that she didn't.

"No. I have to keep moving," Grace argued. Oh boy, not this again. I was instantly brought back to that day in the diner, back in the States, where Grace had talked about running, to keep Jamie, Dominic, and I safe. I had made the foolish mistake of letting her run away from me once. That had almost cost both of us our lives. I wasn't going to make the same mistake again, not when I had her here with me.

I looked around, seeing that everyone didn't agree with Grace. But arguing now, this late at night, was only going to lead to more emotions and unlevel heads.

"Let's get some sleep now," I said, acting as the voice of reason. "Perhaps an answer will present itself in the morning." Thankfully, everyone nodded in agreement, too tired to put up a fight. Noah, Megan, and Rosie headed off to quiet parts of the barn, curling up on straw bales to get some sleep. Before Grace could run, I pulled her into my arms. I leaned in close, my lips brushing her ear.

"You're not going anywhere without me," I whispered, just low enough for her to hear. I wasn't having this argument again, not here, not now, but I still wanted her to know that wherever she went, I would follow her. Even somewhere as absurd as the moon or the Adrian palace.

"Your name's been cleared," Grace said. "You can go home."

I simply squeezed her tighter, pulling her head to my shoulder as we laid down. "I am home." I had been all over the world in the past couple months and had lived in many different arrangements, all of them temporary. I had learned not to get too attached to my belongings because I never knew how long they'd last or when I'd have to leave them. But through it all, the girl I held in my arms had been by my side. I knew that as long as she was there with me, then it didn't matter where I was in the world. As long as I had Grace, everything would be okay.

As the others drifted off to sleep, I forced myself to stay awake, remaining vigilant and keeping watch. I didn't dare close my eyes, even for a second, because the last time that happened, I had awoken to discover that Grace was gone. I wasn't ever going to let that happen again, not when she was finally back in my arms. I held her close to me, not daring to loosen my grip for even a moment. Not when I finally felt at peace, listening to her breathing and feeling her heart beat in time with mine.

Around us, the night progressed. The fire slowly burnt itself out, leaving nothing but embers and ashes in its wake. The storm slowly died down, the raindrops coming down less steadily. Yet, Grace and I laid frozen in time, locked in an embrace as the world around us moved on. If I could, I would have frozen time forever in this moment, her and I lying together peacefully. I didn't know when I'd get another moment like this and wanted to cherish it forever.

At some wee hour of the night, a low, unusual rumbling broke me out of my tranquil reverie. When headlights flashed through the open barn door, I tensed up, my mind fully awake as it awaited the threat that laid outside our safe haven. I was about to roll over, to shield Grace from whatever was outside, when she pulled herself free of my arms, running towards the barn door. I was about to run after her, to tell her to stay behind me, when a familiar voice rang out.

"Grace?" I let out a sigh of relief. Ms. Chancellor. It looked like she hadn't let us down after all. I spotted Megan running to a woman who must have been her mother. In that instant, I knew we had been right to call for backup.

"Who's that?" Karina was standing behind me, eagerly eyeing our new guests.

"No one important," I replied in Russian, putting myself in front of Karina. She merely stepped out from behind me, looking at Ms. Chancellor and Megan's mother with curiosity.

"It's nothing that concerns you," I said firmly, grabbing Karina's arm. "Come on, let's go back to bed. We've got a big day ahead of us." I risked a backwards glance, noting Grace and Megan's happy reunions. I didn't want to interrupt them, not when they still had people who cared for them. Besides, Ms. Chancellor and Megan's mother presumably thought they were here to rescue a bunch of teenagers. A wayward psychiatric patient, especially one who hadn't been seen in years, would be the last person they'd expect.

Unfortunately, I really shouldn't have looked back. Karina got far too interested. She broke out of my grip with surprising strength, unable to keep her eyes off the newcomers as she sped towards them. I cursed under my breath, running after her to prevent the impending shitshow.

"Hello," Karina said, walking right up to Ms. Chancellor and Megan's mother. Damn, it looked like shit was going down now. Sure enough, Ms. Chancellor's face morphed from shock to fear to anger. She immediately spun on Grace, yelling at her for Karina's reincarnation.

I stepped forward, ready to say something, anything to take the blame off Grace. Although going to Binevale and rescuing Karina had been her idea, I was ultimately the one who carried Karina out. Surely, I had some part to play. However, Noah beat me to it, sliding an arm around Karina, as he steered her towards the other side of the barn.

"Thanks, man." I nodded at Noah. He simply nodded back. Karina looked from me to him to Ms. Chancellor, with interest.

"There's nothing going on," I reiterated, looking right at Karina, willing my words to get through. "Go follow Noah. He'll take you somewhere safe." Noah gently patted Karina's arm, saying similar words of encouragement. She nodded and followed him numbly. I nodded Noah my thanks again, before turning back to Grace and Ms. Chancellor.

"Then why?" Grace asked, bold and headstrong, just the way I loved her.

Ms. Chancellor took on a grave expression. "Grace, your grandfather …" Grace immediately started shaking, swaying from side to side. I slid my arms around her waist, steadying her before she could fall. She instantly leaned into me, relaxing slightly. I tightened my hold on her, anchoring her to me and this Earth, as I softly kissed the top of her head.

"Sweetheart, he went to the palace, and …"

"They killed him," Grace said bluntly. I squeezed her, bracing her for what could be coming next.

Ms. Chancellor vehemently shook her head. "No! He's alive. But they say he had a heart attack. He can't be moved, or so they claim. I haven't seen him. They won't let me see him." I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. So Grace's grandfather was still alive. But a heart attack was pretty serious, with the potential for many long-lasting complications. I could only hope that Ambassador Vincent would make a speedy recovery.

"Why are you here?" Grace asked, a note of pain and anguish in her voice I hadn't noticed earlier. I squeezed her again, a gentle reminder I was there for her.

"The Society has brokered an … arrangement," Ms. Chancellor started hesitantly. My ears perked up. Whatever it was, it didn't sound good, especially since Grace seemed to be a core part of it. "There may be a … solution. The Society would like for you to return to Valancia. They would like –"

"To kill me?" Was Grace okay? That was the second time she had mentioned death in the span of five minutes.

"To end it. I told them where they could shove their offer, but then your grandfather …" Ms. Chancellor trailed off, like she couldn't bear to tell Grace.

"What kind of arrangement?" I asked, speaking up, to move things along. Both of them had been dancing around the issue and it could only go on for so long. Ms. Chancellor regarded me with surprise, like she only just realized I was here. I couldn't tell if it was because I was on this side of the world, when I was supposed to be in Mexico, or if it was because I was doing quasi-relationship things with Grace. Either way, I couldn't care less.

"I'm not certain of the details, but Prime Minister Petrovic assures me that they have arrived upon a… compromise. They consider it something of a truce." So much for trying to cut to the chase. That was the vaguest description I had ever heard.

"This is the same Society that was perfectly willing to let me die just to keep the status quo in Adria," Grace said, sounding irritated.

"Yes, dear. I know." Oddly enough, Ms. Chancellor sounded just as irritated.

"I don't trust them."

"Oh, neither do I." And there they were again, going around in circles. At this rate, nothing was going to be accomplished. Grace seemed to realize that as she pulled herself away from me, walking towards the barn doors. Going against all my instincts, I let her go, watching as she picked up Megan's jacket and slipped it on before heading outside. A lot had happened, now and in the last few days, and she needed the space to process it all.

"So, young man, I'd like to know how you ended up on this side of the world." Now that she was done with Grace, Ms. Chancellor turned on me. She looked at me squarely, her face giving nothing away.

"Surely, you would have known what was going on. I figured you and Dominic were in touch," I countered.

Ms. Chancellor just looked at me, her face still blank. "I'd like to hear your side of the story." Figuring there wasn't an easy way out of this, I gave her a quick briefing of everything that had transpired since the Night of a Thousand Amelias, which felt like forever ago, leading up to this moment. After I finished, she nodded, taking everything in.

"I see. I must say, you are one lucky man, especially with the stunt Grace pulled to clear your name." I had to agree with her on that.

"What does the Society want with Grace?" I asked firmly, getting straight to the point.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you. After all, this concerns Grace, not you." Ms. Chancellor gave me a hard look, almost daring me to challenge her.

"Anything that concerns Grace concerns me too," I said, slowly and evenly. "She is not going anywhere without me."

"Well, then I'm afraid you may not like the arrangement the Society has in mind."

"What is it?" I growled, unable to control myself. This situation was becoming more and more of a nightmare by the second, not just for me but for Grace as well.

"Like I said, I can't tell you. I'm afraid it's only for Grace's ears in person, in Valancia. After that, she'll be free to tell you herself but I'm sure the news will spread before she can do so."

"So are you or are you not trying to do what's best for Grace?" I looked right at Ms. Chancellor, willing her to tell me the truth.

"The Society's arrangement is the best solution for all parties involved."

"I wasn't asking about the Society. I'm asking about you." I continued staring her down. She hesitated. I wasn't sure if that was because she wasn't sure where her loyalties laid or if she simply didn't want to tell me. Either way, all I knew was that I couldn't trust her, the Society, or anyone outside our little circle anymore.

"That's it. I'm not going to let you do anything to hurt Grace." Any ounce of respect that I had for Ms. Chancellor and the Society was now gone. Without second thought, I ran outside. The rain hit me full force, coming down harder than before. It immediately soaked me but I kept running, pushing my now wet hair out of my face. I had to find Grace, before anyone could do anything to harm her. I was seriously considering running away with her, to somewhere she'd be safe. If we got on a plane now, we could be in Moscow by this afternoon, or the evening at the latest. Josef's parents would probably have a rarely used house they could lend us for the time being, at least until I could get a job in Moscow and find an apartment for Grace and I. Yes, that was going to be the plan.

I found Grace with her back to me, standing under the overhang of the barn's roof. She was speaking in low tones, seemingly to herself. I was momentarily concerned, worrying she had also become delusional, until I noticed the phone pressed to her ear.

"What?" Grace snapped. I instantly perked up. Whoever she was speaking to, it didn't sound good. I could only hope she wasn't bartering again. "I might be crazy, but I'm not stupid."

"Gracie?" I called out. She turned around, saying nothing. I tried to ignore the rain soaking me to my core as I stood there, taking in Grace, looking like she was standing on the precipice between life and death.

"Gracie, who is on the phone?" I asked again, my voice harsher. Grace simply took the phone away from her ear, tapping the screen a few times. I stepped closer to her, willing her to let me in. After all the progress we had made, I didn't want to be shut out by a cryptic phone call.

"Ann," Grace said slowly. "She said there's a solution." That was the last person I wanted her to speak to. Princess Ann had officially declared herself a threat to us. There was no telling what she'd do to harm us or get what she wanted, whatever that was.

"Grace, they can't be trusted," I pleaded, begging her to listen to me. At this point, it wasn't about us or our relationship anymore. It was about life and death, about humanity itself. And that was a risk I wasn't willing to take with her.

However, Grace merely grinned at me, like she was already a few steps ahead in this mysterious game they seemed to be playing. "Neither can I."

Song inspo: Sean Townsend – "Roses for the Dead – Piano Cover" with 'Rainy Mood'
Genre/ subgenre: Classical/ Neoclassical

This is a piano cover of one of my favourite songs. Its sombre tone really matches the desperation and hopelessness of the squad in this chapter, of feeling like they're at a crossroads, with nothing more they can do besides admit defeat, and no one else they can turn to. It also really fits the tension in Grace's and Alexei's relationship, of feeling like they're on the edge of something bad, particularly the part where he's holding her in his arms, watching the night progress and especially the part where he's standing in the rain, watching her talk on the phone (which I now visualize whenever I listen to this song).

During the editing, I listened to this song on repeat with the 'Rainy Mood' site running in the background. The site will play rain and thunderstorm noises in the background, which helped set the scene for the stormy ambience of this chapter and really enhanced the song. Feel free to give the song a listen and add in 'Rainy Mood' as a bonus!

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter will be up between Oct 20 and Oct 31.

So the squad is on their way back to Valancia. What do you think happens next? Also, 3 characters will be making their long overdue reappearance next chapter. Any guesses as to who? ;)

This was a super heavy chapter, in terms of emotional content, but I'm quite happy with how it turned out. It's also been exactly a year (to the day) since I first started posting Unlocking the Key! I know updates have been a bit slow with my busy schedule but there are many more exciting chapters to come. Thank you so much for all the love and support you've shown this story so far! ^-^