Aria sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the access card like it might bite her.
The morning light streaming through her window made the small piece of plastic seem innocuous. Just a key card. Nothing special. Except it represented everything she'd been working toward for the past two weeks.
Access to the greenhouse. Access to the Vitalis Radix. Access to saving her mother's life.
So why did her hands shake as she held it?
She picked up the note again, reading Damien's bold handwriting for the third time.
You were perfect tonight. Rest tomorrow. You'll need your strength for what comes next. —D
What comes next. What did that mean? Was he expecting her to use the card? Was this permission? Or was it a test to see if she'd actually go through with stealing from him?
Her mind raced through possibilities, scenarios, outcomes. None of them ended well.
If she used the card and got caught, she'd be fired at best, arrested at worst.
If she didn't use it, her mother would die.
