REFUGE

She doesn't want a fight. She just wants to protect the girl.

When her best friend collapses without warning, Allison takes on a role no one expected—guardian to a three-year-old who's already lost one mother. Meg Walker, the child's named protector, has been gone for years. On paper, custody should be simple.

But nothing about this is simple.

Enter Naveen Shivdasani: wealthy, magnetic, and armed with a legal claim. He insists the girl belongs with her magical lineage in India—private tutors, a sprawling estate, a legacy stretching back centuries. On paper, it's a better life.

But Allison's instincts say otherwise.

As court filings disappear and the girl begins sketching symbols no one should know, Allison is forced to confront a truth she's long buried. Magic is part of her, and silence can no longer keep anyone safe.

Some promises aren't meant to be kept.

REFUGE is a character novella in The Hellgate Chronicles, set between REUNION and REVERIE. A gritty, emotionally charged story about found family, quiet power, and women who refuse to back down.