"You must be wanting to rest," Flora said quickly, her voice a pitch too high. "And Noah looks sleepy, too. That’s why I thought I should go." She forced a smile, a thin mask intended to hide the hollow feeling in her chest. She couldn’t let Alie see how much she was struggling.
"Noah isn’t going to sleep just yet. He took a nap while I was eating," Alie replied, her eyes scanning Flora’s face with quiet intuition. "But if you need to rest, I won’t stop you."
Noah, sensing the shift in the room, tilted his head back against Alie’s lap. He fixed his wide, curious eyes on Flora and pouted his tiny lips. With a slow, clumsy wave of his hand, he made a beckoning gesture, silently asking her to co closer.
The sight lted the last of Flora’s resolve. "I’m not sleepy yet," she admitted, sinking back onto the edge of the bed. She couldn’t say no to Alie. To steady herself, she shifted the subject back to the threat. "Should I call Zander? Maybe I should ask if Alex’s parents sohow made it back into the pack."
"Zander would never allow them to cross the border," Alie pointed out in confidence. "He knows what they are. I’m certain they contacted you from sowhere outside the pack territory."
"Then who could have possibly helped them?" Flora murmured, the question hanging heavy in the air.
"Well, we’re going to find out," Alie said firmly. She carefully shifted Noah’s weight into Flora’s arms; Flora adjusted her hold imdiately, cradling him with instinctive care. Alie reached for her phone on the bedside table and scrolled through her contacts until she found Denzel’s na.
"Alie!" Denzel’s voice chirped brightly from the other end.
"Hi! How are you doing? Are you still here in the capital, or did you head back to San Ravendale?"
"I’m in the capital. Karn asked to head back this afternoon, so I just got in. Is everything alright?" Denzel asked, his tone shifting as he sensed the tension in her voice.
"Flora just received a call from Alex’s mother," Alie explained. "She was asking questions about Noah. Can you check on their whereabouts? I need to know where they are staying these days."
"What? That shouldn’t even be possible," Denzel blurted out, clearly stunned. "Alex’s parents are living under heavy watch and their conditions are worse than slaves. I’ll look into this right away."
"Thanks, Denzel," Alie said, exhaling a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She lowered the phone as the line went silent.
"Denzel is on it," Alie stated, turning back to her sister. "Let’s see what he finds out."
~~~~
Gabriel and Dominick stepped into the palace late that evening, long after the sun had dipped below the horizon. The journey had been grueling. A sudden, violent storm had forced them to seek shelter mid-way before they could safely get their jet back into the air.
They bypassed their own quarters and went straight to the main hall. It seed the entire family had been gathered together, anticipating their return only.
As they entered, every eye dropping to the object Gabriel held in his hand.
Gabriel and Dominick offered a brief, respectful greeting to their parents. Gabriel stepped forward. "The weapon is finally with ," he announced.
"Then it’s ti," Raidan said, his gaze moving from the sword to his son’s face. He was a father gripped by worry, but his voice was hard with resolve. "Now, Ophelia can finally be brought to an end... right?"
"Yes," Gabriel answered.
"Are you absolutely sure it will end that witch?" Sage asked, stepping forward with his arms crossed. "We have to test it. Otherwise, you are putting your life on the line based on the words of soone none of us have even t."
"It is the only way to kill Ophelia, and it will work," Gabriel stated. He didn’t ntion the Moon Goddess by na, but the conviction in his eyes was rooted in a faith far deeper than a re rumor.
"Still, a test run should be made," Sage murmured, unconvinced. "We shouldn’t go into battle on a ’maybe’."
"Sage is right, Gabriel," Katelyn added, her voice soft but firm as she walked over to stand by her brother. "When the ti cos and you’re standing across from Ophelia, there’s no room for error. We can’t let you get hurt because the blade didn’t behave the way we expected."
Carlos, who had been watching the exchange silently from the periphery, finally spoke up. "The blade has a unique energy as if it has the energy of moon itself." He moved closer to Gabriel and touched the sword.
"Ahh!"
Carlos hissed as he pulled his hand back the mont his fingers grazed the hilt. He stared at his reddened skin in disbelief.
"Even through the sheath, it burns. This isn’t just a physical weapon," Carlos confird, his eyes shimring with a silver light for a brief second as he sensed the blade’s true nature. "The tal is infused with a frequency ant to incinerate the essence of witches and sorcerers of all kinds. It recognizes my magic as a target."
"So, we have the weapon finally," Casaio stated, rising to his feet. "Now, we need a perfect plan to get Gabriel close enough to Ophelia so that he can use it."
"I have a plan," Alie said. Behind her, Ashna stood quietly, holding the handle of the stroller where Noah lay.
Gabriel’s expression imdiately hardened with protective instinct. "Alie, you need to stay away from this. You are her primary targets."
"But I’ve always been her target," Alie stated. "She wants to lure you or vice-versa. With Carlos’ and Mona’s help we will bind Ophelia. I know she will sense the magic, so we will start it after she sees and approaches . Gabriel, even in the past it began with . Ophelia was my distant aunt, who ruined not only my happiness but yours too. Let’s give what Ophelia wants and that’s ."
~~~~
Happy New Year everyone!!! So sorry for this late greeting. I couldn’t give two updates yesterday, so I will compensate for it with one more update. May the new year brings good fortune, new opportunities and joy in our lives.
HAPPY READING 😊
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