Chapter 583
“Pa… Pa… Pa… Pa p>
“Ma… Ma Ma… Ma p>
Noah’s small, chirping voice filled the room as Gabriel lowered him gently onto the mattress. The infant’s innocent babbling was the only thing capable of breaking through the storm in Gabriel’s chest. A genuine smile touched his lips, even though his heart was still burning with a fury.
“You haven’t said a single word since the attack happened,” Amelie observed quietly, watching him.
“I always thought Katelyn was naive,” Gabriel murmured. “I thought she didn’t understand the weight of our world. Yet, while she was being tormented, she was thinking of me, the one who has always ridiculed her. She used ever ounce of her strength to escape Ophelia’s place. She could have even lost her life, Amelie. What would I have done then? How would I have ever met my gaze p>
On the bed, Noah flipped onto his belly, supporting his weight with his tiny elbows. He began wriggling his arms and legs in the air, letting out bubbling laughs that seemed to defy the darkness surrounding the palace.
“I told you Katelyn loves you and the Moon Goddess have blessed you. Nothing would have happened, Gabriel,” Amelie said, walking to him and sitting close to him.
“You’re her elder brother; she worries for you more than herself. She didn’t care about the injuries inflicted on her, she cared about what Ophelia would do to us if she didn’t hold out p>
“Exactly,” Gabriel agreed with a newfound respect for his sister.
Amelie placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle, grounding pat. “Louis will be here soon, won’t he? Carlos and I were just discussing that metal. It has to be something that can truly burn a witch, something they can’t heal from,” she stated.
“I’ve racked my brain, and I’m still at a loss,” Gabriel admitted. “Even Carlos, despite his heritage, doesn’t have the answer. It seems only a weapon forged from this unique, eternal metal is the key to ending Ophelia for good p>
Noah chose that moment to resume his chirping, his little hands reaching out to grab their attention.
“Yes, Noah? Daddy is just a little stressed,” Amelie said softly, scooping him up into her arms.
A sharp knock at the door broke the moment. Gabriel stood and moved toward the entrance, where Ashna stood with her head bowed respectfully.
“Your Highness, your Beta has arrived,” she informed him.
Gabriel glanced back at Amelie, a silent promise in his eyes that he would return soon, before stepping out. In the expansive drawing room, Karmen and Louis were in conversation. As Gabriel approached, they both turned.
“Gabriel, it has been far too long,” Louis said, bowing his head slightly in greeting.
“Yes, many months have passed since our last meeting,” Gabriel replied. “Please, take a seat.” He motioned toward the heavy velvet chairs and gestured for Karmen to join them.
“Ashna, bring Carlos here,” Gabriel ordered. The maid bowed and hurried out, her footsteps echoing down the corridor.
As the three men settled in, Louis leaned forward, his expression turning serious. “Karmen told me you are searching for a metal that is immune to time, something that cannot degrade or rust away p>
“Yes,” Gabriel replied. “Do you have any knowledge of such a thing p>
“I have not heard of anything like that personally,” Louis admitted, shaking his head. “However, the ironsmiths might. They are the ones closest to the fire and the ore; such rumors and legendary properties are common gossip among the master smiths of the old quarters,” he suggested.
“We have limited time,” Gabriel countered. “Ophelia has Katelyn’s blood. Every second we spend chasing rumors is a second she spends weaving a curse. If we go to the smiths, it must be the ones who still work with ancient methods p>
Carlos entered the room just then.
“You summoned me, Gabriel?” Carlos asked, his eyes moving between the men.
“Yes. Louis is here,” Gabriel answered.
Louis tilted his head slightly, his pupils dilating as his eyes flashed a deep red. He was instinctively sensing the sorcerer’s energy radiating from Carlos.
“Pleasure to meet you, Louis,” Carlos replied, unbothered by the display of werewolf instinct. “You helped my friend once before; your loyalty is well-remembered.” He lowered himself into the chair across from Karmen.
“You have a strong aura, Carlos,” Louis remarked, the red in his eyes fading back to brown. “Being a witch’s son, I suppose you must have more knowledge than I do about a metal that can defy time and rot p>
“I wish I did,” Carlos replied with a faint, weary smile. “We people focused on the blood and the stars, not the anvil p>
“Louis suggests we consult the ironsmiths,” Gabriel stated, cutting through the pleasantries.
“Ironsmiths?” Carlos arched an eyebrow. “You think a common tradesman holds the key to killing Ophelia p>
“Yes,” Louis answered firmly. “I think they know tales which many of us don’t, especially those related to the rare ores of the earth. Gossip travels through the heat of the forge, and the oldest families of smiths have passed down secrets about metals that haven’t been seen in centuries p>
“Have you people heard of bloodsmiths?” Karmen suddenly interrupted.
“Bloodsmiths? Never,” Louis said, shaking his head. Even with his vast knowledge of werewolf history, the term felt like a whispered myth from a forgotten age.
“Where did you hear of them?” Gabriel inquired, his interest piqued. Anything that could provide an edge against Ophelia was worth investigating.
“Remember, five years ago when you and I went to Country Zedrion on the invitation of their Alpha King?” Karmen asked, leaning forward. “I met a lady there, an old seer in the King’s court. She mentioned the bloodsmiths p>
“I think I know,” Carlos intervened. All eyes turned to the sorcerer.
“What’s that? Do they make something from blood?” Gabriel frowned, the idea sounding both gruesome and dangerously occult.
“In a way, yes,” Carlos explained, his hands gesturing as if shaping something in the air. “They are the only ones who can forge Star-Iron metals that fall from the heavens. To a normal smith, that metal is useless. But a Bloodsmith uses a Living Catalyst. They believe that for a weapon to kill an immortal or a powerful witch, it must be quenched in a substance that holds the essence of life itself p>
“So, whose blood do they need?” Gabriel inquired.
“They don’t just use any blood,” Carlos continued. “They use the blood of the lineage they are trying to protect or the lineage they are trying to destroy. By binding the star-metal with a blood sacrifice, the weapon becomes sentient. It won’t rust, it won’t break, and most importantly… It ignores all earthly magic p>
“So, if we find a Bloodsmith, we can create a weapon that Ophelia cannot hide from. A blade that knows her and strike her without failing,” Gabriel stated.
“Yes,” Carlos confirmed.