Chapter 602
“I didn’t realize your binding magic had become this potent,” Carlos remarked, his breath hitching slightly as he maintained his stance. He watched him with pride as the shimmering, ethereal chains of Mona’s spell held Gabriel firmly in place in the center of the clearing.
“That’s because you never bothered to check on my progress, Brother,” Mona murmured, her eyes narrowed in deep concentration. “You were the one who taught me the foundations and asked me to find my center while channeling. I just took your advice to heart p>
Carlos offered a thin smile before shifting his gaze to Gabriel. The powerful Alpha stood like a statue, his muscles taut against the invisible pressure of the spell.
“I’m completely immobilized,” Gabriel blurted out. “But I can still speak. That’s a good sign p>
“We have to assume the worst,” Carlos stated, his head turning slightly toward the treeline. “In the heat of battle, Ophelia might sever your mental link. If your mindlink fails, we can’t rely on a silent signal. We’ll have to leave it to Karmen or Zilia to relay the message to Amelie p>
Perched in the shadows of a far tree, Zilia lowered her binoculars. She had been tracking their movements and as per plan waiting for Carlos’ signal. “The binding is set,” she whispered to Karmen, who was on the same tree.
Without missing a beat, she mindlinked Amelie. ’The target is secured. You’ve to teleport. Be quick p>
Amelie tightened her grip on the sword’s hilt as she looked toward Casaio and Dominick. They shared a brief nod of synchronization. Without wasting a second, the two brothers teleported Amelie to the location. In an instant, Amelie was standing at the edge of the clearing where the others waited.
“Amelie, move now! Walk in!” Carlos commanded, his voice strained with the effort of maintaining the spell. He was mentally counting down the seconds, acutely aware that against Ophelia, they would have exactly sixty seconds of control, and not a moment more.
Amelie didn’t hesitate. She sprinted toward the center of the circle, her eyes locked on Gabriel. Just then, Carlos signaled Mona. Together, they began to unravel the spell. The shimmering ethereal chains that had pinned Gabriel to the spot vanished slowly.
“It seems easy enough for now,” Dominick noted.
“I agree. But we can’t let this success make us complacent,” Casaio stated. “When the real target is standing where Gabriel is, everything will be different. We have to be ready for the world to go sideways p>
“The anchor of this entire plan is the binding,” Carlos added. “As long as Mona and I can keep her tied, she won’t be able to touch a single one of you. But the moment those chains break, the hunt switches sides. So, either Gabriel or Amelie has to finish the task p>
Karmen and Zilia appeared there now while Casaio silently mindlinked with the warriors who had covered the area to leave.
“Cas and I were unable to lift this sword,” Dominick informed them.
“Really?” Carlos’ brows arched.
“Yes. It seems we can’t lift the sword that responds to only Gabriel and Amelie. So, now, these two are the only one who can kill Ophelia. If not, Amelie, Gabriel has to rush in and finish the witch’s game or vice-versa p>
Carlos got confused to learn that. He wondered why the sword responded to only two of them. Maybe it was a connection from the past, which he and his grandmother couldn’t find out.
“Let’s go back now. It’s already evening,” Gabriel told all of them. The three Alpha Princes got everyone teleported back to the palace.
Flora stood on the balcony of her guest suite, the cool evening air ruffling her hair as she stared at her phone. Her thumb hovered indecisively over Zander’s contact; she was desperately craving the sound of his voice but worried about the timing. Just as she braced herself to call, the device vibrated in her hand, Zander’s name flashing across the screen.
A small, breathless smile tugged at her lips as she answered. “Good evening, Flora,” Zander greeted. On the other end, he stood silhouetted against the window of his study, swirling a deep red wine in his glass.
“Good evening,” Flora replied, her heart fluttering. “I was actually just about to call you. It’s like you knew p>
“Oh.” Zander smiled thinking she thought of him. ” You didn’t come to me. I kept waiting,” Zander said, his tone carrying a hint of playful reproach before he took a slow sip of his wine.
“I’m so sorry. I really wanted to, but everything turned into chaos here,” Flora explained. She began to narrate the events in a hushed voice. Because the palace had strictly tightened security and kept Katelyn’s condition a secret from the public, the outside world remained blissfully unaware of the brewing storm.
“What? Ophelia kidnapped the Princess?” Zander’s voice lost its relaxed edge instantly. The clink of his wine glass hitting the mahogany desk echoed through the line as he straightened up. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Flora, are you all safe? Is the palace secure p>
“Yes, we are all safe and tucked away in the palace for now,” Flora answered as she leaned against the railing of the balcony.
“What about Amelie and Noah?” Zander’s voice was sharp with concern. “They are the most vulnerable targets in Ophelia’s eyes p>
“They are doing well,” Flora reassured him, though her brow furrowed as she shifted the topic to the weight on her chest. “Umm… I have something else to tell you. It’s about Alex p>
“Hmm?” Zander prompted.
“His mother contacted me yesterday,” Flora explained, her voice trembling slightly. “Amelie had it checked and confirmed that someone actually helped them escape the mines. Since the Princes are entirely consumed with the witch hunt, I’ve been wondering if we should look into this ourselves. It’s incredibly strange, his mother called me specifically and was asking for Noah p>
The line went silent for a moment as Zander processed the implications.
“I’ll talk to Prince Gabriel regarding this first,” Zander murmured. “We need to pinpoint exactly where they are hiding. It is more than strange that they managed to find your private contact information. Fret not, Flora,” he added, his voice softening into a protective promise. “I won’t let anything happen to any of you. Stay inside the palace walls until I’ve cleared this with Prince Gabriel p>