Chapter 646
Alex snickered, adjusting the brim of his cap to shadow his face as he caught a glimpse of his own name flashing across a giant digital screen. The national media was already buzzing.
’Gabriel always surprises me,’ he thought, a dark grin tugging at his lips. ’That bastard figured it out before I could snap Flora’s neck. He’s undoubtedly tucked the whole family away in one of his fortresses by now p>
He kept his head down, walking along the quiet, shadowed pavement of the high-end district.
Ahead, he spotted several Sentinels gathered. They were setting up a perimeter several blocks away, stopping vehicles and checking IDs against handheld scanners.
’The net is closing faster than I expected,’ he muttered. ’I need to leave this city. Maybe leave the country entirely they stop looking for me p>
Alex turned on his heels with nonchalance, heading in the opposite direction. He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his long coat while thinking of a way to get his hands on Flora. She was the only one who could take her to Amelie and help him succeed in his plans.
Casaio finally settled onto the couch, exhaling a long breath as he reached for a glass of water from the tray.
“Thanks for bringing Zander and his parents here,” Gabriel said.
“Mention it not,” Casaio replied after a long swallow of water. He set the glass down with a sharp clink and looked up, his expression hardening. “Has anyone found a lead on Alex’s whereabouts p>
He directed his gaze toward Karmen and Denzel, who were standing nearby.
“Not yet,” Karmen stated.
Denzel nodded in agreement. “We’ve flagged every port and private airstrip. Unless he can teleport as well as Ophelia, he’s trapped in the city p>
“I don’t think he can teleport,” Casaio replied, leaning back. He glanced at Gabriel, noting the tight line of his younger brother’s jaw and the restless energy rolling off him.
“I have no idea. I’m just angry about everything,” Gabriel muttered with suppressed rage.
“Stay calm. That is how you work best,” Casaio advised. “Alex won’t be able to touch Amelie or Noah unless he has help from someone close to you. He chose Flora for a reason; he knew she was the weakest link in the perimeter. Keep a close watch on her p>
Casaio then turned his gaze toward Carlos. “Can you help us with any of this? In terms of actually locating Alex p>
“I wish I could,” Carlos answered with a frustrated sigh. “My abilities aren’t a GPS; they’re flashes of what might be, not a live feed of where he’s hiding p>
“He has already done enough by sharing that vision,” Gabriel remarked, stepping in to defend his friend. “If not for him, I wouldn’t have had the foresight to send Louis to confirm the rumors. Thanks to Carlos, I was able to intercept Flora before she took a step she couldn’t come back from p>
A silence fell over the room as Carlos’s words settled that made the skin on Gabriel’s neck prickle.
“Gabriel, I saw a vision a long time ago, the very first time I laid eyes on Flora. I never told you because, at the time, I convinced myself it wasn’t important,” Carlos began that suggested he was finally unburdening a dark secret.
“What is it?” Gabriel asked, his brows furrowing.
“Flora is destined to die,” Carlos replied bluntly. “I don’t know the how or the where, but she will die. I saw absolutely nothing in her future,” he affirmed.
“That’s ridiculous,” Gabriel snapped, his tone laced with bewilderment. “How can you claim she’s destined for death just because you saw nothing? Perhaps your vision was simply clouded or blocked p>
“In the world of witches and sorcerers, it is a known omen, Gabriel,” Carlos explained, looking up with eyes full of a grim clarity. “It is said that for those of whom you see no future, no marriage, no children, no old age, they are marked by fate. They are destined for a death so sudden or so strange, it’s as if the thread of their life was cut before it could even be woven. Their path ends in a void no one would even imagine p>
“Flora can’t die,” Casaio interjected. “She is under the protection of this house and the Crown. We have the resources to keep her safe from any mortal threat p>
“I hope you’re right,” Carlos replied softly.
“We can’t stop a death if it is truly written. That is not in our hands,” Gabriel affirmed, keeping a pratical tone.
“No one speaks a word of this in front of the others,” he ordered with a stern gaze. “Flora is already on the verge of a breakdown. If she hears this, it will be her undoing p>
“Mama, les ga tha (let’s go there)!” Noah chirped, his tiny voice echoing in the vastness of the Queen Mother’s chamber. He toddled toward the floor-to-ceiling window, his small finger pressed against the glass as he pointed toward the vibrant colors of the private garden outside.
“Not there, baby,” Amelie said softly, her heart aching at his innocence.
Noah looked up at her, his big eyes searching hers for a moment. He slowly brought his thumb to his mouth, a habit he only retreated to when he was tired or sensed his father’s absence.
“Daddy?” he mumbled around his thumb.
Amelie knelt beside him, smoothing his hair. The mention of Gabriel made the weight in her chest heavier. “Daddy is working, Noah. He’ll be back soon,” she promised, though she wasn’t sure if she was reassuring the toddler or herself.
Noah felt the distress in his mother’s voice and immediately reached up with his tiny arms. Amelie pulled him into her lap, holding him tight against her heart. As he tucked his small face against her chest.
“Mama,” he whispered one more time.
“Yes, Noah?” she murmured, closing her eyes and breathing in his scent.
She felt his tiny fingers clenching her arms, his small body pressing firmly against her as if ready to protect his mother even in the toughest times.