Chapter : 1553

  Lloyd groaned. "I should have stayed in Altamira. Seraphina only wanted to marry me. These women are going to dismember me."

  "Strategically speaking," Ken said with a rare smirk, "you are surrounded and outnumbered."

  "Whose side are you on, Kasim?" Lloyd asked.

  "The side with the popcorn," Ken said.

  The carriage rolled on, carrying the heroes back to their castle. Back to safety. Back to the most dangerous place on earth: a house full of angry women.

  Before the carriage had left Saber, there had been one final, secret meeting. Not in the solar, but in the map room. It was strictly business.

  Queen Seraphina stood at the head of the table. Lloyd stood opposite her. Between them lay a map of the continent.

  "The emotional goodbye is done," Seraphina said, her voice crisp. "Now, the practicalities. You rejected the crown, Lloyd. But you cannot reject the war."

  "I never turn down a good fight," Lloyd said. "Especially one against devils."

  "Good," Seraphina said. "Because Altamira is infested. Cassius opened the door, and the rats came in. The Seventh Circle has cells in every major city. They have corrupted the guilds. They have infiltrated the mages."

  "You need a purge," Lloyd said.

  "I need a scalpel," she corrected. "I can use the army to smash the big targets. But the spies? The handlers? The Curator? I can't find them. They are hiding in the bureaucracy."

  "I can find them," Lloyd said. "Or rather, my network can."

  He pulled out a small, leather-bound notebook.

  "This," Lloyd said, sliding it across the table, "is the communication frequency for Ken's network. It connects to the Whispers in Zakaria and my own Wraiths in Bethelham. It is a secure channel."

  Seraphina took the book. "Global intelligence sharing."

  "Exactly," Lloyd said. "If a Seventh Circle agent buys poison in Saber, I want to know about it in Ferrum. If they move money in Zakaria, I want you to freeze it here. We create a net. A continental net."

  "And in return?" Seraphina asked.

  "In return," Lloyd said, "Bethelham provides the tech. The mana-jammers. The detection arrays. I will send you the schematics for the devices we used to breach the Orchid House. Your mages can build them. You can use them to hunt the rest of the cells."

  "Technology for intelligence," Seraphina mused. "A fair trade."

  She picked up a quill. She wrote a quick order on a scroll.

  "Effective immediately," she said, signing it, "Altamira formally withdraws from the Treaty of Shadows. We declare the Devil Race and their affiliates hostis humani generis—enemies of mankind. Any citizen found aiding them forfeits their life and lands."

  She handed the scroll to Lloyd.

  "Show this to your father," she said. "Show this to King Liam. Tell them the South is awake."

  Lloyd took the scroll. It was heavy with historical weight. This piece of paper shifted the balance of power for the entire continent.

  "This changes everything," Lloyd said. "The Devil Race just lost their safe harbor."

  "And gained a very angry enemy," Seraphina added.

  She looked at him.

  "One more thing," she said. "The Curator. The man who ordered the harvest."

  "Yes?"

  "My spies found a name," she said. "Or a title. He operates out of a neutral territory. The Free City of Oram. He runs an auction house."

  "An auction house?"

  "He sells the... products," Seraphina said, her voice dripping with disgust. "The weapons. The artifacts. The children."

  Lloyd’s eyes went cold.

  "Oram," he memorized. "Thank you, Majesty. That is... very useful."

  "Kill him," Seraphina said simply. "For me."

  "Consider it done," Lloyd said.

  The alliance was sealed. Not with a marriage, but with a hit list.

  ----

  The carriage rattled over the border bridge, the wooden planks thumping rhythmically. They were officially back in Bethelham soil.

  Lloyd looked at the scroll case in his lap. The treaty. It was a victory. A massive one.

  But his mind was already moving to the next battlefield.

  Oram. The Curator. The Auction House.

  "Ken," Lloyd said.

  "Master?"

  "New target," Lloyd said. "The Free City of Oram. We need to extend the network. I want eyes there."

  "Oram is a cesspool," Ken noted. "Mercenaries. Pirates. Slavers. No laws."

  "Perfect," Lloyd said. "We'll fit right in."

  He looked at Jasmin. She was teaching Risa a hand-clapping game. Risa was laughing. A small, quiet sound, but a laugh nonetheless.

  "We saved them," Lloyd thought. "But the factory is just one branch. The root is still there."

  He leaned his head back against the velvet seat.

  Chapter : 1554

  "Driver," he called out. "Speed up. I want to be home before sunset."

  "Why the rush?" Ken asked.

  "Because," Lloyd said, "if I'm going to face a firing squad of wives, I want to get it over with before dinner."

  The carriage picked up speed, racing through the pine forests of the North. The sun began to dip, painting the sky in shades of bruised purple and blood orange.

  Lloyd closed his eyes. He tried to rest. But in the darkness behind his eyelids, he saw three faces waiting for him.

  Rosa. Cold, beautiful, terrifying.

  Amina. Sharp, calculating, possessive.

  Faria. Fiery, artistic, volatile.

  And behind them, the shadow of the Curator, laughing in his auction house.

  "War is hell," Lloyd muttered. "But dating is worse."

  The final leg of the journey was a blur of exhaustion. The adrenaline that had sustained them through the heist and the coup had finally drained away, leaving them hollow and aching.

  Risa slept for most of the trip, her head on Jasmin's lap. The other children dozed or stared out the window, their eyes wide at the green forests of Bethelham, so different from the arid stone of Altamira.

  Jasmin watched over them like a hawk. She cleaned their faces, combed their hair, and whispered stories of the Ferrum estate—of the giant kitchen, the warm beds, the gardens where they could play. She was building a future for them in their minds, replacing the nightmare of the cages with a dream of home.

  Lloyd watched her. He saw the change. The timidity was gone. In its place was a quiet, steel-spined matriarch. She had found her purpose. She wasn't just a servant anymore; she was a guardian.

  "You did good, Jia," Lloyd said softly, using the code name one last time.

  Jasmin looked up. She smiled. It was a tired smile, but it reached her eyes.

  "We did good, Doctor," she replied.

  "You're not Jia anymore," Lloyd said. "You're Jasmin. The Savior of the Children. My father is going to want to give you a medal."

  "I don't want a medal," Jasmin said, stroking Risa's hair. "I just want a bath. And maybe a very large cake."

  "Cake can be arranged," Lloyd promised. "I'll bake it myself if I have to. Though it might taste like gunpowder."

  Jasmin laughed. "Please don't. Ask the chef."

  The carriage slowed. They were entering the outer lands of the Ferrum Duchy. The road improved, turning from dirt to paved stone. Farmers in the fields stopped to wave at the royal carriage, not knowing who was inside.

  "We're almost there," Lloyd announced.

  The children perked up.

  "Is it a castle?" a boy asked.

  "It's a big house," Lloyd said. "With a lot of towers. And a dragon."

  "A dragon?" the boy gasped.

  "A statue," Lloyd winked. "Mostly."

  He looked at Ken. The bodyguard was staring out the window, his face unreadable.

  "What are you thinking, Ken?"

  Ken turned. "I am thinking about the security perimeter. The estate is open. If the Seventh Circle retaliates... we are vulnerable."

  "Always working," Lloyd shook his head. "Relax, Ken. We have a treaty. We have the initiative. For today, we are safe."

  "Safety is an illusion," Ken said. "But... it is a nice illusion."

  He looked at Lloyd.

  "You led us into hell," Ken said quietly. "And you led us out. You toppled a Prince. You saved a King. You rewrote the map."

  He paused.

  "I have served many lords," Ken said. "But I have never served a Legend."

  Lloyd felt his face heat up. "Don't start getting sentimental, Ken. It's weird."

  "It is not sentiment," Ken said stoically. "It is assessment. You are a terrifying man, Master Lloyd. And I am glad you are on our side."

  Lloyd looked away, embarrassed but pleased. To earn the respect of Ken Park was harder than killing a demon.

  "We're home," Lloyd said, pointing out the window.

  Ahead, on the hill, stood the Ferrum Estate. It looked golden in the sunset. It looked like a fortress. It looked like a sanctuary.

  And it looked like the site of his next execution.

  ----

  The carriage rolled through the main gates of the estate. The guards saluted sharply. The wheels crunched on the gravel of the driveway.

  They stopped in front of the main entrance. Servants rushed down the steps to open the door.

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  Lloyd stepped out first. He stretched, his back cracking. He inhaled the air. It smelled of pine and iron. Home.

  He turned and helped Jasmin and the children down.

  "Welcome to Ferrum," Lloyd said.

  Chapter : 1555

  The children stared up at the massive stone facade. It was intimidating, but the lights in the windows were warm.

  Head Maid Annalisa was there, looking stern but efficient.

  "Master Lloyd," she curtsied. "We received your pigeon. The East Wing is prepared. Nannies are waiting. Food is hot."

  "Excellent, Annalisa," Lloyd said. "These are... special guests. Treat them like royalty. Better than royalty. Royalty is annoying. Treat them like family."

  Annalisa looked at the ragged children. Her expression softened. "Understood, sir. Come, little ones. We have pie."

  The word "pie" worked magic. The children followed her, Jasmin going with them to settle them in.

  "I'll come find you later," Jasmin told Lloyd. "Thank you. For everything."

  "Go," Lloyd smiled. "Be a sister."

  She left. Ken went to the barracks to check in with security and probably clean his guns.

  Lloyd was alone on the steps.

  He looked at the front door. It loomed over him.

  He was exhausted. He wanted a bath. He wanted a drink. He wanted to sleep for a week.

  But he knew who was waiting inside.

  "Into the breach," Lloyd muttered.

  He walked up the steps. He pushed open the doors.

  The Grand Hall was empty. Quiet. Too quiet.

  "Hello?" Lloyd called out. "I'm home! I brought salt! And treaties!"

  No answer.

  He walked further in. His footsteps echoed on the marble.

  "Mother? Father?"

  Silence.

  He frowned. Usually, there would be a greeting committee. Or at least a butler.

  He walked toward his study. Maybe they were waiting there.

  He reached the study door. It was closed. He sensed... presence behind it. Powerful presence.

  Multiple presences.

  He hesitated. His [All-Seeing Eye] itched. He activated it.

  He saw three energy signatures inside.

  One was cold. Icy blue. Controlled. Sharp. Rosa.

  One was hot. Fiery orange. Chaotic. Passionate. Faria.

  One was complex. Purple and gold. Calculating. Regal. Amina.

  And they were sitting in a circle.

  Lloyd deactivated the Eye. He swallowed hard.

  "Well," he whispered. "This is it."

  He smoothed his hair. He adjusted his jacket. He took a deep breath.

  He reached for the handle.

  The heavy oak door of the study clicked shut, sealing Lloyd Ferrum inside with the three most dangerous entities in the Northern Hemisphere. He had faced a chimera with a mechanical arm. He had stared down a demon prince made of magma. He had outwitted a king and manipulated a queen. But as he looked at the scene before him, Lloyd realized that those were merely warm-up exercises. This was the main event.

  The study, usually his sanctuary of blueprints and solitude, had been commandeered. It was no longer a room; it was a courtroom, and he was the defendant in a trial where the laws of physics did not apply, only the laws of emotion.

  Three women sat in a rough semi-circle facing the door.

  To the left sat Princess Amina of Zakaria. She looked perfectly at ease, sipping tea from one of his best porcelain cups. She wore a gown of deep purple silk that shimmered in the candlelight. Her veil was gone, revealing a face of serene, calculating intelligence. She looked like a grandmaster who had already seen the checkmate five moves ago.

  To the right sat Lady Faria Kruts. She was a storm contained in crimson riding leathers. Dust from the road still coated her boots, indicating she had ridden hard to get here. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest, her foot tapping a rapid, aggressive rhythm on the floorboards. Her eyes weren't calculating; they were burning. She looked like she was debating whether to kiss him or set him on fire.

  And in the center...

  In the center sat Rosa Siddik.

  She was an island of absolute, terrifying silence. She wore a dress of stark, winter white that made her silver hair look like a cascade of frost. She sat with perfect, rigid posture, her hands folded neatly in her lap. She did not drink tea. She did not tap her foot. She did not look at Amina or Faria. Her stormy grey eyes were fixed solely, intensely, and unblinkingly on Lloyd.

  The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees just by her being there. She radiated a cold so profound it felt like standing next to an open freezer door.

  Lloyd stood by the door, his hand still on the latch. He felt a bead of sweat trickle down his back.

  Chapter : 1556

  "I should have stayed in the carriage," Lloyd thought. "I should have asked Ken to lock me in the dungeon. At least the rats don't ask questions."

  He cleared his throat. It sounded like a gunshot in the quiet room.

  "So," Lloyd said, his voice sounding rusty. "The welcoming committee. How... charming."

  No one laughed.

  "You look terrible," Faria said instantly. Her voice was sharp, laced with worry and anger. "You look like you haven't slept in a month. And why are you wearing velvet? It's covered in road dust."

  "It's a long story, Faria," Lloyd said, addressing her directly. He walked over to his desk, using it as a physical barrier between himself and the Tribunal. He deliberately avoided looking at the center chair. He acted as if the woman in white wasn't there. "And the velvet was necessary. Diplomatic camouflage."

  "Camouflage for what?" Amina asked smoothly, setting her cup down. "For becoming a King Consort? Or for starting a civil war in a foreign nation?"

  Lloyd looked at Amina. "News travels fast."

  "Spies travel fast," Amina corrected with a small smile. "And your exploits were... loud. Blowing up quarries? Summoning demons in throne rooms? You are not very subtle for a ghost, Lloyd."

  "I got the job done," Lloyd said, leaning against his desk. "The treaty is signed. The alliance is secure. Risa is safe."

  "Your hydration levels are suboptimal," a voice said. It was cool, clear, and clinical.

  It was Rosa.

  She hadn't moved. She hadn't looked at Faria or Amina. She was speaking only to him.

  Lloyd stiffened. He didn't look at her. He looked at Faria.

  "Faria," Lloyd said, "is there a draft in here? It feels suddenly very cold. Perhaps we should check the window seals."

  Faria blinked, looking confused. "The windows are closed, Lloyd. What are you talking about?"

  "Just a chill," Lloyd muttered. "A very persistent chill."

  Rosa ignored Faria completely. She stood up. Her movement was graceful and silent, like a snowfall. She walked over to a side table where a pitcher of water sat. She poured a glass.

  She walked up to Lloyd. She held the glass out to him.

  "Drink," Rosa said.

  It wasn't a request. It was a statement of fact. Her eyes bored into his. There was no apology in them, no pleading. Just a terrifying, absolute focus. She was acting as if they were the only two people in the room.

  Lloyd stared at the water. He was thirsty. His throat was parched. But taking it felt like surrendering territory.

  He looked at Amina.

  "Princess," Lloyd said, "could you pass me that water? My hands are shaking from the... fatigue."

  Amina raised an eyebrow. She looked at Rosa, then at Lloyd. She saw the game. She saw the cold war.

  "I think," Amina said, leaning back, "that Lady Rosa is closer."

  "I am right here," Rosa said to Lloyd. She didn't acknowledge Amina's existence. "Take the glass. You need fluids to facilitate recovery."

  Lloyd gritted his teeth. He couldn't ignore her if she was standing six inches from his face holding a beverage.

  He reached out and took the glass, making sure his fingers didn't brush hers. He drank it in one gulp and slammed the glass down on the desk.

  "Thank you," he said to the air above her head.

  "You are welcome," Rosa said. She turned and walked back to her chair, sitting down with the same regal composture. She still hadn't looked at the other women.

  Faria looked like she was about to explode. "What is going on? Why are you two acting like... like weird statues?"

  "We are tired, Faria," Lloyd said quickly, turning his back on Rosa. "It was a long trip. A very long trip."

  "You left!" Faria shouted, jumping up. She couldn't hold it in anymore. "You just left! Without a word! You went to Altamira! Do you know what they do to people like us there? They put collars on them! You could have been killed!"

  She marched over to him and poked him hard in the chest.

  "You promised we were partners," Faria hissed. "Partners don't run off to enemy nations on suicide missions without telling the other partner! I had to hear about it from a rumor in the market!"

  "It was necessary," Lloyd said, rubbing his chest. "It was an emergency. A child's life was at stake."

  "And your life?" Faria demanded. "Does your life not matter? To us? To... me?"

  Her voice cracked on the last word. She looked furious and heartbroken all at once.