33 - The Web Tightens

The air inside the apothecary was thick with tension, laced with the faint scent of crushed herbs and old parchment. Seraphina sat stiff-backed, her emerald eyes flitting between the figures surrounding them, subtly shifting to ensure there was no clear path to escape.

Caelum, seated beside her, appeared at ease—too at ease. His aged, weathered hands rested lightly on the table, but Seraphina knew better. He was studying their captors, analyzing every detail in quiet calculation.

Across from them, the man in charge regarded them with a measured expression. His gaze was sharp, thoughtful, and infuriatingly unreadable.

"You seem tense," he finally said, voice calm as if they were discussing the weather.

Seraphina scoffed, leaning back with feigned indifference. "No, really?" she shot back, sarcasm dripping from her tone.

One of the figures at the man's side tensed slightly, but their leader merely tilted his head in quiet amusement. "There's no need for hostility. We only wish to talk."

Seraphina's jaw tightened. Her instincts screamed at her to act. To unleash the power crackling at her fingertips and tear through these unknown enemies before they could act first. But then—

A shift.

Caelum, ever subtle, moved his hand beneath the table—just enough for Seraphina to catch the slightest tap against his wrist. A warning.

Not yet.

She clenched her fists under the table, biting back the urge to lash out. Waiting had never been her strong suit.

So, for now, they listened.

The conversation dragged on, but Seraphina had heard enough. These people weren't bounty hunters. They weren't simple mercenaries either. Their leader was too composed, too well-prepared.

They were waiting for something.

She wasn't going to give them the chance.

With a sharp flick of her wrist, flames erupted from her palm. The apothecary ignited in an instant, shelves bursting into fire as bottles shattered from the heat.

Shouts of alarm filled the room as the figures instinctively pulled back, shielding themselves from the sudden inferno. It was all the opening she needed.

Seraphina grabbed Caelum's wrist, yanking him toward the door. "Move!"

The two burst out into the street, Seraphina already preparing another spell to cover their retreat.

Caelum cast one last glance back at the burning building—and at the man who had trapped them there.

A shiver of unease rippled through Caelum, but they had no time to dwell on it.

They ran.

The streets were unnaturally quiet as they weaved through darkened alleys. Too quiet.

Seraphina could feel the change in the air—a shift in the unseen forces around them.

Then, from the rooftops—

Shadows moved.

Figures leaped from above, their dark garb blending into the night. Unlike their previous captors, these new enemies did not hesitate.

Blades whistled through the air.

Seraphina barely twisted in time, fire bursting from her fingertips to intercept the first strike. A spy reeled back, his arm scorched, but another was already lunging.

Caelum moved with the efficiency of a man who had seen too many battles. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed a small vial at the ground—an alchemical mixture bursting into thick, acrid smoke.

But their enemies were relentless.

Seraphina sent flames roaring down the alley, the walls cracking from the sheer heat. The Esmoran spies countered with ruthless precision, dodging her magic with unnatural speed, some throwing alchemical concoctions of their own.

For every one they struck down, more emerged from the darkness.

And then—

A whistle rang through the air.

The ground shifted.

Hidden ropes beneath loose cobblestones snapped upward, yanking two spies clean off their feet, suspending them in midair like tangled marionettes.

Before the others could react—

A blur of motion. A shadow among shadows.

A gleaming blade shot out from the darkness, slicing through a spy's throat before he could cry out.

Then—

Aldric moved.

Emerging from the darkness like death incarnate, he struck with terrifying precision. His hidden wrist blade gleamed under the dim light, the steel extending in a swift, fluid motion as he plunged it into an enemy's ribs.

The spy crumpled before he even realized he was dead.

His team followed suit.

From the rooftops, Mara and her elite unit descended upon the battlefield, striking with ruthless efficiency.

"Move, move!" one of Aldric's men whispered, activating a hidden mechanism beneath his sleeve. A blade shot forward, catching an enemy in the throat.

"These things are damn useful," another operative muttered as he flexed his wrist, admiring the sleek, concealed weapon.

"Tch. Our boss really thinks of everything," a third commented, ducking beneath an enemy's strike before driving his blade home.

Seraphina and Caelum, momentarily stunned, barely had time to react before Aldric grabbed Seraphina's wrist, twisting her slightly off balance.

"Enough," he ordered, his voice calm—unyielding.

Seraphina's breath came ragged, flames still flickering at her fingertips. "And who the hell are you supposed to be?" she spat.

Aldric didn't answer immediately. He merely cast a glance over the battlefield—where his team was efficiently erasing the last of the Esmoran spies.

His trap had worked.

The Esmorans had been drawn into his playing field. Their corpses littered the ground, their intel stripped before their bodies were even cold.

Seraphina's magic had forced this battle. And Aldric had used it against them.

He finally met her gaze, his expression unreadable.

"The one who just saved your life."

Seraphina wrenched her arm free, green eyes blazing with defiance. "We didn't need saving."

Aldric's gaze flickered to the scattered bodies surrounding them. "Clearly."

Before she could snap back, Mara approached, wiping the blood off her blade. "Clean-up's done. No survivors."

Aldric nodded. "Good."

The battlefield was already being cleared. The dead disappeared into the shadows, taken by Aldric's operatives before anyone could ask questions.

This wasn't just about survival.

This was control.

Aldric controlled when this battle started.

He controlled who walked away.

And now—

He controlled Seraphina and Caelum's fate.

He turned to them, calm, composed. "We should talk."

This time, Seraphina had no choice but to listen.