ShadowBound: The Need For Power-Chapter 305: Reason For My Words

After both kingdoms had departed and the summit had officially concluded, Lucy, Mystica, and Dove made their way through the quiet corridors of the palace, arriving at Lucy's private study. As soon as the doors closed behind them, Dove made a beeline for the wine shelf, pouring herself a generous glass without asking.

"I'm going to need this," she muttered before taking a long sip.

Mystica took one of the cushioned chairs across from Lucy, crossing her legs with practiced grace. "Alright then, care to explain?" she asked, fixing Lucy with a knowing look. "Why Caelum Virellan?"

Lucy eased into her seat with a small, pleased smile tugging at her lips. "Simple," she said, lacing her fingers together. "Naming Caelum as the task force leader puts Valemir and the Crescent Kingdom in a very strategic bind."

Mystica arched a brow. "Go on."

"By giving them the lead role," Lucy continued, "I offload the burden of responsibility. If the mission succeeds, Crescent gets the glory. If it fails… well, the world blames the commander, not the council who appointed him. It gives me plausible deniability. At the same time, it makes it seem like I'm trusting Valemir's judgment and not trying to hoard control."

Dove, now half through her glass, gave her a sideways glance. "Is that a good thing though? Putting all the pressure on another kingdom?"

Lucy tilted her head. "Yes and no."

She stood and walked slowly to the window, gazing out at the sprawling palace grounds bathed in moonlight. "Yes, because it prevents me from appearing as a power-hungry monarch trying to centralize authority during a crisis. It spreads the weight—and the perception of trust. Crescent feels empowered, Solara feels included, and Tempest looks diplomatic."

"And the no?" Mystica asked, watching her carefully.

Lucy's smirk faded into something more measured. "No, because it also means I've started a very delicate balance. If Crescent succeeds too well, they might gain too much influence. And if Solara begins to suspect collusion between us, they might distance themselves—or worse, withdraw entirely."

Dove whistled low. "So you're dancing on a blade."

"I always am," Lucy said, turning back to face them. "This is a game of thrones and demons. And if we don't play it wisely… Amthar burns."

"Anyway, tell me, Dove—when exactly did you come up with that clever little half-truth about the hybrid-detecting crystal… sorry, I mean 'solution'?" Lucy asked, a smirk tugging at her lips.

Dove finished the last of her wine and set the glass down with a clink. "Oh please. Just because I said 'solution' instead of 'crystal' doesn't mean it's not technically the same thing."

She leaned back, looking far too proud of herself. "Besides, I'm not just a genius with spells and science. I can dance with politics too, you know. And that little fabrication helps us in the long run—especially with the whole 'Liam situation.'"

"That's true…" Lucy mused. "But why mention it at all when you haven't even started building the damn thing? And more importantly, you don't even know if Liam would agree to be your test subject."

Mystica's voice was soft as she chimed in, "It's risky, Dove."

Dove scoffed. "It's not about whether it exists yet. It's about plugging the logical hole before anyone has the chance to dig it up. If we claim we have a working solution in progress, no one will ask the one question that matters—'How did you identify the hybrids before you built the tool to do it?'"

She snapped her fingers like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"She's right," Mystica said. "If we revealed that we already knew about Gordon and Ember, and that their target was Sheila, it'd stir panic. Valemir's already made it clear he wants his children uninvolved. And Tharion—Tharion would twist it. He'd make it sound like we've been hiding evidence, or worse, that we're in league with Sylvathar."

Lucy nodded. "And if we tried to tell them without mentioning Liam, they'd demand proof of how we found out in the first place. Proof we don't have."

"Exactly. So my two lovely conspirators," Dove said, flashing a flirtatious wink, "you're welcome."

Lucy gave her a blank stare, then sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Good job, then."

She glanced between them. "Anyway… has either of you heard from Galen?"

Mystica shook her head. "No. Ever since he went to Solara with that message you sent him to deliver, he's vanished. No word from him and no sight of him."

"How convenient," Lucy muttered. "Of course he goes missing right after I name him to the task force without his consent. Well, he can't blame me. Who walks out before a critical summit without a damn good reason?"

"You're not wrong," Mystica said. "But this is Galen we're talking about. If he was here, convincing him to join would've been ten times harder than adding him behind his back. Honestly? This worked out better."

Lucy snorted softly, then tilted her head. "By the way—Mystica. Any word from Magnus about the little babysitting assignment you gave him?"

"None," Mystica replied. "I just hope he's not being obvious. If he's tailing Sheila in broad daylight like how he does, I guess I'll just have to slap that pretty face of his."

"I hope not too," Lucy muttered. "The last thing we need is Valemir catching wind that we've got an overgrown knight following his daughter like a lovesick guard dog."

***

Back at the Dark Knight Academy, in one of the rarely used, dust-choked storerooms tucked away from the main corridors, Gordon stood alone, his expression twisted in clear disgust. He dodged the dangling spiderwebs with an irritated flick of his wrist, grimacing as they clung to his cloak. He was here to meet Ember—though she was now considerably late.

Their secret alliance had grown tense in the days after an unexpected intrusion disrupted one of their clandestine discussions. Since then, both hybrids had grown increasingly cautious, realizing their quiet attempts to capture Sheila without drawing suspicion were slowly unraveling.

Ember, especially, had taken note of Dylan's constant and strangely well-timed appearances, always swooping in to spirit Sheila away for reasons that felt far too convenient. It was no coincidence—something, or someone, was interfering. There were moments when Ember wanted to simply act: eliminate Dylan, grab Sheila, and vanish to Sylvathar. But she hesitated. The unease from that day the shadows stirred during their meeting still haunted her—like eyes watching her from the shadows, though she saw no one. A paranoia that had yet to fade.

And now, Gordon was left waiting, irritation boiling in his veins as the faint flutter of cobwebs danced with every movement. ƒrēenovelkiss.com

"Where the hell is that damned hybrid?" he muttered, eyes narrowing with growing contempt. "The power of Lord Sylvathar must've gone straight to her head. She's forgotten the pitiful, trembling thing she used to be. Now she wants to act like she's in charge?"

He scoffed and shook his head, muttering curses under his breath. But then—he heard it. The door creaked open, slow and deliberate. He felt the presence before he even turned.

"You better have a damn good reason for making me wait twenty goddamn minutes," Gordon snapped, his tone sharp as steel. "You show up like you're royalty now?"

Ember stepped into view, unbothered, her sharp blue eyes settling coldly on him. "If one of us is useless, it's you," she shot back. "Last I checked, you've been stalking the Academy like a bloodhound, claiming you're looking for the one who eavesdropped on us—but all you've done is waste time and turn up nothing."

Her gaze was icy, her tone calm—but biting.

"Tsk…" Gordon sneered, his voice low and heavy with contempt. "Lord Sylvathar's power must really be clouding your mind if you think you can speak to me like that."

"Oh, shut up," Ember snapped, rolling her eyes. "Spare me your superiority complex. I was late because Regulus wouldn't stop pestering me about some weekend outing. I had to play the part—act shy, meek, like the powerless girl I used to be. Can't exactly flaunt all this new strength, can I?"

Gordon's eyes narrowed as he studied her. After a tense pause, he asked flatly, "Any progress with the princess?"

"Today's chances?" Ember let out a breath. "Worse than ever."

"And why is that?" he asked, jaw tightening.

"Magnus," she replied coolly. "Out in the open today, mingling with students like he actually belongs here. And you and I both know, no matter how easygoing or clumsy he might act, he's anything but harmless."

Gordon cursed under his breath. "This is spiraling. If Lord Sylvathar contacts us again and we give him another excuse, he might just kill us on the spot. We need to act. Fast."

"And do what, exactly?" Ember retorted. "Grab Sheila in broad daylight? With Magnus around? That's suicide. I'm not throwing myself into a fight I can't walk away from."

"How pathetic," Gordon scoffed. "What could he possibly do against two Gaia hybrids?"

Ember gave him a long, cold stare. "You really are as ignorant as you are arrogant. You clearly haven't seen Magnus fight."