Althea frowned, her brows knitting tightly. “I can’t reach him through the mindlink. It’s not working,” she said, her voice shaking with worry.
Uriel’s words from earlier echoed in her mind, that mysterious man had taken Gavriel and vanished through a vortex, leaving no trace behind. They had tried everything to track them but failed.
She closed her eyes and reached out again, not through the mindlink this time, but through their bond. She could feel the faint pull of it inside her, warm and steady but there was no response. No voice. No heartbeat calling back to her.
Her chest tightened. “Gavriel...” she whispered, her hand clutching the front of her dress.
Uriel swore under his breath. “We tried creating portals using our own links, but it’s of no use. Every path is blocked.” He looked at her seriously, determination flashing in his eyes.
“I’ll try something else, using your bond with him. Your connection to the Alpha King is far stronger than ours. If anything can reach him, it’s that.”
Althea nodded quickly. “Tell me what to do.”
Uriel gestured for her to follow as he led her to the courtyard behind the inn. It had been cleared out, leaving a wide open space where Gustav and several mages stood waiting, already drawing runes into the ground.
“Stand at the center,” Uriel instructed. “Focus on him—his scent, his voice, anything that ties you to him. We’ll channel your energy and open a path that leads directly to him.”
Althea stepped into the circle, her heart pounding hard against her ribs. The air hummed with power as the mages took their positions, their hands glowing faintly. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply as she tried to steady her racing thoughts.
“Gavriel... can you hear me?”
Uriel’s voice rang out firmly. “Begin the channel!”
The mages moved in unison, their voices rising in a low chant as light spread through the runes around Althea. The wind began to stir, pulling at her hair and clothes.
“Keep the connection strong!” Uriel shouted over the growing hum of energy. “Find him, My Lady—call for him through your bond!”
Althea clenched her fists tightly. She focused on his eyes, his touch, the warmth of his voice when he said her name.
“Gavriel,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “Please... hear me.”
But something was wrong.
The circle began to flicker. The glow of the runes sputtered, and a low hum filled the air as if the energy was being devoured by something unseen.
Uriel’s brow furrowed. “No, this isn’t right...” He raised his hands and pushed more power into the circle, his voice rising as he chanted ancient words.
The air rippled like heatwaves, and for a second, Althea thought she saw a faint silhouette, someone struggling inside a swirling sandstorm, but before she could speak, the image shattered like glass.
The ground cracked with a loud snap, and the light from the runes exploded in a burst of blue sparks, throwing everyone back.
“Lord Uriel!” Althea gasped as she steadied herself. The mages coughed and tried to regain their footing, the air thick with smoke and dust.
Uriel’s face was pale. His hands trembled slightly as he steadied himself against the wall.
“The link—” he rasped, breathing heavily, “—it’s blocked. Something or someone is sealing the path between worlds. I tried to force it open, but... whatever space he’s trapped in doesn’t exist within our normal realm.”
Althea’s heart sank. “You mean we can’t reach him?”
“For now,” Uriel said quietly, “we can’t. Not through any magic we currently possess.”
Everything fell silent. The only sound was Althea’s uneven breathing.
She looked down at her trembling hands, her mind spinning. She could still feel Gavriel—barely—but it was like reaching through fog. He was out there, fighting, surviving, but she couldn’t reach him.
Althea lifted her gaze to Uriel, her voice barely above a whisper. “Then we’ll find another way. Whatever it takes... we’ll bring him back.”
She gulped and weakly added, “I want to try something.”
She was thinking of creating a portal through a heart’s connection, like the one she had made to reach Melva in the prison dungeon before.
It was a connection to her loved ones, but it would only work if Gavriel truly had her in his heart and was deeply connected to her, just like how Melva shared a genuine bond with her as family.
It was something worth the risk rather than not trying at all.
Uriel furrowed his brow, and Althea felt everyone’s eyes on her. “I’ll create a portal to reach him,” she stated with a deep sigh.
She could sense the exchanged glances among the other mages and even Gustav’s hesitation at her words but not Uriel’s.
“Do you need our assistance?” Uriel asked.
Althea shook her head firmly. She was the only one who could do this. Her mother had once told her that not everyone was capable of creating this kind of portal—it was a rare gift passed down through their bloodline, one only a few could wield.
She opened her mouth to speak but froze when she suddenly felt something cold and sharp press against her skin. Her breath hitched, her pulse racing as her eyes darted sideways to catch the faint glint of a blade poised at her throat.
“What nonsense is this, Uriel?!” a harsh voice barked from behind.
A tall man stepped forward, his grip steady as the edge of his sword kissed the side of her neck. “You’re asking the traitor’s daughter for help? Have you lost your mind? She’s a captive—nothing more! Why would you believe a word from her lips? The King’s life is in danger, and for all we know, she might be the very cause of it!”
“Midas!” Uriel snapped, his tone commanding. “Lower your sword. Now!”
But Midas only pressed the blade closer, just enough to graze her skin. Althea winced as a sting of pain followed, a thin line of blood trickling down her neck.
Her voice trembled, yet her eyes didn’t blink as she looked at Uriel. “We’re running out of time,” she whispered.