Semua Bab The mafia’s captive : Bab 141 - Bab 150

The winds over the fortress howled like something ancient had stirred — something not yet flesh, but no longer just memory. Petrov stood on the western rampart, arms folded, watching the mountains as if they might blink. He wasn’t smiling tonight. The fires below, stoked by their last victories in Zurich and Cairo, cast long shadows against the walls. But none of that soothed his nerves.He turned as Sokolov approached with a fresh ward scroll in hand. “She’s still gathering,” Sokolov muttered. “Valeria’s not rushing. She’s savoring.”Petrov grimaced. “That thing inside her… the Hollow King… it wants more than blood.”Behind them, Vulture joined in, dusting off ash from his gloves. “It wants something pure. Untouched. Sacred.”All three men turned as Cassian walked out into the courtyard barefoot, dragging a blanket, his golden eyes unblinking in the moonlight.“She doesn’t want to kill my brother,” he said softly.Petrov knelt beside him, brows furrowed. “What does she want, little p

The cavern breathed cold air—the ancient stone walls slick with dripping water and the echo of distant chants. Bain, Seraphina, Elias, and Cassian crept forward, eyes fixed on the alabaster pedestal at the chamber’s center. Upon it lay the Heart of Thorns—a relic carved from a single branch of the original Thorned Circle, said to anchor their power.Seraphina’s lantern cast dancing shadows across the runes carved into the floor. “This relic will strengthen the Circle’s bond,” she whispered. “But Valeria’s hollow magic still stalks these halls. Stay close.”Elias gripped Bain’s arm. “Are you sure this is safe?”Bain smiled reassuringly. “Nothing worth having ever was.”Cassian, three years old but wise beyond his age, tiptoed ahead, pressing his small hand to the wall. He shivered. “Papa… Mommy’s coming soon. She’ll deliver in a day or two. We have to hurry back.”Seraphina knelt to him. Her eyes softened. “Thank you for warning us, little light. Lead the way.”He turned, guiding them

Elias woke in a cold sweat, heart hammering against his ribs. Moonlight filtered through his window, revealing the rune ward faintly glowing on the floor. But his mind replayed the vision:His mother—Valeria—smiled at him, arms open. Her voice, honeyed and soft, whispered, “Come home, my son. You belong with me.” Behind her, shadows shifted, and he saw Cassian clutching Aragorn’s swaddled form, tears staining the fabric.He shook his head. “She’s dead,” he muttered. But the illusion persisted—his mother stepping forward, hand outstretched.He bolted upright. The ward line around his chamber held, but the air felt thinner, as if someone had slipped through a crack.Down in the courtyard, a low growl rumbled like distant thunder. The Brotherhood had fortified every gate, every window, but blood magic could fray even the strongest wards—and Valeria’s hollow pets were relentless.A massive hound, its fur bone-white and eyes burning with voidlight, lunged through the outer ward where Cassi

Across four continents, the Brotherhood resumed their spheres of power, each man donning his old crown even as the war raged beneath the surface.• Petrov flew to Moscow under the guise of recovering assets. By day, he paraded his wife and children through the gilded parks, laughter echoing among the fountains. By night, he convened at private tables, toasting to fortunes regained—while his guards discreetly “interviewed” suspects for any hollow cult sympathies.• Sokolov returned to Prague’s corporate boardrooms, closing multimillion-dollar arms deals with the same cold efficiency that once ran murder racks. His iron gaze reminded even officials that he was both ally and arbiter—while he quietly funneled funds into secret black-ops accounts.• Vulture slipped into London’s underworld like a ghost. At his gambling salons, he taunted debtors with sharp wit, ran high-stakes games where the losers never awoke—and distributed warded tokens to his lieutenants. All the while, he mapped the

approached. Bain, Cassie, Elias, Seraphina, Malthea, Cassian, and baby Aragorn formed a circle around the map table—now crowded with relics and runic markers. Vulture, Petrov, and Sokolov joined via holo-comm.Bain’s voice was low but fierce. “Tomorrow, at dawn, we strike the Spire’s foundations. Each relic finds its mark. Each of us plays our part.”• Vulture would infiltrate the northern wards with the Mirror of Fede to reveal hidden runic traps.• Petrov and Sokolov would use the Cinder Dagger to breach the secondary ramparts of bone-fortified walls.• Seraphina and Malthea would perform the Lur of Binding in three sacred groves, weakening the Spire’s leylines.• Elias, Cassian, and Aragorn would channel the Heart of Thorns’ power at the central cornerstone—unleashing the Circle’s combined light.Cassie pressed Aragorn close. “Be strong, my light.”Cassian placed a small warded crystal into Elias’s hand. “For when you falter.”Elias nodded. “I won’t.”II. North Bridge: Vulture’s Wa