Dark Moon Fourth Arc (Thorns of The Black Throne) - 505. Trust II

Fourth Arc (Thorns of The Black Throne) - 505. Trust II

Ancient relocation magic existed mostly in myth and forbidden records. Even Seraphine never used anything remotely close to that. Her shadow movement still required connected darkness and magical traces.

But Angel…

He had simply disappeared.

Roric rubbed a hand slowly over his face.

Then another thought struck him.

The barrier.

The castle shield should have reacted.

Should have screamed.

But it didn’t.

Which meant one of two things.

Either Angel somehow bypassed ancient royal magic entirely…

Or…

He wasn’t using magic in the way Roric understood at all.

The thought sent a cold shiver through him.

Roric turned slowly toward the journal again.

A foreign king.

Young.

Calm.

Able to appear inside shielded chambers without sound.

Able to vanish without trace.

And somehow still speaking to him like an equal instead of a fool.

Roric sat back down slowly.

His heartbeat still hadn’t settled.

Outside the windows, morning continued normally. Bells rang faintly from the lower halls. Servants moved through corridors. The castle breathed like nothing had changed.

But something had.

Roric stared down at the journal page.

Then slowly reached for the pen again.

Because Angel was right.

If the fog returned someday…

He might need these words to remember who he truly was.

Meanwhile, Angel appeared in Rose’s chamber.

The distortion in the air lasted less than a second. Shadows folded inward, compressed, then released him soundlessly into the room.

Rose looked up immediately from where she stood near the mirror adjusting the clasp of her sleeve.

Jane, seated beside the low table, startled slightly before relaxing once she realized it was him.

Angel raised the waxed pouch calmly.

“I got it.”

Rose blinked once.

“So fast.”

There was faint disbelief in her voice despite already knowing what he could do.

Angel crossed the room and handed her the pouch carefully.

Jane stood up immediately.

“With this… Roric could be saved?”

Hope.

Fragile but visible.

Rose accepted the pouch slowly, her healer instincts already focusing on the faint herbal scent leaking through the waxed cloth.

“Not yet,” she said honestly.

Jane’s shoulders fell slightly.

Rose softened her tone.

“We still need to know exactly what it is. And how deeply it affected him.”

She untied the seal partially and frowned faintly at the scent.

“It will take time. Resources too.”

Angel moved toward the window quietly.

“We don’t have those resources here.”

Rose immediately understood what he meant.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“You’re taking it to Euphorion.”

Angel nodded once.

“Yes.”

Jane looked between them.

Rose straightened fully now.

“You’ve already used your teleportation spell several times today.”

Her voice lowered slightly.

“Inside a foreign castle.”

Angel remained calm.

“Only twice.”

Rose crossed her arms immediately.

“That’s still too much.”

Angel glanced toward her faintly.

“Rose.”

“No,” she said quietly but firmly. “Short-range movement inside the castle is already risky enough. But from here to Euphorion?”

She stepped closer.

“That distance is enormous.”

Jane watched silently now.

Rose continued.

“You’ll need far more power.”

Angel’s gaze shifted toward the pouch briefly.

“And we need answers quickly.”

Rose exhaled sharply through her nose.

Of course, he would prioritize that.

Of course, he would risk himself if it meant solving the problem faster.

“That crystal inside you isn’t limitless,” she said quietly.

Angel’s expression flickered almost imperceptibly.

“I know.”

“And if Seraphine senses it?”

“She already suspects something.”

That made Rose grimace faintly.

True.

The room fell quiet for a moment.

Then Angel spoke again.

“Just cover for me if I’m late.”

Rose huffed softly.

There it was.

Not a request.

A calm assumption that she would handle the aftermath.

And annoyingly enough, she would.

“Fine,” she muttered.

Jane looked increasingly overwhelmed.

“You’re really leaving now?”

Angel nodded once.

“Euphorion’s royal alchemists will identify the tonic faster than anyone here.”

Rose carefully resealed the pouch and handed it back to him.

“Be careful.”

Angel’s fingers closed around it.

The dark power flared.

This time it was different.

Denser.

Heavier.

The air pressure inside the room changed instantly. The candle flames bent sharply inward. Shadows stretched unnaturally across the floor.

Jane’s breath caught.

She had felt Angel’s power before, but only in fragments.

This…

This felt ancient.

Rose stepped back slightly on instinct even though she trusted him completely.

Long-distance teleportation was different.

Short jumps bent space briefly.

This tore through it.