Going to S Country meant facing one enormous obstacle–Zorro’s power. If he got word they were heading there, he would never let them go unharmed.
Sebastian thought for a moment and made his decision. “Here’s what we’ll do. I’ll arrange for people to escort your mother and James back to the US. Then Caitlin and I will go to S Country to find Aurelius.”
“I’lle too.” <b>Alicia </b>said firmly. “Otherwise my master may not even give you the time of day. I don’t have <b>his </b>contact information. Finding <b>him </b><b>is </b>already a matter of luck, and he only listens to me.”
She was right. Aurelius was entric, nearly impossible to track down, and rarely generous with his help. <b>Only </b>with Alicia did he show any real warmth.
“I’ming as well,” Zeke added without hesitation. He wasn’t about to let them <b>go </b>off into danger alone.
Caitlin shook her head. “It’s too risky. Aurelius is in Santa Aurelia, but that’s within Graystone territory. Zeke, Zorro’s assassins are still hunting you. And Alicia, you’re wanted, too. If you both walk into Graystone, it’s suicide.
“It’s fine.” Alicia replied with quiet confidence. “I can disguise us. If I can <b>stand </b>in front of <b>Zorro </b>himself without him recognizing me, we’ll be fine.”
Sebastian gave a sharp nod. “Then it’s settled. I’ll contact the Obsidian Order and make arrangements right
<b>away</b>.
Meanwhile, Tyler and the others returned to the vi they had infiltrated earlier. This time <b>it </b>was deserted. The corpses were gone. Even the bloodstains had been scrubbed away.
Clearly someone had swept through after them and erased all evidence.
Inside, the ce was stripped bare. The portraits Kelly had described were gone. Every trace of what had been there before was deliberately removed<b>. </b>
“Nothing here,” one of the men muttered.
“Same on my side,” another confirmed.
“It’s like they gutted the whole ce on purpose,” Tyler said grimly. “Now it’s just an empty husk.”
The castle loomed dark and silent, its halls barren, its shadows oppressive. It felt more like a set from a horror film than a <b>ce </b>anyone had lived.
“What now?” Vaughn asked.
“Back to report, Tyler decided.
They left and returned to the hospital, where they ryed everything to Caitlin and Sebastian.
“Then it’s confirmed,” Caitlin said. “They’ve cut off our trail. There’s no antidote here. Our only option is S
Country”
“I’ve already prepared everything. Sebastian replied<b>. </b>“Tomorrow morning, we split into two groups and
move out.
Caitlin exhaled sofily. She turned toward her mother, sitting silently at James’s bedside, her gaze lost somewhere far away.
All Caitlin could do was hope their journey to S Country would go smoothly.
That night, Sebastian assigned men to guard James in shifts. The rest returned to the hotel to rest and prepare for morning.
For the first time since their reunion, Caitlin finally had a quiet moment alone with her mother. They sat together by the bed.
“Mom,” Caitlin said softly. “these <b>years </b>must have been hell for you.”
Kelly sighed, her voice weary. “It wasn’t <b>so </b>bad. I’m just sorry I made you all worry.”
Caitlin took her hand. The skin was surprisingly soft, untouched by weather or age, as though she hadn’t lived through suffering at all.
“Please,” Caitlin pressed, “tell me what happened. How were you taken? What have you been through all these years?”
“Mr. ck sent me to a clinic <b>in </b>A Country for treatment. They helped me. I’m better now. But… a lot of the rest, I don’t remember<b>.</b>”
Her eyes dropped. It was obvious she didn’t want to speak of the past.
“Fine,” Caitlin said gently, though her heart was heavy. “But answer me one thing. Who is our real father?”
Surely she couldn’t have forgotten that.
“Your father is Jonathan,” Kelly replied quickly.
“Mom, don’t lie to me. I already proved it. Jonathan isn’t our biological father. Why else <b>would </b>he have sold Harrison to traffickers when we were five? Who is our father? Is it the man in your diary–Mr. L? Who was he? Tell me the truth.”
Frustration crept into Caitlin’s voice. She couldn’t understand why her mother was still hiding it.
“L. I don’t know. I’ve forgotten,” Kelly whispered.
“Mom…”
Caitlin stood, trembling with anger she didn’t want to feel. Reuniting with her mother should have been a blessing, not a fight. But she couldn’t hold back anymore.
“Do you realize what I’ve been through these past four years? Searching for you, risking my life over and over.
People have died. Innocent <b>people</b>. One bloody crime after another, all because we’re trapped in someone else’s game. The only way to end this is to uncover the truth. You need to tell me who my father is. Stop hiding it from me. Please
“I told you, I don’t remember<b>. </b>I don’t know who he is. Mr. I. was just something I made up.”
No matter how Caitlin pressed, Kelly wouldn’t speak. The air between them grew heavy, thick with silence.
“<b>Fine</b><b>,</b>” Caitlin <b>said </b>atst, her voice tight. “Then tell me this. Where is the second half of Yun’s Aromatic Codex?”
“Hector took it.”
“Hector? Who is Hector?”
Kelly’s eyes darkened. “Walter’s brother. Your grandfather’s illegitimate <b>son</b>. He immigrated to D Country with his mother years ago.”
“Hector… D Country. Caitlin repeated. At least it was something. “And how did he get the Codex? Did <b>give </b><b>it </b>to <b>him</b>, or-”
“He stole it from me.”
you
Caitlin’s chest tightened. But she forced herself to keep asking. “Mom, do you know why everyone wants it? What is hidden inside that book?”
Kelly’s gaze flickered. “They say if both volumes are brought together, they reveal a map to Antis. And in Antis lies the Shard of Life. They say it has miraculous power–able to restore sight to the blind, heal the sick, even grant longevity to the <b>old</b>. That’s why so many have stopped at nothing to obtain it.”
Caitlin froze. It sounded like fantasy. Impossible. Yet the determination in people’s eyes told her they believed it was real.
She swallowed hard. “When I asked you about our father, you imed you’d forgotten. But now, suddenly, you know all of this? Why?”
“I don’t know,” Kelly murmured. “Maybe it’s selective memory. My mind… isn’t what it used to be.” She tapped her temple with a hollowugh. “You don’t believe me?”
?