Chapter 172 Keal

Chapter 172 Keal

Dawn found them exhausted but ready. would follow Aria. Keal would shadow Sydney from a distance. Maya would remain at the palace as their anchor, ready to alert Marcus if they failed to return.

"Be careful." Maya hugged Sydney tightly. "Both of you. Come back with information but come back safe."

"We will." Sydney's voice held confidence she hoped she felt.

Keal gathered his supplies, weapons, medical kit and chemical samples for testing. Everything needed for surveillance and potential confrontation.

As Maya left to catch a few hours of sleep before her duties resumed, Keal and Sydney stood alone in the laboratory.

"I meant what I said." Keal's voice was quiet. "About not surviving if something happened to you. The bond. What we are to each other. It is not just words."

"I know." Sydney moved closer. "That is why I trust you to protect me. Because you love me. Because we are mates even if we have not completed the claiming."

"When this is over. When Gerrit is dealt with and the conspiracy is exposed and the kingdom is safe." Keal's hand cupped her face. "I am claiming you properly. Publicly. No more hiding. No more waiting."

"Good." Sydney's smile was soft. "Because I am tired of waiting too."

They had hours before Aria's departure. Time to rest. To prepare mentally for what came next.

But neither could sleep. The danger was too real. The stakes too high. Tomorrow they would walk into the heart of the conspiracy that had destroyed so many lives.

And they would either emerge with the truth or not emerge at all.

The second bell rang across the palace. Aria emerged from the servants' entrance dressed in plain clothes. A cloak hood obscured her face. She moved with purpose toward the lower city gates.

Sydney followed at a careful distance. Dressed as a market shopper. Basket on her arm. Blending with afternoon crowds.

Keal shadowed from rooftops and alleys. Invisible. Silent. His eyes never leaving Sydney's form.

They moved through the city. Past market squares. Through residential districts. Toward the abandoned fortress ruins on the city's edge.

The crowds thinned. Buildings grew more decrepit. Windows were broken. Doors hung crooked on rusted hinges.

Aria's pace quickened. She glanced back once. Sydney ducked into a doorway. Waited. Continued only when Aria moved forward again.

They reached the old fortress district. Truly abandoned now. No residents. No merchants. Just empty stone and creeping shadows.

Aria stopped at a building that looked slightly less ruined than the others. She knocked. A specific pattern. Three sharp. Two soft. One sharp.

The door opened. Aria slipped inside. The door closed behind her.

Sydney marked the location. Circled the building from a distance. Noted exits. Windows. Structural weak points.

Keal dropped from a nearby roof. Materialized beside her so silently she jumped.

"Three exits." His voice was barely a whisper. "Front door where she entered. Back door in the alley. Window on the second floor that might be accessible."

"Can we get close enough to hear what is happening inside?" Sydney asked.

"Too risky. The building is isolated. No cover. We would be spotted immediately." Keal pulled her back into shadow. "We wait. See who else arrives or leaves. Document everyone involved."

They waited. Minutes stretched. The sun moved lower. Shadows lengthened.

Then the back door opened. A figure emerged. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Moving with military precision.

Keal's breath hissed. "That is Gerrit."

Sydney's eyes widened. "So this is his secondary laboratory. Where he creates the creatures. Where he hides the evidence."

Another figure emerged. Smaller. Hooded. But the walk was familiar. Nervous. Quick.

"Margot." Sydney's voice was certain despite the hood. "She was exiled but she is still here. Still involved."

"Then the exile was theater. Adrian removed her from court but not from the conspiracy." Keal's mind raced. "We need to get inside. Need to see what they are working on. What their next move is."

"Now? While they are all inside?" Sydney's voice climbed. "Keal, that is suicide."

"Not now. Tonight. After they leave. We break in under cover of darkness. Document everything. Take samples." Keal's voice was determined. "This might be our only chance before they move locations again."

"Absolutely not." Sydney grabbed his arm. "We agreed. Surveillance only. No direct confrontation. No unnecessary risks."

"This is not unnecessary. This is essential." Keal turned to face her. "Sydney, they are planning something. The payments. The meetings. The continued activity even after Margot's exile. Whatever comes next will be big. We need to know what it is."

"Then we tell Marcus. We tell the King. We bring warriors and do this properly." Sydney's voice was firm. "We do not break into a murderer's laboratory alone at night."

"If we tell Marcus, Adrian will want to move immediately. He will storm this place with warriors. And Gerrit will see them coming from miles away." Keal's frustration bled through. "He will destroy evidence. Flee. Disappear. We will lose our chance."

"Better than losing our lives!" Sydney's voice rose. She caught herself. Lowered her volume. "Keal, please. I know you want to end this. I know you want justice for what Gerrit did to your parents and to Lady Lila and to everyone. But charging in recklessly is not the answer."

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