Chapter 157: A Meeting In The Night Sky

Ezra and Olivia hovered above the city, the night sky a vast canvas of twinkling stars and inky darkness.

His powerful dragon wings beat steadily, keeping him aloft with ease, while Olivia's beautiful white wings glowed softly in the moonlight.

He quickly deployed his black box, the darkness surrounding them and shielding them from any star watchers or prying eyes below.

In this secluded pocket of the sky, they could speak freely, their words carried away by the wind and lost in the vast expanse. It was the only place where they could discuss their most sensitive plans without fear of being overheard.

"As expected, Lady Amara agreed to the deal." Ezra began. "Five favors in exchange for clearing her debt. But as you know, I want to use her for more than just working to pay off a debt."

Olivia's wings fluttered slightly as she adjusted her position, her eyes meeting his. "What do you have in mind?"

Ezra's gaze was intense, his thoughts already several steps ahead. "I want Lady Amara to be our hidden card. Something we can use to strike at either Griffin or Helena without it being linked back to us."

Olivia nodded thoughtfully. "She's powerful enough and reclusive. If we position her correctly, she could become a significant asset. But how do you plan to keep her hidden from Griffin and Helena?"

"That's the issue, isn't it?"

Olivia watched him silently.

"We'll need to be strategic about the favors we ask of her." Ezra crossed his arms. "Each favor will need to be carefully orchestrated so that it seems independent of us."

"We can feed her information and resources through Red, guiding her actions without direct involvement."

"We'll use the City Lord's domain to obscure things." Olivia's eyes narrowed slightly as she considered the plan. "What if she starts to suspect she's being manipulated? Lady Amara is no fool."

Ezra's lips curved into a small, grim smile. "She won't. We'll make sure each favor benefits her directly, giving her a sense of autonomy. She'll believe she's acting in her own interest, while we pull the strings from behind the scenes."

Olivia sighed, her wings fluttering in the cool night air. "I don't like this, Ezra. One wrong move, and it all goes to hell."

"I know," Ezra said, his tone firm. "But we need every advantage we can get."

"Griffin and Helena are enemies we can't afford to take half measures against. They both hold us by the neck and command significant firepower."

"Griffin with his Subjects and Helena with her Peacekeepers. We can't afford to be complacent. Lady Amara is our ace in the hole, our unexpected weapon."

Olivia nodded, her expression softening. "Then we need to make sure she stays hidden and loyal. We can't let Griffin or Helena get wind of our connection to her."

"Agreed." Ezra replied. "We'll use her when the time is right, striking when our enemies least expect it."

With that, they hovered in silence for a moment. Ezra thinned the black zone, affording them a bird's eye view of the city below which sprawled out beneath them like a patchwork quilt of lights and shadows.

Ezra and Olivia continued to hover above the city, their wings beating softly in the cool night air.

Ezra turned his gaze upward with a sigh. The stars seemed closer here, almost within reach.

"The true problem now is X" He murmured. "How in the heavens did that happen?"

"I still find it hard to believe that X is bound with such strong chains," Olivia said, her voice tinged with disbelief and concern. "How could Griffin even do that to him? He's a person for crying out loud."

Ezra sighed, his eyes scanning the distant horizon. "We both know that Griffin is something of a control freak."

"But he's gone too far. This should be against the law, shouldn't it?" He asked Olivia. seaʀᴄh thё ηovёlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Olivia shook her head. "It's not. There are no laws for or against it."

Ezra swore beneath his breath. "These chains... they're designed to bind the very essence of one's being. The chains that bind the soul. How did X even get into such a situation?"

Olivia asked the question on his mind. "If the chains are that strong, how can we possibly free X?"

Ezra's expression grew darker. "I've been thinking about that and honestly, I have no idea?"

Olivia hovered, thinking hard. "If it were a monster, we could have found a way to break it, but as it is a human, there's only one way."

Ezra listened attentively.

"The chains are linked to Griffin's will. As long as Griffin wants X bound, the chains will hold. The only way to break them is to get Griffin to willingly let X go."

Ezra's eyes widened in realization. "That's... nearly impossible. Griffin would never let go of someone like X, not willingly."

Olivia nodded grimly. "Exactly. Griffin uses X as a tool, just like he uses everyone around him. Convincing him to release X will be the challenge of a lifetime."

Ezra frowned, his mind racing through potential scenarios. "I can't believe I'm thinking about doing this but we need leverage. Something Griffin values more than X. But what could that possibly be?"

Ezra was silent for a moment, lost in thought. "If we were still on his side, we could have offered him something that increases his power or secures his position. But now, that is out of question."

Olivia's wings fluttered nervously. "Not that we have something like that, nor would we do that. He's already one of the most powerful figures in the city. There's no need to make him more powerful."

Ezra's eyes widened momentarily and Olivia saw it.

"What did you just think of?" She asked, seeing as he kept quiet.

"Natalia." He answered quietly. "She could be his weakness. She could be a vulnerability we can exploit."

"That's… actually an option." Olivia frowned, deep in thought. "We can't capture her as we are now but if we were stronger, we could use her as our bargaining chip."

"Exactly what I was thinking. He might be willing to trade X for her." Ezra agreed.

Oliva considered it, her mind working through the implications. "It's a dangerous gambit. But it might be our only shot."

Ezra nodded, his resolve hardening. "Then, that's our plan."

They hovered there for a moment longer, taking in the view.

After a moment, Olivia broke the silence.

"We should head back." She spoke. "We have much to prepare for." Experience adventures on m _v _lempy _r.

Ezra nodded, his wings shifting as he moved closer for the teleportation. "Let's go."

With a final glance at the city below, they were gone.