Chapter 42 - The Scottish Exile
|
The Scottish Highlands were battered by a relentless, howling wind as our armored SUV pulled up to a modest stone cottage completely hidden from the main roads. It was a place that didn't exist on any official GPS grid.
Ben stayed in the driver's seat, keeping the engine running and his eyes on the tree line, while Clara slept in her reinforced car seat in the back. I stepped out into the freezing rain, pulling my wool coat tight against my chest.
I approached the heavy oak door and knocked three times—a specific, rhythmic code.
The door unlocked with a heavy metallic clack, opening just enough to reveal the weary, scarred face of Alistair. The former operative looked older, his hair completely grey, but his eyes were as sharp and calculating as ever.
"Lydia," Alistair said, his voice a low gravelly rumble. "I told you to never come here. If you are on my doorstep, it means the world is burning again."
"It's about to," I replied, pushing past him into the dimly lit cottage.
Alistair sighed, locking the heavy deadbolts behind us. The cottage was sparse, filled with old books, maps, and a crackling fireplace that offered little warmth against the damp chill.
I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out the wax-sealed letter, tossing it onto the wooden dining table.
"Tell me what you know about the Council of the Seven Spheres," I demanded, crossing my arms.
Alistair froze. He stared at the red wax Phoenix crest as if it were a venomous snake coiled on his table. He didn't touch it.
"Where did you get this?" Alistair asked, his voice suddenly hollow.
May you like
"A messenger in London," I answered, watching his reaction closely. "They said the Apex was just a shield. They said the true game begins in Paris on my daughter's birthday."
Alistair slowly sat down in a wooden chair, rubbing his face with his calloused hands. "You should have stayed hidden, Lydia. When you dismantled the Vanguard Apex, you disrupted the global financial flow. You didn't just defeat Julian and Serena... you took down the Sphere's primary money-laundering machine. They aren't an organization, Lydia. They are the architects of the modern world. And they do not forgive."
