Free Web NovelChapter 245: _We’ll Never Abandon You
"Bunch of crazies moving around kidnapping people."
"Devon, please... It’s okay."
"It’s not okay, Rose."
This was the exchange between Ambrose and Devon after Gabriel’s portal took them to their house. The group made their way through the lawn slowly, their attention fixed on the Guide.
Valentine spoke next. "What was all that talk about the Void Entity coming to get you anyway?"
"Yeah." Viktor’s eyes narrowed. "It’s not been anywhere near Aurelia so far, right? What do they mean it’s after you?"
Ambrose stood under all their scrutiny and immediately felt tiny.
His first instinct was coming up with a clean enough lie. Either that or dodging the conversation by saying he’s tired.
Neither of those felt satisfactory to him.
There was no use hiding this part from them anymore.
After a few more seconds, he cleared his throat. "Since the Void Entity escaped out of the Echo Rift I’ve been having these occasional nightmares."
"Nightmares?" Gabriel repeated, brows furrowed as he struggled to see the correlation.
But then Valentine held out a hand. "Let him finish."
Ambrose smiled softly at that before continuing. "These nightmares always involved the Void entity coming to get me. Actively hunting me. I brushed them off as paranoia at first... until now."
"A member of the Pantheon, Kali, was able to figure out that the Entity is after me. The only reason it hasn’t come straight to capturing me yet is that it’s actively avoiding them."
"That... doesn’t make sense." Devon shook his head. "It could’ve simply swooped in and grabbed you. Especially since the Pantheon only just got involved in this."
"True." Ambrose nodded, expression sullen. "But they only got involved after its recent evolution. Listen, I know it sounds weird. Honestly, I’m confused as fuck as well."
"Even if the damn thing is hunting you," Viktor shook his head, "it doesn’t give them the right to go on and kidnap you. Not just that but keeping you hostage?"
"I have to agree." Gabriel let out a small sigh. "That kind of decision from them was brash. Not to mention reckless."
Ambrose rubbed the back of his neck. "To be fair, I didn’t give them much of a choice."
"How so?"
"Well, one of them tried getting me to come but masked it under the guise of taking me on a date."
The instant those words escaped him, both Viktor and Devon’s expressions distorted with unmistakable jealousy. Even Valentine’s posture turned rigid while Gabriel’s brows knitted with further confusion.
"A date? And this person didn’t simply tell you about the Pantheon instead?"
"Well—"
"Honestly, I’m just glad we didn’t have to fight those fuckers." Devon waved a hand, gradually easing close to Ambrose. "Because shit—we would’ve lost woefully."
Viktor scoffed. "Speak for yourself. I think I could’ve landed a few crippling blows on that Wukong guy."
"Is that before or after he would’ve pummeled your skull into the floor?"
As the two kicked off with their usual bickering they began advancing into the house.
Ambrose took in a satisfied inhale as he watched them walk ahead of him. Gabriel trailed behind them, giving them the same look one would give uncouth children.
That left Valentine lingering by his side.
"I’m proud of you by the way," the Necromancer’s lips curled. "The way you spoke with those people—negotiating with walking Extinction events like you were on the same playing field."
Ambrose smiled as well. "If I’m being honest I was scared shitless that that whole thing would go south quickly. You’ve got no idea."
"Yet that didn’t stop you from speaking up," Valentine nudged him lightly with his shoulder. "With enough time you would’ve gotten them to let you go even without us."
Ambrose hummed. "I guess..."
The two continued walking side-by-side, the sounds of Viktor and Devon’s argument drifting ahead of them while Gabriel occasionally interjected with increasingly exhausted sighs.
For the first time since waking up in that underground base, Ambrose felt the knot in his chest loosening.
Just a little.
Then Valentine spoke again.
"Still," his fingers adjusted the shopping bag hanging from one arm. "There was one thing I couldn’t stop thinking about."
Ambrose’s brows rose. "What?"
The Necromancer’s smile faded slightly. "That woman. Yemoja."
Immediately Ambrose knew where this was going.
"She called you a body hopper."
His heart skipped.
Of course Valentine would remember that. The man practically collected information the way dragons collected gold.
"I don’t know what she meant by it," Valentine continued. "And frankly, I don’t care."
Ambrose blinked as Valentine finally looked at him. Those crimson eyes behind the sunglasses seemed unusually serious.
"Whatever it is," he said quietly. "Whether it’s something from your past. Something you don’t want to talk about. Or something you’re still figuring out yourself."
A pause.
"You should know none of us are abandoning you over it."
Ambrose froze.
The SS-Rank’s gaze drifted ahead toward Viktor and Devon.
"Trust me, if those two haven’t ran away after everything they’ve already witnessed, I doubt that changes anytime soon."
A laugh escaped Ambrose before he could stop it.
His chest warmed.
Not because of the words themselves.
But because Valentine meant them and he could feel it.
For someone who spent most of his life expecting people to leave eventually, hearing that felt dangerously nice.
"Thank you," he said softly.
Valentine immediately had to ruin the moment. "Now then... about our dinner date."
There it was.
The warmth evaporated instantly while Valentine grinned. "The one involving myself, you, Gabriel, Viktor and Devon."
"Oh no."
"Oh yes."
Gabriel looked back from several feet ahead. "I already agreed."
Valentine ignored the space god, pinning all his attention on Ambrose. "I assume you’ve informed Devon and Viktor?"
Silence.
The Necromancer’s grin widened. "Oh, dear. You haven’t."
Ambrose groaned. "Look, I’ve been a little occupied."
"Being kidnapped?"
"Basically."
"Reasonable."
"Thank you."
"Still not an excuse."
Ambrose dragged a hand down his face.
Because now that he thought about it... How exactly was he supposed to explain this?
Hey guys. Remember how a member of the Pantheon tried taking me on a date before kidnapping me?
Well funny story. The world’s most dangerous necromancer now wants all five of us to have dinner together.
No pressure.
Ahead of him Viktor and Devon were still arguing.
One wrong sentence and those two might start another war.
"God," Ambrose muttered under his breath.
"What?"
"I’d rather get kidnapped again."
