Free Web NovelChapter 247: _The Calm Before Disaters
The moment the six of them stepped through the revolving doors of the five-star hotel, heads turned.
Golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling like captured stars, casting warm light over polished marble floors.
The lobby buzzed with quiet conversations and the soft melody of a piano somewhere in the distance. Yet despite all the luxury around them, it was impossible not to notice the group walking through it.
Ambrose led the way with Orion clinging to his body.
The little boy’s golden suit shimmered beneath the lights, his bright eyes darting everywhere with poorly concealed excitement.
Beside them strode Devon and Viktor, both looking like princes out of a Shakespeare novel.
A few steps behind came Valentine and Gabriel.
Valentine’s dark attire contrasted sharply against the bright lobby, his hands tucked casually into his pockets as though he wasn’t one of the most infamous Hunters on the continent. Meanwhile, Gabriel carried himself with effortless grace, his iridescent eyes and composed expression earning more than a few curious glances from passing guests.
Together they looked less like people heading to dinner and more like the cast of some absurdly expensive fantasy film.
Orion certainly seemed to think so.
"Are rich people always this rich?" He whispered loudly enough for all of them to hear.
Devon snorted.
And Ambrose immediately wished the floor would open up and swallow him whole as they continued toward the hotel’s restaurant.
"Ah, this is perfect," Valentine sighed with satisfaction as they settled into a reserved round table.
They knew it was reserved because of the name cards literally placed on each chair.
Ambrose cut Valentine an impressed look. "This place... isn’t bad."
"Of course, it isn’t." Valentine took off his sunglasses, shoving them into his front pocket. His eyes fluttered before they settled on the Guide. "Far better than that other place you took us to, hm?"
He grinned when Ambrose rolled his eyes.
Soon enough a male waiter with a friendly smile approached them. "Good evening, gentlemen." He bowed slightly. "What can we get you this fine evening?"
Everyone picked up the menu books before them. None of them had skimmed through a single food option when Orion chirped.
"I want an ice cream sundae!"
Ambrose shook his head. "Didn’t you have one of those yesterday?"
"But that was yesterday. I want one now."
"The kid’s logic is on point." Viktor shrugged, those icy orbs turning to the waiter. "Just get the boy his ice cream. The best one you’ve got. As for the rest of us..."
One by one they pointed out what they wanted.
As the waiter left to attend to their orders, Ambrose angled his head to the ice Prince.
’Thanks for acting normal about this.’ His gaze wandered to Orion who was busy bothering Devon about the weird shape of a woman’s wig.
It was a hat.
’Of course.’ Viktor nodded once. ’It’s nothing, little bird.’
’You and Devon were literally going to start a war because of this—but okayyy.’
’Don’t push it.’
The two of them smirked before Ambrose cut off the telepathic link.
Sigh.
That would never get old.
Eventually the waiters came back with all that they ordered.
And oh was Ambrose’s flabber officially gasted.
Just like he ordered, he got the lobster bisque for a starter, filet mignon with truffle butter and garlic asparagus as the main course, Crème Brûlée for dessert and an expensive-looking wine bottle.
He could literally feel his wallet bleed just staring at the food they brought for him. So when his gaze scanned the table and saw what the others got he couldn’t help but lift his eyes back to the menu.
"These are hella—"
"Expensive?" Valentine noticed the look in his eyes instantly, chuckling right after. "Relax, Ambrose. I won’t ask you out for dinner and expect you to pay a cent."
Ambrose’s cheeks slowly reddened.
Without looking he could practically feel the jealousy oozing out of Devon and Viktor. Gabriel on the other hand barely acknowledged them while Orion was too busy digging into his ice cream too fast for any normal six-year-old.
The food quickly became the least important thing on the table.
Not because it wasn’t good.
But because somehow the conversation drifted right back to the one thing Ambrose had desperately hoped everyone would forget about for at least a few hours.
The Pantheon.
"I still can’t believe," Devon stabbed a piece of steak with his fork, "that one of the most powerful people on the planet grabbed your wrist, knocked you unconscious and dragged you out of the city like a bounty."
"When you put it like that it sounds bad."
"It is bad."
Viktor nodded in agreement. "Very bad."
Gabriel swirled his wine. "I still find it difficult to believe they thought that was the best approach."
Valentine snorted. "Loki doesn’t exactly strike me as someone known for making reasonable decisions."
"Tell me about it." Ambrose sighed before taking another sip of wine. "The weirdest part was how they eventually let me leave."
His fingers tapped lightly against the glass.
"Kali especially."
That earned a few curious looks.
"What about her?" Gabriel asked.
Ambrose shrugged. "She basically told me that if the Void Entity ever comes for me... I should run to them."
Silence.
Then Devon barked out a humourless laugh. "Run to them?"
"That’s what she said."
"And how exactly are you supposed to do that?" Devon folded his arms. "Call their non-existent customer service line?"
Viktor nearly choked on his drink.
Even Gabriel’s lips twitched while Valentine outright laughed before enacting an imitation.
"Good evening. Thank you for contacting the Pantheon. Press one if you’re being hunted by an eldritch horror."
That completely ruined whatever seriousness remained.
Orion didn’t even understand the joke and started giggling anyway because everyone else was.
Ambrose laughed too. At least outwardly.
Because beneath the laughter something felt... Off.
Like a faint itch at the back of his skull. The same sort of feeling he’d gotten before disasters.
Before things went catastrophically sideways.
He took another sip of wine yet the sensation didn’t leave.
Instead it got stronger.
"Excuse me for a second." Unable to ignore it anymore, he pushed his chair back. "I need to use the restroom."
Nobody paid much attention as he got up.
The restaurant remained lively around him as he made his way between tables, following the signs toward the back of the establishment.
Halfway there, he stopped.
His heart skipped.
At a table near one of the large glass windows sat a familiar figure.
Dark hair.
Sharp features.
An expensive suit.
And a grin so wide it immediately made Ambrose regret every life choice he’d ever made.
Loki raised a wine glass in greeting with a coquettish wink.
Ambrose froze on the spot. Then gradually, his brows furrowed deeply.
"You’ve got to be fucking kidding."
