Damon just stood there studying the guy. The old man was anything but simple. He was manipulative, always three moves ahead and holding a backup plan behind his back, and yet today, he looked tired. Not physically, his posture was still straight, his robes flawless. There was just sothing off about him.
"You helped more than you think." Damon shook his head.
"But it’s still not enough to make you stay?" Artimius smiled.
Damon paused. He understood what the old man ant. By staying, he would be choosing to participate in the clan’s dealings and, in the end, it wouldn’t be different from joining the clan.
And Damon did not want to do that.
Artimius exhaled through his nose, the barest twitch of disappointnt crossing his features. "I suppose I already know your answer. Well, carry on then. This is not the ti and place to discuss the future. I don’t know when we will be able to et each other again, but when we do, I hope we get a chance to spar a little the next ti. All this talking is making feel very old."
Damon was surprised. He didn’t expect their conversation to end so simply.
"Sylvara will be accompanying you to your new location. I can offer you protection for another month at most. These safe locations are known only to and Sylvara. There should not be any unexpected guests. Sylvara can fill you in on other details. Take care, Blood God. The nine families are not to be taken lightly. You would be wise not to underestimate them."
With that, the old man gave him a nod and walked over to one side of the hangar to stand quietly.
Damon actually did not need any of this. He only needed a safe place for the next few hours at most, but he did not want to spill any information at the last mont.
He silently agreed and signaled everyone to get on the private plane. Mark and Kate had also arrived with their mother, who was looking a lot better now. Everyone they knew and cared about was here. This was it.
The whole group got onto the plane, followed by Damon and lastly Sylvara. Everyone was shocked to see that Sylvara herself was planning to fly the plane.
Sylvara didn’t say a word as she slipped into the pilot’s seat. Her movents were smooth, practiced like soone who’d done this a hundred tis before. With a flick of her fingers, the plane’s interface lit up with a gentle hum.
Georgina, still holding her daughter, stared with wide eyes. "Wait... she’s flying this thing?" The woman did not trust anyone, and naturally, she beca very anxious on seeing Sylvara getting ready to fly an actual plane.
"Don’t worry, Miss Georgina. I am confident I can get you and your family to the safe location without any issues."
Georgina scoffed and turned her head. "Great. Now his girlfriend is calling the shots."
Damon ignored her, and everyone else did the sa, which only made Georgina more irritated. She quietly mumbled sothing about the plane not even having an air hostess and started reapplying her makeup.
Soon, the engines roared to life and the plane began to rise. Damon’s eyes were still fixated on Artimius, who stared at him with an indecipherable expression on his face. The whole thing just sent a chill down Damon’s spine.
As they lifted into the sky, Damon looked out the window one last ti. Artimius was still there, a solitary figure in green, watching them rise through the clouds.
The clouds swallowed the hangar. Artimius vanished from sight.
Damon leaned back in his seat, exhaling slowly as the hum of the engines settled into a steady rhythm. The cabin lights dimd slightly, casting the interior in a calm, bluish glow. Everyone was quiet now.
Sylvara spoke over her shoulder. "ETA to the safe zone: four hours. I’ve activated the signal scramblers. No one’s tracking us."
"Thanks," Damon nodded. He closed his eyes as he thought about what was coming next.
There were many things on his mind, including his last conversation with Artimius. He did not know why, but it gave him a feeling as if both of them were losing out on sothing by ending their cooperation.
As he closed his eyes and considered many things, all of a sudden, the flight trembled a little. Hmm? What happened now? They had only barely been in the air for 5 minutes or so. The next second, Damon’s eyes widened as he unmistakably sensed sothing in the distance.
At the sa ti, Sylvara’s expression changed. Her hands flew across the console as warning sigils flared red. Her voice rang out, sharp with urgency and command.
"Incoming! Everyone, grab the safety chutes under your seats and head to the ergency exit. Now! I’ll hold them off for as long as I can!"
The atmosphere inside the plane instantly transford. Panic flickered in the passengers’ eyes. Georgina gasped. Mark instinctively reached for his sister. The hum of the engines was drowned out by the commotion caused by the sudden changes.
Damon’s eyes narrowed, his entire body going still. He felt it too, that subtle shift in pressure, the raw, violent intent barreling toward them at incredible speed. It wasn’t an ambush. This was a full-blown missile strike.
Soone had made the call. They weren’t going to let him or his family walk away today with their lives still intact. In the end, they were too late. The enemy had acted first.
Damon’s mind raced. He could teleport, yes, but only one person at a ti, and there were too many of them. His blood shield might be strong, but not strong enough to wrap the entire plane and hold against a direct strike. At least he was not sure it would work, and now was not the ti to take chances.
The only real option, the only one with even a sliver of success, was to get everyone out. Fast.
If he could force open the ergency exit and push everyone into free fall, he might still have a chance to break their descent before they hit the ground. Risky. Reckless. But possible.
He didn’t hesitate. Damon surged toward the exit, barking over the rising noise, "Get out! Jump!" However, just as he was about to break open the damn thing, he noticed sothing new. The whole plane was freezing up. A layer of frost started covering everything from top to bottom.
A figure draped in an erald robe appeared outside the plane. "Damon, make your decision slowly. I can buy you so ti." Artimius’ voice sounded in his mind.
Damon was shocked, to say the least. Just how powerful was Artimius? How was he able to fly and add a barrier to an entire plane?
However, he simply couldn’t take any chances with his family’s safety. He couldn’t take his words blindly. He had no idea about his strength. He did not know how far he could hold out. Blasting out through the ergency door was still the best option.
Or he could also take out the fucking missle before it ever reached the place.
Damon shadowstepped without hesitation as a pair of blood-red wings appeared behind him.
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