12. Behind the Door #3
"We don't do this without a strict operational framework," Carrick intervened, his deep voice leaving absolutely no room for debate as the renowned Guardsman took control of the room. "This is a two-front tactical operation. We design a live tether. Ginnie, you anchor Sydney’s physical consciousness to the mortal plane. If her vitals fluctuate or the connection drops, you yank her out instantly. Darcy, you maintain constant neurological monitoring on both of them. Grey, Star, you guard their physical bodies in this room. Han stays locked to Garrett’s side of the threshold.
Kara goes into the breach with Sydney. If Leviathan tries to push his frequency beyond Garrett or use the open road to breach the cottage wards, I will collapse the external pathway with everything Alastair and I have. "
The parameters of the hunt were drawn, but before they could launch the offensive, they needed to force the enemy into a defensive position.
The road was complete. The Demon Lord was able to speak freely while Garrett was wide awake, his presence spreading through the cottage like toxic smoke.
They needed to destabilize the bridge just enough to lock Leviathan down while Sydney made the jump.
"Let me tilt the field," Ginnie said, stepping toward the center of the room.
Closing her eyes, she raised her hands as she tapped into the sympathetic signatures of the four stolen objects through the Law of Correspondence. She didn't destroy them, but she aggressively muffled their energetic output, choking the pipeline.
The ambient Magic in the bedroom immediately shifted. The red alarm indicators on Darcy’s monitors began to stutter.
Inside Garrett’s mind, the geometry of the circle flickered. The four burning stones dimmed, their vibrant lines of light fading to a weak, fragile glow. The massive stone door groaned, its heavy weight slowly, steadily beginning to swing shut.
The smooth, elegant amusement vanished from the Demon Lord’s voice. For the first time since the connection had ignited, Leviathan stopped laughing. The tone that rattled against Garrett's thoughts turned into a freezing, razor-sharp wave of cold rage.
“Do you truly believe a fractured little Dragon girl can save you from the Darkness, Garrett?” the Demon Lord snarled, the emerald fire behind the door flaring violently against the closing seal.
Garrett stood his ground, a lethal, confident smirk finally breaking across his face as he looked straight into the closing gap. "She already did," Garrett whispered aloud.
She had awakened him from the abyss. She had given him an unshakeable trust when he didn't even trust his own boots. She had dragged him back to the man he used to be.
“Then I will take her with you,” Leviathan hissed, the voice fading into a distant, metallic echo as the heavy stone door slammed shut, locking the entity back into the hidden compartment.
That was the real danger. Garrett's blood turned cold.
If Sydney failed to break the lock from the inside, what would stop Leviathan from trapping her there with him?
The operational framework was locked. There was no more time for debate, no more room for fear. The clock was running toward the next REM cycle.
Darcy quickly adjusted the specialized monitoring leads, hooking both Sydney and Garrett to the digital graphs.
Ginnie sat at the foot of the bed, her fingers lightly touching Sydney's ankle, establishing the Necromantic lifeline thread.
Carrick stood rigid by the doorway, his hand resting on the hilt of a bejeweled, silver-etched blade, his eyes scanning the perimeter.
Grey stepped up to the side of the mattress, his massive hand settling heavily onto Garrett’s shoulder. He didn't offer a dramatic speech, but his eyes held an absolute, unbreakable brotherhood.
"Bring her home, little brother," Grey said quietly.
Garrett looked up at him, his jaw rigid. "Always."
Sydney climbed fully onto the bed, shifting her weight until she was sitting cross-legged directly in front of him.
The bright morning sun streamed through the window, painting her blond curls in gold, completely at odds with the black shadow they were about to breach.
Reaching out, her warm palms cupped his rigid jawline, forcing his eyes to lock entirely onto hers.
"You ready, Dragon Man?" she whispered, a small, beautiful smile touching her lips.
Garrett looked deep into her soul through the Mating Bond, feeling the absolute, unyielding iron of her love wrapping around his fears.
"No," he admitted honestly.
Sydney’s smile widened, her blue eyes flashing with a brilliant, protective spark. "Me neither."
Leaning in, she pressed her forehead gently against his. The physical contact was an absolute conductor. Deep within his mind’s eye, Han let out a deafening, anticipatory roar, and inside her soul, Kara answered with a blinding surge of white-hot Dragon Fire.
The Mating Bond ignited between them, a pure, roaring current of ancient energy that completely vaporized the quiet of the bedroom.
Sydney closed her eyes, her voice a sharp, commanding echo through the spiritual plane. "Take me to the door."