To ruin an Omega novel Chapter 340

Chapter 340: Unravel 2

VALENTINE

Wilhelm’s eyes went wider. He started to say something but I removed my hand from the speaker.

"Hello?" Cian’s voice came through. Impatient now.

"Apologies," I said. "The network was breaking. Let’s begin."

I closed my eyes and drew in a breath. The words came from muscle memory. From years of practice. From a lifetime of making deals I shouldn’t have made.

"By blood and bone, by soul and stone," I began. My voice dropped into the cadence of ritual. "I bind myself to you, Cian of House Donlon. I will not lie to you, not in word nor deed nor omission. I will not act as a double agent against you. I will not intend harm to you, neither directly nor through intermediary means, neither through action nor inaction, neither through spell nor through allowing another to act unchallenged in my presence."

The last part was careful. Deliberate. "Allowing another to act unchallenged in my presence" gave me wiggle room. Especially for what Wilhelm was to do.

It was a loophole. A small one. But it was there.

"This bond I make freely," I continued. "By my consent and my will. And it will hold until you have achieved your goal against Aldric Donlon. When he falls, so too does this pact."

The magic took root. I felt it sink into my soul like hot iron. It was akim to something burning. It felt permanent and wrong too.

My chest tightened and my breath caught.

Across the phone line, I heard Cian take a deep breath, as if he felt it too.

"It is done," I said.

"Good," Cian said. "Your son Wilhelm next."

Every muscle in my body went rigid.

"The boy isn’t here," I said.

Pain exploded through me. Sudden and vicious. Like someone had shoved a knife between my ribs. I gasped and doubled over. The phone nearly slipped from my hand.

The pact. Of course. I’d lied. Even that small lie was enough to trigger it.

"I think that would be you caught in a lie," Cian said. His voice was almost amused.

"Leave my boy out of this," I managed. The pain was fading now but slowly.

"He’s a variable I can’t leave out," Cian said. "Goddess knows how foolish that would be."

He paused.

"Wilhelm," he said. Louder now. Like he knew my son was close enough to hear. "Now."

Wilhelm looked at me. I saw the question in his eyes. The fear. The uncertainty.

There was no choice. All I could do was nod.

He took the phone from my hand with shaking fingers and put it to his ear.

"I’ll do it," he said. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

His voice was steadier than I expected. He repeated the words I’d said. Every phrase. Every clause. I watched his face as the magic took hold. I saw the moment it sank into him. His eyes went wide and his jaw clenched.

When he was done, he handed the phone back to me.

I took it. My hand felt numb.

"Now what?" I asked.

"Now you come to Skollrend," Cian said. "And play the most devoted parent you can right now. Madeline is about to find herself in society again and you and her are about to help me nail my uncle to the cross."

The line went dead then.

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