Chapter 5 - Line in the Wet Stone
The arrival of Julian’s private security force instantly shattered the fragile, stunned silence of the courtyard. Red and blue laser sights flickered across the wet marble, painting chaotic patterns over the pillars, the galleries, and the floating golden bow.
"Drop your weapons and step away from the artifact!" the security captain roared, his voice amplified by a tactical megaphone as he aimed his rifle directly at Gideon.
In the galleries, board members scrambled backward, terrified that the corporate coup had just turned into a firefight. Reporters outside the gates began shouting questions, their voices blending into an angry, chaotic roar against the steady drumbeat of the storm.
Marcus Whitmore tried to regain his footing, clutching the stone balustrade of the terrace. "Julian! Have you lost your mind? You can't deploy live rounds on the estate grounds! The press is watching every single feed!"
"The press will report whatever our legal team edits together by sunrise, Marcus," Julian snapped back, standing tall on the gallery with a cold, triumphant grin. "You failed. Your hound failed. The board takes control now. Secure the bow, captain. Bring it to my private transport immediately."
The tactical squad advanced in a tight, disciplined wedge, their boots splashing heavily through the puddles. Four heavily armored guards reached the center of the courtyard, converging directly on Gideon and Lyra.
Gideon didn't flinch. He planted his boots wider, rolling his shoulders as his muscles tensed for physical engagement. He could take down the lead guards easily, but against a dozen automatic rifles, brute force alone would lead to a bloodbath—precisely what Julian wanted to justify martial seizure of the estate.
"Don't fight them with their own weapons," Lyra whispered to Gideon, her hand hovering just inches from the vibrating air around the Bow of Aurelian.
"If I don't move them, we're targets," Gideon replied through clenched teeth, his eyes locked on the advancing captain.
"Then give the bow a reason to choose," she said.
Without hesitation, Lyra reached out and pressed her bare palm directly against the shimmering string of the bow.
A sharp, sonic crack echoed across Newport Harbor, shaking the glass panes of every mansion along the shoreline. The white-gold limbs of the bow didn't just glow—they erupted into a blinding pillar of pure, solar light that pushed back the stormy darkness for a full mile in every direction.
The advancing security guards were thrown backward off their feet, sliding across the wet marble as if hit by an invisible wall of pressurized air. Their rifles clattered across the stone, sparking harmlessly in the puddles.
May you like
Julian stumbled back against the gallery wall, shielding his eyes from the blinding illumination. "What is this sorcery? Shoot them! Shoot them now!"
The guards couldn't even raise their hands. The light formed an impenetrable dome around Gideon, Lyra, and the floating weapon, sealing them off from the chaotic violence of the courtyard.
