Chapter 456 When Can We Do The Ritual?

"Maybe," Elena said. "If he’s really there. If his consciousness is intact enough to respond. If the bonds are strong enough to sustain the connection." She paused. "But Lilith....this is experimental. I’ve never attempted spirit communication with someone who was consumed by a Veil entity. I don’t know what will happen."

"We have to try," Lilith said immediately. "If there’s even a chance Nicholas can speak to us....can tell us what happened, where he is, if he’s okay, we have to try."

Victoria was looking at Lilith with complicated emotions written across her face. "Have Sebastian and Lucian felt this presence too?"

"I don’t know," Lilith admitted. "Sebastian said he felt something during...." She stopped, feeling her face heat. "During intimacy. He said it felt like there were three of us connected for a moment. But I don’t know if Lucian has felt anything."

"We should ask them," Elena said. "If they’ve experienced the same thing, it strengthens the case that Nicholas’s consciousness really survived. If they haven’t...." She paused. "We need to be prepared for the possibility that what you’re feeling is something else. Your grief creating phantom sensations. Your magic manifesting echoes of the broken bond. We need to approach this carefully."

"I’ll get them," Victoria said. She stood and moved toward the door. "They’re probably in the war room dealing with aftermath. I’ll bring them here."

She left.

Elena and Lilith sat in silence for a moment.

"What if I’m wrong?" Lilith whispered. "What if I do the ritual and nothing happens? What if Nicholas is really gone and I’ve just been creating illusions because I can’t accept that?"

"Then we’ll know," Elena said gently. "And you can start grieving properly instead of existing in this limbo. But Lilith....I felt something when you healed me. A third presence guiding your magic. That wasn’t your imagination. That was real."

"But was it Nicholas?" Lilith asked. "Or just....I don’t know. Some echo of him preserved in the bonds? A memory instead of actual consciousness?"

"That’s what the ritual will tell us," Elena said.

The door opened again. Victoria returned with Sebastian and Lucian.

Both Alphas looked exhausted. Still wearing yesterday’s battle-stained clothes. Hair disheveled. But their eyes went immediately to Elena.

"You’re awake," Sebastian said. Relief flooding his expression. "How do you feel?"

"Alive," Elena said. "Thanks to Lilith."

Sebastian’s gaze shifted to Lilith. Something warm and grateful in his expression.

But Lucian was looking at both of them with suspicion. "Why did Victoria drag us away from damage assessment? What’s going on?"

"Elena felt something when Lilith healed her," Victoria said. "A third presence. Someone helping guide the magic."

Both Alphas went very still.

"Nicholas," Lucian said. Not a question. A statement.

"You’ve felt it too," Lilith said, looking at him.

"I don’t know what I’ve felt," Lucian said. His voice was careful. Guarded. "Small moments during the battle where it seemed like someone else was fighting beside us. But I assumed...." He stopped. "I assumed I was imagining it because I wanted him to still be here."

Sebastian was quiet. His expression complicated.

"Sebastian?" Lilith prompted.

"I felt him," Sebastian admitted quietly. "During....when we were together. You and me. After the ritual where you told me you could feel Nicholas. I felt something through the bond. A third presence. Faint. Distant. But there." He looked at Lucian. "I didn’t say anything because I thought....I thought maybe I was projecting. Creating sensations I wanted to feel because I couldn’t accept that he was really gone."

"We’ve all been feeling it," Lilith said. "All of us. Which means it’s real. Which means Nicholas’s consciousness survived somehow."

"Or it means we’re all grieving so hard we’re creating shared delusions," Lucian said. But his voice lacked conviction.

"Elena thinks we can contact him properly," Victoria said. "Through ritual magic. Make him visible. Give him a voice. Let him actually communicate instead of just reaching through with phantom touches."

Both Alphas turned to look at Elena.

"Is that possible?" Sebastian asked.

"Maybe," Elena said. "If his consciousness really survived. If it’s intact enough to respond. If the bonds can sustain the connection. But...." She paused. "I need to be honest with you. I’ve never attempted something like this before. I don’t know what will happen. And there’s a risk that attempting to contact him could damage the bonds or hurt Lilith or...."

"We’re doing it," Lucian interrupted. His voice was firm. Final. "If there’s even a chance Nicholas can speak to us....can tell us he’s okay, that he’s not suffering....we’re doing it."

Sebastian nodded agreement.

Lilith looked at Elena. "When can we do the ritual?"

"Give me two days to recover," Elena said. "I need my strength back. And I need time to research the proper ritual structure. This isn’t something we rush." She looked at each of them in turn. "But understand....if we do this and Nicholas appears, if he’s really conscious and aware, saying goodbye again might be harder than the first time. Are you prepared for that?"

Lilith felt tears burn behind her eyes. "I don’t care. I need to know he’s okay. I need to hear his voice. Even if it’s just once."

"Same," Sebastian said.

"Agreed," Lucian added.

Elena nodded slowly. "Then we’ll do it. Two days from now. I’ll prepare the ritual circle. We’ll attempt to contact Nicholas and see if his consciousness can respond."

She looked at Lilith directly.

"If he’s really there," Elena said quietly, "if he survived in the bonds and in the Veil....he might have information we need. About the Veil entity. About the threats coming. About what happens to souls consumed by that ancient force. Information that could help us protect you and prepare for what’s ahead."

"And if he’s not there?" Lilith asked. "If the ritual fails?"

"Then we know the truth," Elena said gently. "And we can start moving forward instead of existing in uncertainty."

Lilith nodded. She looked at Sebastian and Lucian. At the two men she loved who were also grieving their brother.

"Two days," Lilith said. "Then we find out if Nicholas is really reaching for us from wherever he is."