Chapter 167: _Cat Out Of The Bag

"Did you do something to me, Ambrose?" Viktor repeated, taking slow, measured steps into the suite.

The latter felt a lump in his throat as he watched the ice Prince stare at him so intensely.

Shit—this explains why he’d been getting off signals from Viktor’s link. The dangerous light in his eyes. The predatory shift in his aether and aura.

He’d almost gone berserk.

Valentine snorted just then. "Why do you look like you got dragged through the floor boards of hell?"

Viktor’s eyes darkened as they slid to the amused SS-Rank. "What the fuck are you doing here anyway?"

"Well, I have a reason best known to the Guide and myself. You?"

"Slushay, pridurok!" Viktor sneered in Russian, the temperature dropping so low their breaths came out as white mist. "I’ve neither got the time nor the energy to—"

"Viktor, stop." Ambrose crossed the distance between them, unable to hold back anymore.

Devon’s eyes widened as he tried stopping him. "Rose, you’ll freeze—"

"I won’t." The Guide didn’t have to explain his passive cold resistance as he gently grabbed Viktor by his elbow. Then his voice lowered. "Your... aether is unstable."

Viktor tried lowering his gaze but Ambrose caught his chin with his other hand. "Talk to me, Viktor. What happened to you?"

He hoped to swerve the Esper off his accusation. Hell knows he wasn’t ready to inform Viktor that he’d created a permanent link between them—without his consent at that.

Alas, the universe just wasn’t on his side today. "I’m... going berserk." He blinked, inhaling through his mouth as the sweating became unbearable. "Which I guess is pretty obvious. I–I wasn’t supposed to though. Not with the S-Rank Guide our team had after the raid."

Ambrose gulped when those icy blue eyes met him again.

"The medic down at the park said guiding from other Guides only stops working if... I’m permanently linked to a Guide already."

For once the amusement on Valentine’s face contorted into something serious. He angled his head to Devon, noticing the way his demeanor shifted too.

Like he was finally understanding what Viktor was driving at. And knew it shouldn’t be possible.

Meanwhile, Ambrose’s mouth parted and closed repeatedly as he struggled to find the right words. If he admits he indeed created that permanent link... it would change everything in the most dramatic way possible.

When he created one with Devon the latter had originally viewed it as something out of the ordinary. Impossible.

So being able to create another link with someone else? Yeah—no. He didn’t want to be available for the chaos admitting that could cause.

"What you need now is rest," he grabbed Viktor’s shoulders, helping him to one of the sofas. "You’re burning up. I can help guide—"

"My point exactly." Viktor pulled away before he could make him sit. He lifted a finger to his face. "The Echo Rift. You were able to successfully guide me THEN proceeded to destabilise that core."

Sigh.

He’s never going to hear the end of that stupid feat, was he?

"I didn’t think much of it at the time," Viktor went on, ignoring the way his vision swayed. "But now? It’s just not adding up. How come a C-Rank was able to successfully guide me and others who are supposed to be so much more capable couldn’t?"

Ambrose was about to say something when Valentine chimed:

"This back and forth isn’t getting anyone anywhere." He paused, keeping his gaze on Viktor now. "If Ambrose is capable of guiding or at least calming your aether flow, you better let him. I doubt Magnus would forgive you for turning the building into an ice sculpture."

He adjusted his coat, giving Ambrose a nod. "Remember all we talked about. And remember the deal."

The Guide’s chest tightened but Valentine didn’t linger any further. The Necromancer made his way to the door, stepping out after throwing one last glance at the trio.

Once the door was closed, Viktor involuntarily collapsed onto the sofa, flinging his head back. "I just..." he gasped. "Just make the ache go away. P–Please..."

He wrapped his fingers around Ambrose’s wrist, pulling his hand to his forehead.

There was a beat of silence. From that single touch alone Ambrose could tell the Esper didn’t have a lot of time.

He sat beside him, cutting Devon a final look.

"Maybe help with some water or something." He whispered, hoping he won’t push too much with questions.

★★★★★

Several minutes later, Ambrose got off the sofa, wiping off sweat with the back of his hand. He and Devon stood side by side as they watched Viktor’s eyes gradually fluttering open.

The Ice Prince groaned, rubbing his forehead with a frown. "I feel like I got run over." He tried forcing a smile but his face strained with pain, making him stop. "My aether—"

"You’re stable again." Ambrose smiled wryly, already feeling the hail storm of questions before they came. He avoided Devon’s intense gaze, faking a cough. "I... believe I owe you two an explanation."

Neither of them said a word. Viktor just slowly sat up, pressing his lips to hold in the leftover pain in his system.

Seeing their silence, Ambrose crossed his fingers before continuing. "The truth is... yes. I did in fact create a permanent link with you, Viktor." He almost couldn’t believe he said that out loud.

But he did. And it was far too late to take it back.

"Wait... what?" Devon was more stunned than even Viktor. "H–How? We already have a permanent link and—"

"Huh?" Viktor’s forehead creased, his gaze flicking between the two. "You two... have had a permanent link all this while?"

"Rose, how’s this even possible?"

Ambrose rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yes, Vik. Devon and I have been permanently linked for a while now." He answered first. "And... I guess you could say I discovered I could create permanent links with multiple Espers by accident."

Viktor gawked speechlessly. "By accident?" He echoed. "Do you realise how serious this is? You—fuck. No wonder you and Devon were so unusually close."

Devon had his eyes fixed on Ambrose like one would look at a ghost if they could see them. He placed a hand on his chin, not knowing what to address first.

The fact that Ambrose once again had another secret he’s been keeping all this while. Or how deeply betrayed and irrationally jealous he felt knowing his link with the Guide wasn’t as unique as he’d believed.

"I think I need another drink." Was all he managed to say after several seconds. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, eyes narrowing on Rose again. "Tell me why I have a feeling we aren’t even the only Espers you’re linked with?"

Well, shit.

Someone’s pretty intuitive today.

Ambrose weighed the odds of just coming clean versus dodging the question as always. The cat was already out of the bag with Viktor.

So he might as well just reveal the other dangerously hot man he’d added to the mix.

"... I created a link with Valentine today." He muttered. "That’s why I fainted earlier. There, I admitted it."

Silence crashed into the room.

Devon stared at him.

Viktor stared harder.

And for the first time since transmigrating into this world, Ambrose genuinely wondered if he’d finally gone too far.