Taboo Online

Red Hound closed the containment case. "Get this to North Basin. We identify what they put inside it, then we move on the station before they finish clearing it out."

Aelira would not allow the recovered needle to cross the Heartroot’s nearest root.

The containment case remained on a metal table beyond the silver boundary, surrounded by portable sensors and two armed guards. Both had been ordered to keep their weapons lowered unless the case opened.

Aelira sat upright on her medical cot with fresh bandages visible beneath the damaged edges of her armor. A Thornmender remained beside her, while the senior Rootkeeper who had helped organize the final evacuation stood behind them with half of his white-wood breastplate missing.

Lauren sat near the root connecting Aelira to the human delegation. Her padded wrists rested in her lap, and Luke remained beside her in the wheelchair with his right arm secured in its sling.

Red Hound opened the outer cover of the containment case.

The black needle lay inside a clear suppression cylinder.

Aelira placed one hand against the Heartroot.

Her warning reached Lauren through the living wood.

Do not point its tip toward the trunk.

Lauren repeated the instruction.

One of the Bureau technicians glanced at the three sealed layers around the needle. "It cannot reach anything from inside that cylinder."

"The trap remained active after the woman who placed it left the tunnel," Lauren said. "Aelira isn’t interested in how many layers you believe are enough."

Red Hound looked at the technician. "Turn the case."

The cylinder was rotated until the needle pointed toward bare ground.

Only then did Aelira allow the Thornmender to approach.

The healer held a pale living thorn between two fingers and brought it near the transparent wall without making contact. Its tip bent toward the black needle.

Green light traveled along the thorn, trembled, and dimmed.

The Thornmender spoke quietly to her Queen.

Aelira’s answer moved through the root.

The outer shell is human metal. Something living has been sealed inside it.

Lauren passed the meaning to the Bureau technicians.

"Can she tell what it is?" Red Hound asked.

The Thornmender moved the pale thorn along the length of the case. Near the needle’s base, both pieces of living material began to tremble.

Her expression hardened.

Aelira’s fingers pressed deeper into the silver bark.

It contains a strand cut from one of Lethariel’s roots. The corruption did not kill it. They preserved it so the needle could carry commands through their threads.

The Rootkeeper behind Aelira stepped forward, one hand closing around the hilt at his side.

Aelira stopped him with a glance.

He remained where he was, though his fingers did not leave the weapon.

The senior Bureau official who had challenged Red Hound during the evacuation stood across the table.

"That object may contain material from Lethariel, but this remains an active Bureau investigation. It does not give armed foreign personnel access to operations inside the city."

Lauren sent the statement through the Heartroot.

Aelira did not raise her voice when she answered.

The people who made that needle destroyed my kingdom with machinery prepared in your world. They carried living pieces of Lethariel inside human metal before the attack began. You will not keep the hunt from us, then return only when you need someone to explain what your people failed to understand.

Lauren repeated the message without softening it.

The official’s jaw tightened. "No one has proposed hiding evidence."

"You brought the first recovered object here because your technicians could not identify it," Lauren said. "Aelira noticed that."

Red Hound closed the outer cover before the discussion turned into an argument over wording.

"We need rules we can use today. The permanent questions can wait until people are no longer bleeding."

Aelira turned toward him.

"Under the current emergency authority, I can order that every piece of Ruinborn evidence tied to Lethariel comes through North Basin before it disappears into a laboratory," Red Hound continued. "Your Thornmenders can examine living corruption and anything built from elven material. Lauren translates while the Heartroot connection is available."

Lauren carried the offer through the roots.

Aelira listened before sending back a question.

And when you leave this sanctuary to hunt them?

"Bureau teams remain under Bureau command in the field," Red Hound said after Lauren translated. "I cannot put armed people into a city operation unless they understand my orders and the rest of the team understands theirs. Most of your Rootkeepers lose that communication as soon as they leave the Heartroot."

The Rootkeeper behind Aelira spoke before the Queen answered.

The Heartroot carried his name with the rest of his meaning.

Thalen.

Then teach us your signals, or learn ours.

Lauren gave Red Hound both the name and the message.

Red Hound met Thalen’s gaze. "We start today. That still doesn’t give us a working command system for the operation happening right now."

Aelira’s response came without hesitation.

Then do not waste the time after this operation.

Red Hound nodded once.

"The temporary arrangement is this: the Bureau shares all evidence connected to the Ruinborn and Lethariel. Aelira designates who examines it here. Lauren continues translating while she remains near the Heartroot. My teams stay under my command, and Shaw keeps medical authority over Luke and Lauren."

Luke disliked hearing the final condition stated in front of everyone, but he kept that objection to himself.

Red Hound turned toward Thalen.

"Until both sides have practiced a field protocol that works away from these roots, no armed Rootkeeper enters the city. Once the protocol is ready, Aelira may appoint one representative to the task group."

Thalen’s jaw tightened.

Aelira remained connected to the Heartroot for several seconds.

You are asking me to trust that this first hunt will not become the last time my people hear what you found.

Red Hound waited for Lauren to finish translating.

"I am asking you to judge the arrangement by what I do next. The tunnel evidence came here. The safehouse report came here. When another site activates, you will hear about it when I do."

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!