Chapter 22
Twenty-Two
H e looked like Vaelor, the same height and with powerful muscles.
His hair, though the same shade, was shaved on one side, and a warrior’s braid hung down to his shoulders.
The horns on his head curved back at a sharper angle than Vaelor’s, and his pupils were a pale light—as I had seen in the painting at Vaelor’s manor.
The heat of his living body seemed to fill the room in contrast to Vaelor’s cold translucent form.
Lanzin’s eyes swung to me, and I dropped my gaze to the ground. “Hello, brother. Nice to see you—I would say alive and well—but that obviously isn’t the case.” His voice was deep with an aggressive edge.
Although I held my head angled toward the floor, I looked up through my lashes to observe their encounter.
“Lanzin. Thank you for answering my correspondence.” Vaelor tucked his wings neatly against his back and kept his posture straight, despite his strained attempt to look relaxed.
“What else was I supposed to do when I learned that my dear brother had been ruthlessly killed and taken into Spiritu Malignos? Tell me, how did it happen?”
“A human slave poisoned the entire army when I was seeking to strike a bargain with them, and I too was poisoned. Their food taster was careless and ineffective.”
I bit my lip as I stared at the floor. Vaelor’s words were cool and calm as if he had come to terms with what I had done to him.
Lanzin huffed in disbelief. “Poisoned by a slave? Even in death, you are disappointing. This complicates things.” His tone was condescending.
“We needed the mercenary army in order to have enough strength to take over Misophae. Now that is no more.” He moved to the bed and sat, stretching his wings.
“I’ve been thinking about what we can do to rectify that issue. ”
“There is nothing to be done,” Vaelor retorted. “You’ll inherit my lands. I was the one who brought dishonor into the family, so hopefully you will work with the court to move into a place of reconciliation. Maybe even convince them to order Creedan to grant the freedom of our people.”
“Creedan isn’t the problem. It is the court and the king we need to win over.
” He tilted his head, his glowing gaze accusing.
“I was also on the chopping block, remember? When you ruined everything? But I have already done what I needed to do to prove my loyalty. However, the stain on our family name remains. There is no redemption unless we have something to offer. We agreed on this.”
Vaelor hadn’t moved from his spot near the fireplace, but the tenseness in his body since his brother had entered the room continued to increase. “As you say, unfortunately my death destroyed our plans.”
My heart pounded a little harder, hoping that the act was convincing enough, that Lanzin would accept Vaelor’s reasoning for why they must give up on invading Misophae.
“There is a way we still might regain our standing and position.” Lanzin leaned forward, the leather on his body creaking with the movement and his sword sheath banging against the bed frame.
“We could make a deal with Spiritu Malignos to conquer Misophae and then split the territory between our two nations. It would not be as great as giving the Aeria court an entire kingdom, but we’d reclaim our ancestral lands that exist in Misophae.
That would be enough to get us—well, I guess me—restored to power and to redeem our name. ”
Vaelor didn’t speak, as if giving this consideration. He must not want to appear too quick to refuse him. Finally, he spoke. “We cannot trust Spiritu Malignos. If we make a deal, they’ll only turn on us.”
“Not if we forge a blood agreement. Spiritu Malignos is subject to them if they make it in their bodied state.” Lanzin rose and stepped forward, an earnestness in his movements.
“You are in the perfect situation to present the offer. Not only will it secure you a position with the army, but you can leverage your position to ensure that they follow through.”
Vaelor shifted, stepping to place himself between me and Lanzin. “That is no guarantee. Your forces are too small to do this on your own. The mercenary army was essential for us, and we can’t trust Spiritu Malignos.”
Lanzin’s brows pulled together. He took another step, and Vaelor made the subtlest adjustment, ensuring he stayed between me and his brother. Gods, I was hopelessly infatuated with this male. Even in this small room, Vaelor couldn’t help but protect.
“What about our people?” Lanzin asked, confused. “I thought you wanted to save them? How can you negotiate their freedom if we do not give our nation Misophae?”
Vaelor shook his head and sighed as if disappointed. “I fear it is too risky. We must find another way to restore our family name and save our people.”
“There is no other way,” Lanzin snapped.
He became silent, his hand clutching his pommel in contemplation.
He advanced further toward Vaelor, determination etched on his face.
“We are not as few as you believe. We have gathered more recruits, though I admit it still isn’t enough without the mercenary army...
But I have convinced Creedan to assist in taking over Misophae. ”
My stomach sank. Vaelor’s brother was working with the very demon who had enslaved his people. Whom Vaelor had been fighting against for years in order to rescue them.
Vaelor snarled, his wings filling the room. “You’d dare work with him after what he did?”
“He agreed to let bygones be bygones if we allowed him to assist us and grant him some of the glory for turning Misophae over to the Aeria court. It is the start to getting us into the court’s good graces.”
“He fucking killed our mother, my wife, my unborn child… and you just decided to let it go? ” Vaelor roared.
“You brought that on yourself when you let Pixa entertain the idea of marrying a vampire. A vampire , Vaelor. If you hadn’t indulged her. If you hadn’t let her believe at first that she could flout our ways, our rules, she would be alive right now.”
Vaelor stalked forward, and Lanzin pulled the sword halfway from his belt.
“Do you think that blade will have any impact on me?” Vaelor mocked, stopping in front of his brother. “We are not attacking Misophae. Creedan can go home and fuck himself with whatever honor and glory he was hoping to obtain.”
“And if I give Creedan what he wants, couldn’t we leverage that situation?
What is wrong with you, Vaelor? All these years, all these plans, and you simply give up?
” A dark suspicion entered Lanzin’s eyes.
“No. There is something else going on here. I know it. What is it? Does it have to do with her?”
I didn’t have to look up to feel his finger pointed toward me. Shit. Fear flowed through me, and I pulled my shoulders in, trying to appear more unobtrusive.
As if someone had thrown tinder on a dying fire, the tension in the air flared.
“She is nothing. A mere servant.” A subtle threat laced Vaelor’s words.
Lanzin moved forward again. “Brother—not only did you not send her from the room when I entered, you’ve been placing your body between me and her this entire time.”
“As I said, she’s nothing,” Vaelor growled.
Before I had the chance to respond or escape, Lanzin darted past Vaelor, grabbed me, and ripped back my hood. His head reared in shock. “A human.” He breathed in. “What kind of magic did you use to conceal your scent?”
He didn’t wait for me to answer before pinning my arms tight against my sides, and making me face Vaelor. His hand was at my throat, the nails of his claws digging into my tender flesh.
I tried to twist, but he pressed harder, not allowing me to move. His strength was ten times my own. “Come, tell me, brother. What is so special about this one?”
Vaelor lunged and punched him with such force that Lanzin fell back against the wall, releasing me. I dove away from him so fast I hit the opposite wall of the room, breathing hard, the phantom feel of his hand was still harsh on my skin.
Vaelor stood, separating me from Lanzin. “Get out.”
Lanzin wiped the trickle of blood at his swollen lip. “So that’s it. You’ll give up all those you so cared about for her . A pathetic human bitch.” He spat on the ground. “What is it, brother? Does she have you under some sort of spell? Or perhaps you think she is the one to break the curse?”
“ Out . We’ll meet again once the Final Proving is finished, but we will not be attacking Misophae.”
Lanzin straightened, his eyes bright with rage and betrayal. “Well then, I’m glad I killed our people after the court dispelled you.”
I sucked in a breath. Oh gods, no.
Vaelor’s entire form froze. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“I told you I did what I needed to survive. After you couldn’t keep Pixa contained and the court turned against us, I had to show my faithfulness to them.
That was their price—show them that our people weren't more important to me than my loyalty to my nation. So I paid it to prove I wasn’t weak like you. ”
Fury and devastation mixed on Vaelor’s face. “You… you slaughtered them?”
Too shocked to know what to do, I remained where I was. I wanted to comfort Vaelor. I wanted my hedge witch book to curse Lanzin out of existence.
“I did what I must to survive,” Lanzin replied with no remorse in his expression. “To hold on to the inkling of power we had left so that we could someday reclaim our position at court. And now you throw it away.”
Vaelor roared and grabbed his brother by the throat, a dark rage on his face. Lanzin drew his sword and tried to strike, but Vaelor faded to mist right before the sword made contact. He pushed his way into Lanzin’s body, his brother’s eyes flooding orange.
Lanzin’s body spasmed. His hands went to his head, and he screamed.
Shit. I could only imagine what Vaelor was doing to him to cause him to react in that manner. Lanzin stumbled as he fought Vaelor’s control. He fell backward out of the window, the glass shattering under his weight.
I raced to the opening. Careful of the broken glass, I peered out. The rain was coming down steadily, but I made out Lanzin’s form lying in the mud two stories below.
Vaelor came into existence and stood over him, his body shaking with barely controlled vengeance. “ Go. Before I kill you.”
Lanzin rose, holding a bleeding arm. He spat at Vaelor’s feet. “We are no longer brothers. If you won’t help me redeem our family name, I’ll find someone who will.”
He turned and staggered off into the darkened forest.