Chapter 260: Who dares to kill one of my people?

Chapter 260: Chapter 260: Who dares to kill one of my people?

Lyssara looked toward Soren.

"My lord, this situation is being twisted into something..."

Soren lifted one hand.

She stopped.

His long white tail moved slowly across the ground.

"The crowd has every reason to distrust you."

Lyssara’s expression tightened.

"One attendant acted without authorization."

Soren’s silver eyes narrowed.

"Then explain why she still wears your royal markings."

Lyssara went silent.

A guard behind them muttered:

"We should never let them enter."

Another answered:

"Never."

A mother holding her injured daughter’s hand stepped forward.

Her voice shook.

"I don’t care if they can heal every sickness in this world."

She looked across the boundary.

"You are not coming into our home."

Someone shouted:

"NEVER!"

Then another:

"WE WILL NEVER SURRENDER IRONWOOD!"

The cry spread.

Not because everyone agreed about what the Veskari intended.

Some were frightened.

Some furious.

Some simply wanted somebody to blame.

But after a night spent watching their families torn apart, none of them wanted to hand their safety to strangers.

"NEVER!"

The voices grew louder.

Veyra looked around.

For the first time, her expression held genuine fear.

She had wanted to enter Ironwood.

Now hundreds of its residents were looking at her as though they wanted her dead.

Vida’s mate stood under guard a short distance away.

His wrists were bound.

He had been staring at the ground throughout the confrontation.

Then a woman shouted:

"And what about him?"

Everyone turned.

Vida’s mate flinched.

"He moved the stone!"

"His child was sick," another woman said.

"So were ours!"

The first female’s voice broke.

"My son died tonight!"

Vida’s mate looked up.

Tears ran down his face.

"I didn’t want..."

"YOU DIDN’T WANT WHAT?"

He couldn’t answer.

He looked toward Vida, who stood farther back with their baby in her arms.

The child was sleeping.

Still feverish.

Still alive.

Vida’s face crumpled when her mate looked at her.

She turned away.

That hurt him more than the shouting.

Vida shifted the baby higher against her chest. His fever had eased enough for him to sleep, but his tiny fingers still trembled against her clothing.

She looked at the male who had once held them both through countless sleepless nights. The male who had risked everything to save their child.

For one moment, she almost walked toward him.

Then her eyes fell on the bloodstained stones behind him.

Her feet stopped.

He saw that too.

Soren watched everything.

Then raised his voice.

"Enough."

The crowd quieted.

Not completely.

But enough.

"The prisoners will be judged for what they did."

His silver eyes moved toward Vida’s mate.

"Desperation does not erase responsibility."

Then Brea.

"Neither does silence."

Finally, Veyra.

"And ignorance is not innocence when you deliberately endanger others."

Veyra swallowed.

Soren continued.

"No one will touch the prisoners without my order."

Kael’s black tail lashed.

His expression was still dark.

Swanly looked toward him.

He was staring at Brea.

His sons’ screams were still fresh in his memory.

Soren turned toward Lyssara.

"Your attendant is under your custody for now. If you refuse to answer for her actions, there will be consequences."

Before Lyssara could respond, someone laughed.

Softly.

Everyone looked.

Azren had stepped away from his rock.

His six translucent wings unfolded behind him.

His pale-violet eyes moved from Brea to Veyra.

Then toward the dead still being carried through Ironwood.

He tilted his head.

"Well."

His voice was almost pleasant.

"I have a suggestion."

Swanly frowned.

"What?"

Azren smiled.

Not kindly.

"Kill them."

Silence.

Even the wind seemed to stop.

Veyra’s eyes widened.

"My prince?"

Azren looked toward Brea.

"Behead the hyena."

Brea’s breath caught.

Then toward Veyra.

"And behead her."

Veyra went completely white.

"My prince..."

Korran’s wings flared.

"Azren."

Azren ignored him.

"Simple."

He looked toward Soren.

"Two females. Two heads. A very clear message."

Soren’s eyes narrowed.

"You do not decide punishments inside my territory."

Azren smiled faintly.

"Which is why I am offering a solution."

Lyssara stepped forward.

"Veyra is highborn."

Azren finally looked at her.

"Unfortunately, her intelligence did not inherit the title."

Veyra stumbled toward him.

The chains stopped her.

She dropped to her knees.

"My prince!"

Azren looked down.

She reached for his leg.

Tharek released enough of the chain to allow her to kneel but did not let her move farther.

"Please!"

Azren stepped back before her fingers touched him.

Veyra stared.

Her eyes filled.

"Your Highness, I have served you for years!"

Azren said nothing.

"I have followed you everywhere!"

Still nothing.

"I never meant to hurt anyone!"

Azren’s smile vanished.

"Did you not?"

Veyra shook her head desperately.

"No!"

"Then why were you investigating the children?"

Swanly went still.

Kael’s ears snapped upright.

Soren’s pupils narrowed into slits.

Veyra froze.

Azren crouched in front of her.

"You thought I didn’t notice?"

His pale-violet eyes were terrifyingly calm.

"The questions about newborn blood. Recognition. My little fox’s daughters."

Swanly’s stomach turned.

Veyra started crying.

"I never touched them!"

"No."

Azren nodded.

"You didn’t."

His expression hardened.

"But because of your actions, Swanly nearly died."

Veyra stared.

Azren leaned closer.

"My female nearly died."

Soren’s tail struck the ground.

CRACK!

Azren glanced up.

Soren’s voice was ice.

"She is not your female."

Kael stepped forward.

"Say it again."

His black ears lay flat.

His golden eyes burned.

Azren looked between them.

Then smiled lazily.

"Such a possessive family."

Swanly’s tail puffed.

"Azren!"

He turned toward her.

"Yes, little fox?"

"I AM NOT YOUR FEMALE!"

His smile widened.

"Noted."

"You clearly didn’t note anything!"

A few exhausted residents almost laughed.

Almost.

Then Azren looked back at Veyra.

And the humor vanished again.

"You caused suffering to the female I intend to court."

Veyra’s tears spilled.

"My prince, please..."

He stood.

"You watched her children."

"No!"

"You investigated a way into their home."

"I was trying to help..."

"You convinced a desperate father to damage something you did not understand."

Veyra began shaking.

Azren’s wings spread wider.

"And people died."

Veyra bowed her head so low her forehead nearly touched the dirt.

"Please forgive me!"

Azren did not move.

"Please! I’ll do anything!"

His answer was quiet.

"You should have thought of that before."

Brea had been watching from inside the boundary.

Her face was white.

The moment Azren mentioned beheading, her entire body had begun trembling.

Now she looked toward Swanly.

"Lady Swanly..."

Swanly did not answer.

"Please."

Brea’s voice broke.

"I don’t want to die."

A grieving male shouted:

"NEITHER DID MY BROTHER!"

Brea flinched.

The crowd surged again.

Raku slammed his tail down.

"BACK!"

Mora stepped forward with him.

This time, nobody crossed the guards.

Swanly stared at Brea.

Then Veyra.

Two females.

Two different kinds of betrayal.

One had chosen silence.

The other had chosen arrogance.

And an entire settlement had paid the price.

Soren stood beside Swanly.

Kael on her other side.

For several seconds, no one spoke.

Then Azren looked toward Soren.

"Well?"

Soren’s expression was unreadable.

Swanly could hear her own heartbeat.

The crowd waited.

Brea began crying quietly.

Veyra was still on her knees.

Lyssara’s wings remained stiff.

Korran looked furious.

Tharek stood like stone.

Soren finally opened his mouth.

Then a shadow passed over the moon.

A long shadow.

Too large for any ordinary bird.

Several Ironwood guards looked up.

One pointed.

"My lord..."

Another shadow followed.

Then another.

The air changed.

A cold gust rolled across the boundary.

The trees bent.

High above the Veskari camp, enormous wings appeared through the darkness.

Six.

Then twelve.

Then dozens.

Swanly’s fox ears shot upright.

"What now?"

Azren’s head lifted.

For the first time that night, his expression changed into something she had never seen before.

Not amusement.

Not anger.

Recognition.

His wings went completely still.

Lyssara looked upward.

Her face drained of color.

Korran straightened instantly.

Tharek’s massive body lowered, one foreleg bending.

Veyra stopped crying.

She stared into the sky.

Then gasped.

A figure descended.

Slowly.

Majestically.

He was taller than Azren, with broad shoulders and long dark hair that moved in the wind.

His skin carried a cold metallic sheen.

Behind him spread six enormous wings, darker than the night itself, with thin silver light running through their veins.

His armor was black and silver, shaped so closely to his body that it almost seemed alive.

A narrow crown-like structure rose above his temples.

His face was breathtakingly beautiful.

And utterly cold.

Behind him descended several winged warriors in matching dark armor.

They did not land carelessly.

They formed two perfect lines.

No shouting.

No confusion.

Every movement controlled.

The first male touched the ground beyond Ironwood’s Blood Boundary.

Dust spread beneath his feet.

His wings folded.

The entire Veskari camp went silent.

Azren did not bow.

He simply stared.

The newcomer’s pale eyes moved over the broken foundation.

The chained Veyra.

The kneeling Brea inside Ironwood.

The angry villagers.

Soren.

Kael.

And finally, Swanly.

His gaze lingered on her for one unreadable moment.

Then he turned toward the gathered Veskari.

His voice was deep.

Calm.

And carried across the entire boundary.

"Who dares to kill one of my people?"