Chapter 262: And if you open that gate now, you’re giving them exactly what they’ve wanted

Chapter 262: Chapter 262: And if you open that gate now, you’re giving them exactly what they’ve wanted

Mora tightened her arms.

"I know."

The woman’s knees gave out.

Mora lowered with her, holding her against her broad chest while the mother sobbed.

Raku stepped forward.

"Warriors, hold your positions!"

The guards hesitated.

"NOW!"

Spears lowered slightly.

But their faces remained furious.

Nahla came limping through the crowd, her walking stick striking the earth.

Her gray otter ears were flat.

She stopped beside the grieving mother.

Looked at the prince.

Then spat onto the ground.

"Then take your Crown and get away from our dead!"

A shocked murmur swept through the gathering.

Lyssara’s face tightened.

Even several Veskari warriors looked uncomfortable.

The elder prince stared at Nahla.

"You are very bold for something so old."

Nahla lifted her stick.

"And you’re very arrogant for someone standing where nobody invited him!"

Swanly nearly choked.

Soren closed his eyes for one brief moment.

Kael’s black ears twitched.

Across the boundary, Azren’s expression had gone completely still.

The smile was gone.

His eyes remained fixed on his brother.

The prince looked at Nahla as though considering whether she deserved another response.

Then his gaze moved away.

That was it.

A grieving mother.

A dead child.

An entire settlement devastated.

And he simply looked away.

Something inside Swanly went cold.

Soren had seen enough.

"Raku."

The crocodile commander immediately turned.

"My lord."

"Bring the prisoner forward."

Brea’s head snapped up.

Her chains rattled.

"No."

Two guards approached.

Brea began shaking.

"No, wait..."

They helped her upright because her injured ankle could barely hold her weight.

Soren stepped toward her.

Brea looked at Swanly.

Then at Soren.

"My lord..."

Soren stopped in front of her.

His white tail rested motionless behind him.

"Did you know Veyra was trying to find a way through my boundary?"

Brea swallowed.

"I didn’t know she would..."

"Yes or no?"

She flinched.

Her hyena ears folded.

"Yes."

"Did you see her investigating the old anchors?"

Brea’s eyes filled.

She hesitated.

Soren waited.

"Yes," she whispered.

"Did you warn my guards before the stones were disturbed?"

Brea looked down.

Tears fell onto the dirt.

"No."

The crowd fell quiet.

Brea began speaking quickly.

"But I didn’t know what she was planning! I didn’t know it would cause all of this! When I saw the stones moving, I tried to warn someone!"

Soren looked at her.

"When the danger was already upon us."

Brea started crying harder.

"I fought those things!"

Her voice rose.

"I nearly died!"

She lifted her injured leg.

"Look at me!"

Soren did.

His expression remained unchanged.

"I see you."

Brea trembled.

"I didn’t want anyone to die."

Soren’s silver eyes narrowed.

"They died anyway."

Her mouth opened.

Nothing came out.

"You watched danger approach this territory and kept silent because you wanted us to suffer."

Brea shook her head desperately.

"No..."

"Did you not?"

"I was angry!"

Her voice broke.

"Selka was dead! Everything was gone! I was angry!"

Swanly looked away briefly.

She remembered Selka.

The bone blade.

The children she had left behind.

Brea’s voice became desperate.

"I wasn’t thinking about killing people!"

Soren answered quietly.

"That is precisely the problem."

A male near the crowd spoke.

"My lord..."

Soren turned.

The guard who had helped pull Brea from the Warders stepped forward.

"She did try to warn us at the end."

Brea looked up hopefully.

The guard swallowed.

"And she fought to free herself. I saw it."

Soren nodded once.

"I know."

The guard hesitated.

"Then..."

"Her warning came after the anchor was disturbed."

Soren looked toward the bodies beneath the hides.

"Her silence came before it."

The guard lowered his head.

Soren turned back to Brea.

"You were given shelter even while imprisoned. Food. Water. Treatment."

Brea began shaking harder.

"You remained within the protection of Ironwood."

His voice became colder.

"And when you discovered a threat against the people who sustained that protection, you chose revenge over warning them."

Brea stared at him.

"My lord..."

Soren straightened.

"As ruler of Ironwood, I sentence you to death."

Brea’s eyes widened.

"No."

Her knees buckled.

The chains rattled.

"No, please!"

Nobody moved.

"PLEASE!"

She looked toward Swanly.

"Lady Swanly!"

Swanly’s stomach twisted.

Brea started struggling.

"I didn’t want this!"

Swanly stared at her.

Then at the grieving mother still crying against Mora.

The injured guards.

The dead.

The children who would wake tomorrow asking for parents who would never return.

Her lips parted.

But no words came.

Brea began sobbing harder.

"Selka..."

She looked wildly around.

"Selka, I..."

Soren moved.

Fast.

One moment he stood before her.

The next, his snake fangs had lengthened.

He caught her shoulder, leaned forward and delivered one quick bite at the side of her neck.

Brea gasped.

Soren released her.

The entire gathering went still.

For a heartbeat, Brea remained upright.

Then her legs folded.

One guard caught her before she struck the stones.

Her breathing grew shallow.

Her eyes moved toward the dark sky.

She whispered something nobody heard.

Then stopped moving.

The guard carefully lowered her to the ground.

Silence.

No cheering.

No celebration.

A few residents looked relieved.

One wounded female covered her mouth.

Another turned away.

The guard who had tried to speak for Brea stood with his head lowered.

Swanly stared at the body.

She had watched people die before.

Too many.

But this was different.

This had been a decision.

Soren’s decision.

She looked at him.

He showed no regret.

No satisfaction either.

Only the exhausted coldness of a ruler who had passed judgment and accepted responsibility for it.

He turned toward the Veskari.

"One."

Veyra stopped breathing.

Her hands tightened around the elder prince’s armor.

Soren raised one finger toward her.

"And that female will answer for her part."

The prince stepped directly in front of Veyra.

"You will not touch her."

Soren’s tail moved.

Slowly.

"Move."

The prince smiled.

Not kindly.

"You think you can order me?"

"You are standing outside my territory threatening my people."

Soren’s silver eyes became cold enough to frighten several nearby guards.

"I have shown you more patience than you deserve."

The newcomer looked genuinely offended.

Then he laughed.

One quiet sound.

"Patience?"

His enormous black wings spread behind him.

The Veskari warriors immediately straightened.

"Do you have any idea who you are speaking to?"

Soren did not move.

"A male who has not been invited into my home."

Azren made a small sound.

Almost amusement.

His brother’s gaze snapped toward him.

Azren lifted both hands.

"Please. Continue."

The prince turned back toward Soren.

"Your people mean nothing to us."

The words fell across Ironwood like a slap.

"If I wanted this settlement flattened, there would be nothing left for you to rule."

Kael moved.

One step.

His black claws extended.

Raku immediately lifted one hand toward the warriors.

"Hold."

Mora’s bear ears flattened.

Nahla gripped her walking stick so tightly her knuckles paled.

Swanly’s tail doubled in size.

The prince noticed none of it.

Or simply didn’t care.

"Your walls," he continued, "your little shelters, your crops, your families. Do you truly believe they could survive a royal Veskari assault?"

Soren stared at him.

"Try."

One word.

The air seemed to freeze.

Korran’s wings flared.

Lyssara sharply turned toward the prince.

"Your Highness..."

Tharek shifted his heavy body between the forward warriors and the territorial line.

Azren’s antennae lowered.

For the first time, the new prince looked interested.

"You would risk your entire settlement over one condemned female?"

Soren’s expression did not change.

"You would risk the Heart over one foolish attendant?"

That silenced him.

Only for a heartbeat.

But Swanly saw it.

So did Lyssara.

The prince’s eyes narrowed.

Behind him, Veyra slowly lifted her head.

Her terror had begun fading.

Her eyes moved from Soren to the powerful male standing before her.

A tiny smile touched her lips.

Soren noticed.

"Do not smile."

Veyra froze.

"Your protector has not made you innocent."

Her lips trembled.

Soren’s voice dropped.

"I will kill you too."

The prince’s expression darkened.

Soren continued.

"Neither your blood nor your Crown will save you if you fall into my hands."

Veyra’s eyes widened.

The smile disappeared.

She pressed herself closer to the prince’s legs.

"My prince..."

The newcomer placed one hand against her shoulder.

Not affectionately.

Possessively.

As though reminding everyone that she belonged to his authority.

"She is under my protection."

Soren’s scales rose along his throat.

"Then protect her well."

His tail struck the dirt.

The guards closest to him stepped back instinctively.

He turned toward the blood-marked gate stone.

Swanly saw his hand move.

Her stomach dropped.

Oh, no.

She knew that expression.

Soren wasn’t bluffing anymore.

He was furious enough to step outside and kill Veyra himself.

Kael moved alongside him.

His golden eyes remained fixed on the prince.

Swanly grabbed Soren’s wrist.

"Don’t."

He looked down at her.

His expression was terrifying.

"Let go."

She didn’t.

"Soren."

"She nearly killed you."

"I know."

"She endangered my daughters."

"I KNOW."

His pupils narrowed.

"Then move."

"No."

Soren went still.

Swanly stepped directly in front of him.

"Look around you."

He stared.

"Swanly."

"Look."

She pointed toward the ruined shelters.

The injured warriors.

The people sitting beside bodies they had not yet buried.

"Our people are wounded."

Her voice shook.

"Half the shelters need repairs. Nahla barely has enough clean cloth left to treat everyone. Some people haven’t even found their families."

Soren’s jaw tightened.

"And if you open that gate now, you’re giving them exactly what they’ve wanted."

That stopped him.