Chapter 267: I will tear down every shelter in that pathetic settlement if I have to

Chapter 267: Chapter 267: I will tear down every shelter in that pathetic settlement if I have to

Azren said nothing.

Vaedric stared.

Then laughed.

Not a pleasant laugh.

A sharp, disbelieving sound.

"Oh, Azren."

He shook his head.

"How embarrassing."

Azren’s expression remained unreadable.

Vaedric took a step closer.

"A female with five children?"

"Careful."

"Already claimed by two males?"

Azren’s eyes narrowed.

Vaedric smiled wider.

"And you, a prince of the Veskari royal family, are standing outside her little settlement entertaining her offspring?"

Azren looked bored.

"Are you finished?"

"Not remotely."

Vaedric leaned closer.

"Father would be disgusted."

Azren said nothing.

"Mother would be furious."

"Then perhaps don’t tell them."

Vaedric stared.

Azren smiled faintly.

"You do enjoy making everything unnecessarily dramatic."

His brother’s expression hardened.

"You think this is funny?"

"No. I think you are."

The smile vanished from Vaedric’s face.

Then slowly returned.

Cold.

Cruel.

"Perhaps I should be grateful."

Azren lifted one eyebrow.

"For what?"

"This."

Vaedric gestured toward Ironwood.

"You becoming attached to some beastwoman."

He chuckled.

"Finally, something useful."

Azren’s wings shifted.

Vaedric’s pale eyes gleamed.

"Perhaps I can finally get rid of you."

Silence.

The wind moved through the trees.

Somewhere farther down the camp, metal struck metal as Veskari soldiers reinforced a watch post.

Azren looked at his elder brother.

Then shrugged.

"You’ve been trying for years."

Vaedric’s smile disappeared.

"And you have been testing my patience for just as long."

"Then we have something in common."

Vaedric stepped closer.

His dark wings spread enough to cast a shadow across Azren’s face.

"This is precisely why Father and Mother sent me."

Azren’s eyes slowly lifted.

"Is it?"

"Yes."

Vaedric’s voice became colder.

"You were sent here to secure access to the First Heart."

Azren said nothing.

"You had warriors."

Silence.

"An envoy."

Still nothing.

"A commander."

Azren looked away briefly.

"And yet," Vaedric continued, "you have spent your time flirting with a beastwoman while these creatures continue to deny us entry."

Azren sighed.

"Brother..."

"You are worthless."

The words cut through the air.

Azren stopped.

Vaedric watched his face.

"There it is."

He smiled.

"Perhaps that finally reached you."

Azren’s expression smoothed again.

"How disappointing. I was hoping for a more interesting insult."

Vaedric’s eyes narrowed.

"You think you can laugh your way through everything."

Azren looked at him.

"And you think threatening everyone makes you intelligent."

For a moment, Vaedric looked ready to strike him.

Then he laughed again.

"Enough."

He turned toward Ironwood.

"I will finish what you couldn’t."

Azren’s wings became still.

Vaedric continued.

"I will tear down every shelter in that pathetic settlement if I have to."

His voice was almost conversational.

"Every wall. Every watchtower. Every little home."

Azren stared at his back.

"And I will make certain you watch."

The air seemed to grow colder.

Vaedric turned his head.

"Perhaps then you will remember what it means to be Veskari."

Azren’s fingers slowly curled.

But he said nothing.

Vaedric smiled.

"You’ve become weak."

Silence.

"Pathetic."

Azren remained motionless.

His brother took another step closer.

"And that female..."

Azren’s pale-violet eyes sharpened.

Vaedric noticed.

His smile widened.

"Oh?"

He tilted his head.

"So she really is important."

Azren’s voice was quiet.

"Stay out of my life."

Vaedric laughed.

"Your life?"

He looked almost delighted.

"You have no life outside what the Crown allows you."

Azren didn’t answer.

Vaedric continued:

"When the boundary falls, I’ll make sure that beastwoman is the first to understand exactly how little she means to us."

Azren’s antennae went perfectly still.

Vaedric leaned closer.

"And you will watch."

For several seconds, neither brother moved.

Then Azren smiled.

A small smile.

Almost lazy.

"If you’re finished giving speeches, I believe your soldiers are waiting."

Vaedric stared at him.

Then scoffed.

"Hopeless."

He turned away.

His enormous black wings unfolded.

"Enjoy your little fantasy while you can, Brother."

Azren did not answer.

Vaedric started walking toward the royal camp.

Several guards immediately moved to follow him.

Before disappearing among the trees, he looked back.

"Sooner or later, you’ll learn that affection is a weakness."

Azren remained still.

Vaedric smiled.

"And I intend to teach you."

Then he left.

The forest grew quiet.

For a while, Azren simply stood there.

His arms remained crossed.

His wings remained folded.

From a distance, he looked exactly as he always did.

Relaxed.

Unbothered.

Perhaps a little bored.

But his smile was gone.

Completely.

His pale-violet eyes remained fixed on the path his brother had taken.

The playful warmth usually present in them had disappeared.

Something much colder had replaced it.

He slowly uncrossed his arms.

For one brief moment, the translucent veins in his six wings brightened.

A faint vibration passed through the surrounding air.

One of the Veskari guards nearby stopped walking.

His head turned.

Then his expression changed.

He immediately lowered his eyes and moved away.

Azren didn’t notice.

Or didn’t care.

He was still looking toward the trees.

His elder brother had threatened Ironwood.

Threatened the children.

Threatened Swanly.

And expected him to stand quietly and watch.

Azren’s jaw tightened.

For the first time in a very long while, he felt no desire to laugh.

We’ll see about that.

His wings slowly unfolded.

And the killing intent in his eyes did not fade.

Inside the family shelter, Swanly was sleeping.

Finally.

Properly.

Her long silver-white hair spilled across the pillow, and her fluffy tail lay curled beneath the blanket.

Nahla had already checked on her twice.

The old healer had left water beside the bed and threatened to strike anyone who disturbed her patient unnecessarily.

Swanly had complained about being treated like a child.

Then promptly fallen asleep again.

Outside, the cubs’ voices could be heard returning along the walkway.

Miko was talking.

Of course.

"I didn’t like him."

Nilo answered something too quietly to hear.

"And he had big wings!"

Kairo said something.

Miko continued.

"Bigger doesn’t mean better!"

A pause.

"Papa Kael is still stronger."

Swanly smiled faintly in her sleep.

Her babies.

Always arguing.

She shifted beneath the blanket.

Then frowned.

Something felt strange.

A dull pressure settled beneath her ribs.

At first, she barely noticed it.

She had been hurting everywhere since the underground battle.

Her body was still recovering.

A little pain wasn’t unusual.

She turned onto her side.

The pressure increased.

Swanly’s brows drew together.

Mm?

She shifted again.

Then suddenly opened her eyes.

A sharp pain tore through her chest.

Her entire body stiffened.

"Ah!"

She grabbed the blanket.

The pain spread from the center of her chest toward her back.

It felt as though something had seized her heart and squeezed.

Hard.

Swanly gasped.

"What...?"

She tried sitting up.

Another wave struck.

Worse.

Much worse.

Her fox ears flattened.

Her fingers gripped her chest.

"Fuck..."

She struggled to breathe.

Then something warm rushed up her throat.

Swanly’s eyes widened.

She barely managed to bend forward.

"COUGH!"

Blood splashed across the blanket.

Swanly froze.

For several seconds, she could only stare.

Bright red.

Wet.

Spreading across the pale cloth.

Her hand slowly lifted to her mouth.

Her fingers came away stained.

She stared at them.

Then at the blood on her blanket.

Her heart began pounding.

"What the fuck?"