Chapter 314: More Death

Even after she stepped out of the carriage, Aira was still visibly rattled. She slid her hands down the front of her gown, smoothing the fabric repeatedly even though it was clear that her dress no longer needed any adjustments. The motion was automatic, driven more by nerves than necessity, as though keeping her hands busy would somehow calm the storm raging inside her chest.Get it together, she told herself sharply. You can’t look weak. Not here.

It was even harder for her to look back when she heard movement behind her, the faint sound of boots against the ground unmistakable. She didn’t need to turn to know who it was. Zyren was getting out of the carriage.

Her eyes fixed stubbornly ahead, focusing on anything—everything—except him. The stone path beneath her feet, the towering walls of the mansion, the flickering torches being lit as dusk settled in. She would have already left if not for the fact that she refused to go anywhere without her mother, Selira.

I’m not leaving her behind again, she thought fiercely.

The last thing she wanted was for Lord Dangrey to take her mother away once more, dragging Selira back into his grasp while she stood helpless, unable to do anything about it. So even when Zyren stepped fully out of the carriage, instead of moving away as she desperately wanted to, Aira remained where she was. She stood stiff and unmoving—and she wasn’t the only one.

Others who had disembarked from their carriages also waited, knowing better than to leave without Zyren’s express dismissal. Among them were members of the hunter houses. Her gaze flicked briefly across the gathered crowd, and she recognized Arun, her father’s brother, almost immediately.

She wasn’t surprised to see him standing uncomfortably close to Liora, who looked utterly fed up with his presence. Liora’s expression was strained, irritation written plainly across her face, but it was her pallor that caught Aira’s attention. She looked paler than usual, and unease curled in Aira’s stomach at the sight.

She fed on human blood, Aira thought grimly. And she hasn’t recovered yet and might never. It was clear that she needed more.

While no one else might know that truth, Aira did, and it worried her more than she cared to admit.

Zyren finally stepped forward and spoke, his voice carrying effortlessly across the space as he dismissed everyone except Lord Dangrey and the three Vampire Lords beneath him.

At once, the tension shifted. Everyone—including the slaves and servants who followed their respective masters—breathed a collective sigh of relief. The sound was almost audible as people hurried back to their individual carriages, eager to leave while they still could. Wheels creaked, voices murmured, and within moments, the courtyard began to empty.

Compared to earlier, when Lord Dangrey had dared to speak to Zyren with anything resembling confidence, it was painfully clear now that he was terrified. That didn’t surprise Aira in the slightest. She knew the only reason Dangrey had spoken so boldly before was because he believed Zyren’s death was imminent.

He was most likely part of the plan that had been constructed by King Jared. Convinced that Zyren would be wiped out.

He thought time was on his side, she mused coldly. He was wrong.

Now, witnessing Zyren’s overwhelming show of dominance, Dangrey visibly trembled. He shivered in his boots so violently that it was impossible to miss. An aura of fear clung to him, thick and suffocating, even though Zyren hadn’t yet given him any direct attention.

Zyren turned his focus to the Vampire Lords.

"Drehk," he said calmly, "think of something you want, and I’ll grant it."

Lord Lythari and Lord Noctare bowed their heads immediately, not daring to speak. The fear of offending Zyren kept them utterly silent aware of how they had deserted him when he had needed them the most. Although Zyren did not spesk to them but his silence only seemed to put fear in them more than before.

Lord Drehk, however, bowed deeply, loyalty evident in every line of his posture.

"I live to serve, my King," he said with unwavering conviction.

Zyren nodded once, then dismissed them, granting permission for them to either remain in the mansion or leave as they pleased.

Only then did he turn his gaze to Lord Dangrey.

Dangrey lowered his head at once. "My King," he said, his voice dripping with reverence. The arrogance he’d once carried was gone entirely. He even went so far as to try to make himself look less noble than he already was, shrinking into himself.

"I am yours to command," he added, bowing so low that his waist bent sharply. He was tall just as much as Zyren and much more muscular which was a trait of his bloodline, and in his gaze was a determination that clearly wasn’t shaken.

Aira scoffed quietly at the display, irritation flaring within her. The sight of him groveling did nothing to soothe her anger. Still, her focus quickly shifted past him—to her mother.

Selira stood behind Dangrey, dressed in a half-transparent white gown. Her posture was submissive, her gaze filled with something that twisted painfully in Aira’s chest: worship. Her attention was fixed entirely on Zyren.

No, Aira thought sharply, her jaw tightening. Don’t look at him like that.

The sight maddened her. She glanced back at Zyren, silently urging him to get it over with, to end this as quickly as possible.

Lord Dangrey, however, was no fool. He needed only a moment to realize that he had crossed a line and that his life was now hanging by a thread. It was the look in Aira’s eyes—pride and satisfaction mingled together—that sealed his fate. It was the look of someone about to receive something she had long demanded.

Panic seized him instantly. He dropped to his knees, horror etched across his face as he watched Zyren stretch out his hand toward a nearby guard, gesturing towards the blade that hung on the waist of the guard. The guard understood immediately and hurriedly placed his blade into Zyren’s waiting palm with a bowed head not daring to meet the king’s gaze.

"My King!" Lord Dangrey cried out, his voice loud enough to carry across the courtyard.

"I have done nothing to deserve death! Are you going to take my slave simply because your pet asks for it?"

The words left his mouth before he could stop himself. The moment he called Aira a pet, the Vampire Lords stiffened. They recognized the mistake instantly.

Dangrey, however, was too desperate—and too arrogant—to notice. A few nobles still lingered nearby, and he clung to the hope that involving them might save his life.

"I can give Lady Aria my slave if she wants her!" he pleaded, terror plain on his face as Zyren slowly approached him.

The sun had fully set now, the sky darkening into deep shades of blue and black. The vampires removed their cloaks and hoods without concern, the night offering them comfort rather than fear.

Dangrey’s gaze locked onto the blade in Zyren’s hand. He knew it wouldn’t kill him outright—but he wasn’t willing to test that theory. He had seen Zyren pour a strange liquid over King Jared, the Werewolf King, a substance that had prevented him from healing.

Who knows what that liquid would do to me? he wondered in terror.

"My King! I beg you!" he cried. "I have done nothing to deserve death!"

It was useless. Zyren spoke as though Dangrey didn’t exist.

"Bring me fire."

Two guards moved instantly to obey. There was no attempt to hide what was about to happen. It felt less like punishment and more like a public execution.

Dangrey trembled violently, panic finally taking full hold as Zyren watched him with cold patience. Desperate, Dangrey turned toward Aira—

Before he could speak, Selira suddenly broke away from his side. She rushed forward and dropped to her knees in front of Aira.

Aira froze.

Her mother was crying—bawling openly. Gone was the calm, distant expression Selira usually wore. She looked broken, devastated, her sorrow raw and unmistakable.

"Please, Aria!" Selira sobbed. "You’re my daughter! Please don’t kill him!"

The sight was gut-wrenching. Selira tore at her clothes, pouring sand over her head in grief as she wept.

"Lord Dangrey has been nothing but good to me!" she cried. "He’ll set me free, and we can be together—but you don’t have to kill him!"

Aira stood stunned, unable to speak, unable to move.

Zyren remained silent, watching her closely. It was clear he was waiting for her command.

For a fleeting moment, Aira’s heart softened. She noticed the crowd they were drawing closer even the ones that had previously intended to leave as her mother wailed loud enough for her voice to spread.

Do I really want another death on my hands? she wondered.

If he truly sets her free... do I need to kill him?

Selira clutched her gown, still begging on her knees.