Chapter 302
Zephyrine
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I dismounted my horse wearily, and for a brief moment, I stood still, staring at the bright night garden ahead.
He hadn’t denied anything, but he had wanted to speak it, and I had been too afraid to hear it.
Afraid. Terrified. Because if he said it aloud, it would shatter me completely.
Slowly, I walked into the hall, heading toward my bedchamber, but my steps faltered halfway.
With a small turn, I changed direction and followed the corridor leading to the Banes‘ Jurrek Bane’s hall.
quarter,
The narrow hallway opened into a wide courtyard where several buildings stood, a place reserved for the Banes who had long served the Ashmeres.
I hadn’t stood there for more than a few seconds before guards bowed in respect. I returned the gesture and continued toward Jurrek’s door.
The maids stationed outside bowed silently, then withdrew to give us privacy.
I reached for the door, knocked softly, and waited. After a few moments, I heard approaching footsteps, then the quiet turn of the doorknob.
Jurrek stood before me, calm, steady as always. He held my gaze for a long moment without speaking, then bowed in respect. When he straightened, he opened the door wider, allowing me inside.
His home was simple yet warm, comfortable for a bachelor. A small sitting room, shelves crowded with papers, and a narrow hall to my left leading to his bath and bedchamber.
“Come in,” he said, gesturing toward the chair by his writing desk. The desk was cluttered with reports, scrolls, and maps, evidence of restless nights spent planning.
I took a step forward and sat quietly.
“Drink?” he asked.
“Just water.”
He nodded, went to the side table, poured a mug, and brought it to me before lowering
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Chapter 302
himself into the chair opposite mine.
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I looked into the cup, and for a moment, it wasn’t water I saw but blood. The reflection of what war did to warriors, what grief did to souls.
“I miss you,” I murmured, my voice barely a whisper. “So much.”
“I’ve been busy with new plans for the pack,” he said instead, deflecting the tension. He picked up a parchment and handed it to me. “A proposed trade with the Lycan Kingdom. They have gold; we have resources. It would have been the most profitable alliance yet.”
His tone dropped, eyes dimming. “But that was before the truth came out, before we learned that the Lycans are our enemies.”
I saw the weight in his shoulders, the quiet defeat. When he set the parchment down, his lifted to mine, sharp with a different question.
“How are you holding up?” He asked softly.
He gave a humorless shrug.
“My brother said you wanted to sit the war out, to stay indoors while men desecrate the woman you love.”
His breath stilled. The silence between us burned. Then he spoke again, voice low.
eyes
“Her brother killed the warlord,” he said. “But I’ve heard the stories, and I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
“What stories?” I asked.
Without a word, he stood, crossed the room, and pulled a scroll from his shelves. Returning, he laid it out before me.
“It’s a war strategy Varyn wrote five years ago,” he said. “During the war, The Abyss had called for a ceasefire after heavy losses. Ashmeres could decide whether to accept or not.”
“That’s true,” I murmured, studying the faded ink.
“Your brother was the strategist,” Jurrek continued. “He knew the Abyss Warlord had requested reinforcements. Before they could arrive, he acted fast. He arranged a meeting under the guise of a truce. The Warlord of Abyss Army came to speak with your father. But it was a setup, a trap. The Demon warlord was captured, and your father was ready to strike when Apex intervened. Apex sided with the demons and cut your father down.”
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