Chapter 51: Chapter 51

The room stayed frozen long after Auren’s words fell silent.

No one moved. Not even the air dared to.

Lucian stood up and turned, facing Auren head-on. That glare of his was cold, sharp, and merciless. It was enough to make me certain my "shield of survival" might need to pop up again any second.

If I could’ve raised my hand and politely excused myself from this deep shit, I absolutely would have. But their stares locked like dueling storms, and somehow, I was the unfortunate bystander stuck right in the middle.

Auren’s voice finally cut through the thick silence, calm but laced with heat.

"You," he began, his tone low, "always blaming others for your own weakness. That’s just like you, Lucian. I let it go earlier because I get it... you were furious your wife got attacked."

He took a breath, his eyes hardening. "But this? This isn’t about her safety anymore, is it?"

Lucian’s expression darkened, his jaw tightening as a faint tremor ran through the air. It kind of an invisible warning of the storm beneath his skin. "You think you understand me?" His voice was calm, too calm, the kind that made the room colder by the second.

Auren didn’t flinch. His pale blue-silver eyes held steady, gleaming like a quiet sky before lightning. "I understand enough," he said softly. "Because I’ve seen you lose control before, Lucian. But not ."

The air between them pulsed with tension, and I swore I could feel it pressing against my lungs.

Lucian took a slow step forward. "Watch your words, Auren."

Auren exhaled, his wings faintly shimmering in the corner of my vision as if instinctively ready. "I am watching them," he murmured. "You just don’t like hearing the truth."

And then, Auren’s gaze flicked toward me, only for a heartbeat, but long enough to make my stomach twist. There was something in that look I couldn’t quite name. ’What is it?’

Lucian noticed it too. I could tell by the way his eyes narrowed ever so slightly, a flash of something dangerously possessive flickering behind them.

If frost could burn, that was what it felt like now.

I swallowed hard, forcing a shaky breath past my lips.

Two powerful men ready to fight each other.

And me, just wishing I could vanish into thin air.

"Let’s end this here..." Auren suddenly muttered, his tone quieter now. I instantly let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.

"I understand, really, I do," he continued, his gaze softening, though the edge in his words remained. "But Lucian... sometimes you just love to put the blame on others when you can’t face yourself."

He turned, ready to leave, the golden shimmer of his wings slowly fading, feather by feather, until nothing but a faint glow lingered around him.

But before he could take another step, Lucian’s voice cut through the air, low and sharp enough to stop him in his tracks.

"You know it, right... this is not blaming others..."

The words hung there, unfinished but heavy and thick. Official source ıs novèlfire.net

Auren paused mid-step, glancing over his shoulder. "What do you mean?"

Lucian’s voice dropped lower, colder. "You know exactly what I mean. A rogue wouldn’t just stroll into this place unnoticed." He took a slow step forward, his tone sharpening with every word. "This is a VIP skyport, Auren. Even the lowest-level guards here are handpicked by your clan. There’s no way he got in without help."

Auren’s expression shifted, very subtle, but I caught it. The brief flicker of unease in his eyes before his calm facade returned.

Auren’s jaw tightened, though his voice stayed level. "Are you suggesting we planned this?"

Lucian didn’t answer immediately. He took another step forward, the faint frost trailing behind his boots a clear reflection of his mood. "I’m suggesting," he said slowly, "that your clan has too much control here for something to happen by mistake."

Auren met his stare evenly, the faint golden light still clinging to his shoulders. "You think I’d ever let harm come to her?"

Lucian’s lips curved, not into a smile, but something colder. A scoff escaped him, "Maybe not you..." He paused, the air thickening around his words, "but your brother? You know... since I agreed to this marriage, he hasn’t exactly been sitting comfortably on his throne."

Auren’s brows furrowed, the pale blue-silver in his eyes flickering.

Lucian’s tone stayed deceptively calm, almost conversational, though every syllable was a blade. "You know how your brother is, don’t you, Auren? Always looking for a balance of power that favors him. And with this alliance..." he tilted his head slightly, "he probably sees it as the scales tipping toward me."

The room fell silent again, heavy with tension I couldn’t quite name.

Politics. Power. Alliances.

I had no idea what half of that meant, but I was smart enough to know I’d somehow stumbled into the middle of a very dangerous conversation.

And judging by the way Lucian’s voice had dropped... this wasn’t just about the rogue anymore.

’Amazing,’ I thought, sinking slightly into my seat. ’I married into a political chess match between flying horses and frozen dragons.’

Auren’s voice, when it came, was softer and careful. "Lucian... you’re saying you think my brother had something to do with this?"

Lucian didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. The sharp tension in his jaw and the ice in his eyes spoke louder than words ever could.

Auren exhaled slowly, his shoulders easing just enough to show he was choosing reason over pride. "Alright," he said at last. "If that’s what you believe, I’ll look into it myself." His tone grew firmer, his eyes’ gaze cutting through the frost between them. "If my brother had even a hand in this... if he so much as allowed someone to step through that gate without clearance... I’ll make sure he answers it."

Lucian’s lips curved, but there was no humor in it. "What can you do, Auren?"

The words landed like a blade.

Auren blinked, his calm wavering for the first time.

Lucian took a step forward, his voice low but merciless. "Since we were kids, you never fought for anything. You let others take control, let corruption lead, just because you found it easier to look away." His eyes burned cold, the frost at his feet whispering against the floor. "So tell me... what will you do when the one holding the power isn’t you?"