Chapter 5: When Kings Bleed
521 Words
The room felt smaller now. Heavy. Choking on secrets.
Lucien stood by the window, Alder’s message burning in his hand like a lit match. Behind him, Zarek paced like a caged beast, his fury vibrating through the air.
> “He’s watching us,” Lucien said quietly.
Zarek froze. “Give me the phone.”
Lucien hesitated, then handed it over. Zarek read the message, his jaw tightening with every word.
Without a word, he smashed the phone against the wall. Pieces scattered like glass stars.
> “You’re not safe here,” Zarek said, voice low, dangerous.
Lucien turned to him, trembling. “I’m not safe anywhere, Zarek. Not when you won’t tell me what he means.”
Zarek’s eyes were fire. “You want to know what he means?”
He stalked toward Lucien, every step slow, controlled, lethal.
> “He means I should be dead. Because I put a bullet in him. Because I wanted the throne more than I wanted his life.”
Lucien’s breath caught. “You killed him—”
> “I tried,” Zarek growled. “And I failed. That’s the only reason he’s still breathing.”
Lucien staggered back. “You chose power over him.”
Zarek gripped his face, tilting it up so Lucien couldn’t look away. “I chose survival. And now, I’m choosing you.”
Lucien’s voice cracked. “And what happens when Alder decides the only way to break you… is to break me?”
Zarek leaned in until their foreheads touched, his voice a promise of war.
> “Then I’ll burn every shadow he hides in.”
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Elsewhere — The Devil’s Table
Alder reclined in his leather chair, a glass of red wine in his hand and a shark’s smile on his lips.
Across from him sat a man with eyes like midnight—Zevian.
> “You sure about this?” Zevian asked. “The boy’s not a fighter. He’ll break.”
Alder chuckled, swirling his wine. “Exactly. The cracks always start with the pretty ones.”
He pulled a photo from his pocket—Lucien’s face, caught mid-laugh, from a time before the darkness. He traced the smile with his thumb.
> “Let Zarek build his empire of fire. While he does… I’ll build my kingdom in Lucien’s head.”
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The War Room — Velenza Estate
Zarek slammed his fist on the table. Maps of the city sprawled before him, red circles marking Alder’s safe houses. Renzo stood nearby, expression grim.
> “I want every exit sealed. Every route burned,” Zarek ordered. “We flush him out. Tonight.”
Renzo hesitated. “And Lucien?”
Zarek’s hands tightened around the table edge. “He doesn’t leave my sight.”
Behind them, Lucien lingered in the doorway, pale and silent. He watched Zarek command his army, watched the coldness slide over the man he loved like steel armor.
And for the first time, he wondered if Alder was right.
If Zarek wasn’t the man he fell in love with—
but the monster Alder said he was.
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- Writer
