Free Web NovelChapter 69: Chapter 69
Laheir sat in front of the hearth in his private quarters, the fire casting shifting shadows across his face. He gently swirled the contents of the silver goblet in his hand before raising it to his lips. The rim of the cup touched his mouth, and he took a slow sip. When he pulled away, his lips were stained red with thick, freshly drawn blood that was still warm.
Most vampires relished the act of biting into flesh and feeling a pulse beneath their fangs as blood spurted straight into their mouths. It was intimate and primal. But Laheir had always found the practice too personal, too vulgar. He preferred to drink from a goblet, distanced and dignified.
The blood he now sipped came from a young human male, recently brought in by his guards. Just minutes ago, Laheir had watched in disinterest as the man thrashed and pleaded in their grasp. Without a single word, Laheir had approached him, withdrawn a curved blade from his belt, and cut a deep line across the man’s wrist. He held the goblet beneath the wound, watching dispassionately as crimson liquid filled the cup. Once he had gathered enough, he waved his guards away with a flick of his fingers, signaling for them to drag the man out.
Now alone, Laheir sat with one leg crossed over the other, tapping his foot against the floor in a steady rhythm. He waited for his son’s arrival. The silence grew taut the longer it stretched, the crackling fire the only other sound in the room.
A knock at the door disrupted the stillness. Just a single knock, followed immediately by the sound of the door creaking open. Someone stepped inside without waiting for permission.
Laheir glanced over his shoulder and saw his second son striding into the room. Yannick’s clothes were still travel-worn, wrinkled but he held his head high as he approached. He stopped just beside his father’s chair, close enough that Laheir would be forced to acknowledge him.
Yannick bowed his head respectfully. "Father. I’ve returned."
Laheir did not respond right away. Instead, he took another drink, this time draining the remaining contents of his goblet in one long gulp. He set the cup down on the table beside him with a soft clink, his expression unreadable. When he finally spoke, his voice was gruff and clipped.
"I expected you back sooner."
"There was a delay," Yannick replied smoothly. "Something came up, but it’s nothing you need to concern yourself with. I made sure it was taken care of before returning."
He slowly drifted toward the center of the room, standing tall and confident now that he had his father’s attention.
Laheir had four children in total, but it was Yannick who resembled him most. They shared the same tall, lean build, the same dark, deep-set eyes, the same sharply cut cheekbones and aquiline nose. They shared more than just physical similarities; both men had ambition laced with cruelty, and a hunger for power that could not be easily quenched.
"Good," Laheir said, a small nod betraying his approval. "And no one suspected anything?"
"I was more careful this time. I’ve learned from the last incident." Yannick said defensively, though his tone remained measured. "That was a mistake. One I don’t intend to repeat."
"A mistake," Laheir muttered, his jaw tightening, "that nearly landed you on trial. You have no idea how many strings I had to pull to get you out of that mess. If you had listened to me and allowed someone else to go in your place, the entire thing could’ve been avoided."
Yannick scoffed and nonchalantly sank into one of the cushioned chairs across from the hearth. He stretched his legs out and rested his arms on the armrests like he owned the place.
"It’s not like the accusations would have gone anywhere. No one would dare move against us. We’re practically royalty in Lamora."
A frown settled over Laheir’s face.
" We might be untouchable but we are not royalty. You seem to be forgetting that fact with every passing day." Laheir turned to look at Yannick now. " Have you forgotten that great power comes with great scrutiny from all the watchful eyes we have on us."
"If you’re referring to Prince Ragnar and the Queen, then you needn’t worry," Yannick said lazily, waving a dismissive hand. "The Queen benefits just as much as we do. And as for Ragnar... no one would dare listen to that shadow freak."
"That ’shadow freak’," Laheir said, his voice now low and cold, "is one of the highest-ranking generals in this kingdom, a position even you have yet to attain. He is also a prince, something you are not. It would serve you well not to underestimate the enemy."
Yannick smirked, unconcerned by the rebuke.
"In the end, Father, it won’t matter who he is. It will be our word against his. And his word holds no weight."
A second knock interrupted the conversation. Both men turned toward the sound.
The door opened without invitation, and prince Hairan walked in, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt as he entered. His movements were calm, almost casual, but a sinister glint shone in his eyes.
Laheir’s expression tightened, though he said nothing as Hairan approached.
"I heard you talking about Ragnar," Hairan said as his gaze shifted between them. "Well then, don’t stop on my account. Keep going."
His words confirmed what they already suspected: he had been eavesdropping. But how much had he heard?
Yannick pasted a smile onto his face and raised an eyebrow. "Did your mother never teach you not to listen in on conversations between your elders? Or did she raise you to be mannerless as well?" freёwebnovel.com
Laheir raised a hand, silencing them before the exchange could escalate.
"We were discussing how best to remove Ragnar from the king’s good graces," Laheir said evenly, his voice shifting to the calculated tone he used when plotting. He knew exactly how to manipulate Hairan’s attention and knew the exact words to say to divert his focus. "There are many ways to erase a man without killing him outright. What, do you suppose, would be a harsher fate for Prince Ragnar than to lose everything he has worked so tirelessly to build?"
Hairan tilted his head, intrigued now. His eyes flickered with interest as he came to stand closer. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
"Stripping him of status," Laheir continued, "discrediting him, isolating him. We don’t need to destroy his body when we can break everything he holds dear."
