Chapter 175

Charles

I could kill him. I could strangle him for getting caught up in all this, though I knew he was too smart for this stupid ploy. The anger and disappointment warred in me, but it didn't burn hot or violent the way I expected. Ryon was even younger than Devin, less sheltered, more battered, and probably more of a victim of his circumstances than anything. I knew his family enough to know that it was very likely that Ryon hadn't wanted to be here, no matter what Lucian believed.

His eyes were bloodshot and bruised. His jaw had a gash across it that was still oozing blood and might even be infected. His hair was matted and crimson-stained. There was a gash there, too. He smelled of blood and basic medicinal herbs but also of dirt and rot. Concern and anger bloomed in my gut.

Ryon was a young man Devin had played with as a child. Devin, more often than not, treated him more like a lackey despite all my reprimands, but it was Ryon's father who encouraged Ryon to remain in Devin's sphere of influence despite their age difference. He was no older than Kelly if I was right. He should have been apprenticing somewhere or off to college in the States this year. He would have gotten into Northfall without problem, I knew it, the Werewolf Elite Academy, too, if he preferred to be immersed in the States' culture. Yet, this wasn't the painfully shy and tormented pup I remembered watching grow older, always hiding in his brother's shadow to please his family. This Ryon was gaunt and scarred, his eyes filled with a haunted despair. His eyes flashed with wolf light and a plea.

Help me, he whimpered. His eyes glossed over. I could smell how much pain he was in.

"Nothing to say?" Lucian asked. "Tell me you don't know this man."

"I wouldn't lie to you," I said. "I can only tell you that Ryon did not attack your settlement or do whatever else he may have done on my orders."

I took a deep breath. I didn't take much to figure out the plan. I drew closer. He whimpered, trying to turn away. Shame colored his scent and more fear. I hushed him, pulling him up. He was covered in blood and still bleeding through the rough bandage on his side. He must have been hit with something vicious or compromised in some other way. The politics of the situation whirled through my mind.

"In this attack… was anyone hurt? Property damaged?"

Ryon said nothing. His eyes were still wide with fear. He trembled as I checked his bandages. A vampire had slashed him full across the chest. He'd need a potion and better bandages. I could do that.

"Yes," Lucian said.

"Casualties?"

"No."

I nodded. "I suppose that is the best I could hope for… I would have had to execute you, Ryon. You understand this."

Tears spilled over his cheeks. His jaw trembled. A soft whimpering sound came from him, and then he turned sharply, revealing the bite mark on his shoulder.

"The vampire who bit him…"

"Has already been taken care of. Recovering," Lucian said. His voice was calm. "This one tried to kill himself with a cursed dagger. He didn't manage the deed, obviously, though he made a good go of it."

My eyes fluttered closed. It didn't sit right. Ryon was related to one of the Elders, but he had never been viewed as much. He had the potential to grow into an alpha lycan, though to my understanding, he had always been treated as less than that. He'd managed to hide his full power and obscure his scent somehow, so it was hard to pin down what he was now, but I had a feeling that would be just one of the many questions I'd be asking him before I released him.

My gaze flickered to Lucian, his eyes gleaming with fury, but there was no malevolence towards Ryon. It seemed he wanted answers, too.

"And the others?" I asked.

"Dead," he sneered. "In the attack."

I nodded. "Understood."

He seemed surprised. I leaned Ryon against my chest and gathered him in my arms. He was so light, nearly railthin. He'd always been on the thinner side, but not this thin. When was the last time he'd eaten? How long had he been in Lucian's custody? He whimpered again. His eyes screwed shut either in pain or fear.

"Hold tight, Ryon," I murmured, my voice gruff with unshed tears. "You need medical attention."

As I gently lifted Ryon, I searched my mind for what to say to Lucian. Finally, I turned to him.

"When was the attack?"

Lucian set his jaw. "A week ago."

Ryon couldn't have gotten this thin in a week, not even with his body trying to fight off the curse from the dagger. I took a deep breath, shaking my head, before meeting Lucian's eyes.

"There is more than the attack on your people involved here," I said. "Whatever his crimes truly are, he will punished for them. He won't be leaving Silverlight. Consider this the first day of our talks to remedy what has happened."

Lucian's eyes narrowed. "What is your word worth to me in this situation?"

I smiled. "On the surface? Nothing."

His eyes widened. "My father earned your trust, and I understand I must do the same. Thus, I assume you'll be sending at least one of your retinue to watch over Ryon while I get him patched up enough to question? At the rate he's bleeding out, his healing factor will collapse too soon to get any of the answers either of us want."

He narrowed his eyes but jerked his head. "I'll be watching over this questioning."

"He has already been questioned, Your Majesty," one of his retinue hissed. "Allowing him to live, knowing that he will say nothing…"

"You misunderstand," Lucian said. "He said nothing to a vampire. Our magics are… ineffectual against the higher tiers of lycans, as are most mind-control magics… The one thing that does work is the compulsion of an alpha."

I realized then that it was very likely that Lucian knew full well that Ryon hadn't wanted to be there and hadn't been there on my orders. He might even have an idea who sent them and why.

So, what exactly was Lucian hoping to get out of this conversation other than confirmation. My gaze dropped to the black smear on his chin. Perhaps this was just a well-timed situation playing into Lucian's desire to get me alone to talk.

I carried Ryon further into the hall to where there was a bed. I pulled a fully sworn-in Enforcer with medical training in to tend to Ryon before going to address the others.

"Contain news of the attack on the vampire settlement and information about what's happened in the town hall. Let the villagers go on about their days, but keep an eye on the situation. Detain people who look suspicious. I want answers about what happened during this attack and who was involved. And be diplomatic."

He nodded and turned to Lucian. "As negotiations like this require, the hostages are not to be harmed, but I do not expect them to be released either. We'll… convene again when Ryon can stand interrogation. Your demands will be heeded and, if possible, fulfilled."

"And if you find him guilty?" He asked. "Guilty of treason and more?"

I swallowed past the bile that rose in my throat. It wasn't killing that bothered me, but the thought of killing Ryon. I could still see the little boy sitting at the grand dinner table of one of Devin's birthday parties, too afraid to say that he'd prefer a book over going out to play raiders with the older boys. He hadn't even wanted to be there.

Then, a face flashed through my mind: his older brother, Theo, who was a Delta lycan. Where was he? Had he been murdered during the attack? No, that didn't seem right. The Elder they were related to adored Theo and wanted him to take over the clan even though Ryon was stronger and more even-tempered.

"If it comes to that, he'll be executed."

"How noble," he said. "You look absolutely sickened."

"I've known Ryon since he was a child… Disciplining someone you view as your child is one thing… having to execute them is another."

"The way I hear it, you may be gearing up for that potential soon enough."

My gut plummeted. I could see Devin looking up at me, bound and fearful, tears streaming down his face as he pleaded with me not to do it. I could almost feel the way my sword would cut through his head and the way the sight of it would haunt me for the rest of my life. I met Lucian's gaze. His eyes widened. My expression must have spoken volumes because he nodded and turned from me.

"I suppose… only time will tell."