Page 17

Eli

She might have thought I didn't know. Perhaps she figured she hid her magic well from me. It was like the entire hallway leading to her room was covered in searing hot heat. The wallpaper not to mention the ice that was not supposed to melt dripped from the foundation of the castle. It took me a whole hour to clean up that memory from the servants' minds as well as to freeze everything back again. This was so like her to lose her control just because she was angry over something. Honestly, what in the lords is she angry about now? I'd been losing my mind pondering if I should have let her come eat breakfast with the king today. If not for court etiquette I would have been happier keeping her locked in her room. A room of which I had to fix this morning. Lords it was in such a disarray I was glad I had informed the maids that I would be the only one tending to her room since we came.

One thing was for sure. She was losing control. It appears that she can no longer contain her magic. Were it not for me, our secret would be out. If I had allowed her to wander anywhere close to the king or that prince, our plans would have been ruined. Though he claims to be Flynn I have my doubts.

Nevertheless, I shall test him today. I will see for myself if that so-called half-brother of mine truly is who his name claims him to be. For now, I'll need to ensure that Everetta does not interfere with our plans. The crown will be mine. Lords know with her tantrums all would be ruined. Sighing to myself I puffed out a breath of air. What in the realms would she do without me? I smiled, yes, and perhaps she, given her current condition, might also need me to care for her court as well, of course, once we finished getting me back my crown first.

I turned down the hall, a subtle furrow creasing my brow as I caught sight of the light blue-haired figure ahead. It was none other than the ethereal Princess Snow Haukea Steffina Nyrial Olyph Willice Mermaid Wolf. Her angelic aura oozed around her. Anyone looking at her would not doubt that she was nobility at the very least. I would have expected nothing less, she was my sister after all. Our eyes locked across the hall. Her light blue sapphires met my own dashing golden gaze if I do say so myself.

Her words, as empty and void of any emotion as always, cut through the ringing silence of the halls, “You shouldn't keep lying to her."

Was she irritated? Despite the lack of emotion she had plastered on her face I could always tell when she was angry. She was my half-sister. Plus, we were in the royal court, there were countless scrutinizing gazes glued onto every corner and wall in this castle. The gossip of the courtesans was always unrelenting.

An aristocracy with a penny to their name was adeptly schooled in the art of concealing their emotions. Donning masks was like taking a walk in the park for these fae. Whether it be a smile or frown, it was all fake.

My little brother had always loved these games. He was the trickster of the family and a disturbed one at that.

Learning how to play the court's games was as essential as breathing. Whether it be servants or nobility there was no one but family you could trust. Sometimes not even that. Showing even the slightest frown at a banquet might cast you out to be displeased with the party or at the worst, looking down at the host. In which case, depending on your standing in society, you might get executed, outcasted, or uninvited to any future events hosted by the same fae. Countless false rumors and talks have been spread because of such idiotic misunderstandings.

"And you shouldn't even be here.” I

Narrowing my gaze on her I tried to figure out how Flynn even allowed her to stay for so long. In my previous existence, Flynn and I had decided to send her into another realm for her safety. Though, it wasn't actually me who convinced her, lords know she would never listen to me for anything. I would go and ask Flynn to convince her once again but the gnawing feeling in my gut tells me that Flynn isn't truly my brother. No, this prince is far too timid. He was like a meek sheep cowering against a mighty wolf. A stark difference from the confidant and charismatic brother I knew. The old Flynn could have effortlessly charmed anyone. Not to mention this Flynn's expressions were always way too easy to read.

I could practically see through his incensed thoughts from across the room when he was anywhere near Everetta. Too desperate, my brother was never desperate. Cruel, creepy, conniving, yes, desperate no. If he wanted something lords know he would do anything to get it. Whether it be by poison, torture, or playing puppet master to someone else's demise, that was the Flynn I know . That was the younger half-brother I respected, even feared if just a bit. It's really funny, most people who meet him think he's some little bunny, a puppy when the man was nothing of the sort. A snake lying in wait, yes, that describes the man perfectly.

Today's mission was to first and primarily locate the real Flynn. So I'll have to confirm if that prince is who he claims to be. After all, I do love my family.

Even if they hate me . A small voice piped up in my mind before I cast it aside. It was talking nonsense, my family loved me. I know they do. They don't always show it but I know deep down they do.

In my experience, one does not simply take the life of another without hiding the body themselves. So in order for this so-called prince to be my half-brother in this life he must have done something to the real prince, to my true brother, to take his place. Initially, I believed keeping Everetta away from my dear younger brother was the best idea in this life. I didn't want a repeat of what happened back then. So I kept them away from one another, real or not until I could find out where he was, she is to keep away from Flynn, if that is even his name.

Perhaps preventing their meeting would quell their feelings as well, but Everetta was becoming more unstable. Without Flynn by her side, I feared she might become unhinged. He was her mate, as much as I disliked it. I had heard that prolonged periods without one's mate could lead to mental degradation. Look at Everetta's biological father from her past life, a complete nutcase without his mate. He even went as far as to abandon his daughter. I can't let that happen to Everetta. I will not allow her to jump back into that rabbit hole.

I need to find Flynn, the real one because there's no way my brother got reincarnated as some wimpy individual that lacked the spine to be a Wolf. Then I'll just- I'll figure something out. Convince the real Flynn that the best course of action is for him to help me break their bond. Perhaps that would help stabilize her. Yes, he must see that I only want the best for her. He will agree... hopefully... without poisoning me.

I could remember that time when we were young, he wasn't all too fond of me back then. Every day I was racked with shivers despite my aversion to the cold because of my half-Winter Wolf blood. My other half, my Summer Lion blood, helps me tolerate the heat. So logically it was only because I had a fever, but it made no sense why I was sick every day with little to no hope of getting better. It was only when Everetta had slept over that one time after we finally came back from that dastardly place. She had taken a sip of my tea, and if it hadn't been for what she had discovered while taking my tea I would have been ever so displeased with her. Also who drinks another person's tea? If she wanted to drink some tea she had her own cup. I don't understand why she had to drink my tea. Poisoned or not it was my tea! I just don’t understand who drinks another fae’s tea?

As it was, she had discovered that the smell reminded her of snake venom, a poison that in small doses can cause one to fall terribly ill. Later that day I discovered that the servant who brought me my tea was stopped every night by my five sun cycle younger brother to my ten sun cycle of age. It turns out he had been poisoning me ever since my father had taken me in. Luckily I soon developed an immunity to the venom, but the poisoning from other substances didn't stop. Not until I had so-called gained the favor of my little brother. I had approached him to stop but he never truly admitted to poisoning me or offered to stop. That was until I had saved Snow from a vicious little werehound on a hunting excursion.

Snow interrupted my thoughts, catching me off guard, "She will break, one of these days. It won't be pretty—chaos, wrath, pain, broken bonds, and lost trust... So tell me, dear brother, just when did you get your memories back?"

The slightest stiffening of my shoulders betrayed my emotions as I stared back at her wide-eyed. How did she know I had my memories back? She must be bluffing; there's no way she could know, right? I cleared my throat, narrowing my eyes on her, "And what would you do? Tell her?"

I was doing nothing but putting on airs hoping against hope that she wouldn't see through my fib. For Everetta's safety and peace of mind, it wasn't the right time to reveal I had my memories back. In fact, I wasn't planning on telling her at all. After thinking about it I believe it's best if we avoid that subject altogether. I mean it wasn't as if I was withholding all her memories. Besides, what I was doing was best for all of fae kind. Not only would it protect her from the past, but it might also improve her feelings for her biological parents. I was doing the best possible thing for her.

This is all for her !

Calm yourself, Eli. Deep breath in and deep breath out. I plastered a smile back on my face.

With a soft baring of teeth that belied the venom in her words, she remarked, "No, what you decide and how you act with her has nothing to do with me. I simply asked for your sake, dear brother." Her words stood in stark contrast to her true feelings. Was she attempting to blackmail me? I wasn't na?ve; there had to be an alternative motive behind her words because she abhorred me. Her fondness was reserved solely for Flynn, the only brother she ever cherished. However, this Flynn was not our Flynn, not the one we knew. Yes, I'm sure of it.

If I do say so myself, I was never fooled. I sensed it from the moment I laid eyes on him. If Everetta were to discover the truth in her current state it would be akin to inviting chaos into our kingdom. She would undoubtedly embark on a rampage in search of the real Flynn, wherever he might be now. She wouldn't be as calm and collected as I am. Like how I plan to subtly find him. If he wasn't here and she regained her memories, the potential for a disaster was inevitable. So I have no choice but to find him. First I'll need to test out this little prince's skills in swordsmanship. Just some extra evidence to back up my claims that he is not Flynn.

Sensing my apprehensions because to hell would I just believe that lie or not. Snow sighed. "I don't like her, but it's too obvious that her mate is my brother. And she will be my future sister-in-law, so that means I can't hate her. So, don't take any actions that would trouble our brother when he returns or else that pretty throne of yours would be much harder to obtain, understand?" She sneered, her elegant face wrinkling slightly, the only stain on her perfect skin. Was she issuing a threat? I scowled, but deep down, I knew she was family, and her words were not meant to be taken entirely at face value.

Besides, I would never do anything to harm my true little brother; her words were more of a reminder than a threat. Nodding slightly, I observed as the princess, my venomous little sister, straightened up, flashing a smile as a servant passed nearby. Pretending like we were just stopping to comment on the weather or something as trivial as that.

We waited until the click of heels faded around the corner before continuing.

" They're too untrained," I noted the distinct lack of respect shown by the servants toward the princess. Not even a slight nod of the head?

Typically, a servant would bow or at least nod—a minimal sign of respect. That and they wouldn't be lurking so nearby especially if they knew we were having an ' enjoyable' conversation. Needless to say, when I was ruling, servants knew when a ' private ' conversation between royal members was near they were to stay at least ten feet away lest they be deemed a spy.

"That servant must have been eavesdropping on our little polite conversation. And you shouldn't even be here," I repeated to no avail as my little sister rolled her eyes making one last remark before turning and giving me her back. “Do take my words to heart, dear brother. For you won't like what lies ahead if you insist on carrying out your will."

Scowling, my day ruined, I quickened my pace towards the training grounds. Enough of my little sister and her little hidden meanings. She knows I hate those deceitful words. I never did understand why fae had to play their games. If I had to name one thing I liked about humans it was they got straight to the point. Still, her words had led me back on track, pondering about my younger brother.

Back in the good days, I was dubbed the Warrior of Winter, while my brother earned the title of the Kind Prince of the Wolves, a saint in the eyes of many. I scoffed at the notion; he was no saint. Behind every charitable act, every free meal he distributed, was a subtle dose of poison—an elixir to maintain the people's contentment with the current king, thwarting any notion of a royal coup. He also collaborated with me, manipulating their mindset to garner support for me as their new king, using the same meals. A single word of endorsement from my brother, and the whole court became putty in my hands.

It's common knowledge that a kingdom's strength does not lie solely in the hands of the king but in the hearts of its citizens. The true power emanates from the people a ruler serves. However, I found it truly astounding that a rebellion had already taken root when Everetta and I had arrived. The servants are so fond of their talks even when a nobleman happens to be passing by, like I said the restraint of their leashes has sure been rather lax as of late.

It shocked me that my father and so-called brother had permitted such discord to take hold within their court. I suppose all the more reason for me to believe the brother I had now was not the brother I knew in my past life.

So then who the hell was he?

Flynn never desired the crown either; in fact, he despised it. Unlike me, who sought to rule openly, he preferred being the puppet master orchestrating events from behind the scenes. If the citizens were ever to revolt he'd willingly have his puppet, me, take the sword to gut the bloody bastard instead of dirtying his own hands. I never minded being a mascot per se because, at the end of the day the crown was still mine, I had the last say. Even if my brother tried to convince me to change my mind on certain matters I still had the final say, and I was the one sitting on the throne. I was the one who ultimately had control of the court. It was mine!

Mine !

Calm yourself, Eli, all will be right soon. Very soon, the throne, the riches, the citizens, the power will all be mine once more. In just a few more days, or months, perhaps I should get to understand my father more, and I will need more time to find my brother, to prevent such tantrums from Everetta again. Maybe she might even grow to forget him in their time apart. I could distract her with other such trinkets like the red powder.

I never comprehended my younger brother's motives, but I do believe his unwavering love for Everetta was a significant factor. Rather eerie, more like an obsession than the love I had for my mate. He was willing to relinquish power for her sake—an unthinkable action if you ask me. I'd rather die than lose my power. He would find Everetta, so then what I needed to do was prevent him from getting to her.

Yet, here this false prince was. He lacks intellectual prowess in court matters. He was far too expressive. I could already tell that he lacked negotiation skills with both the common people and the nobility. Still, he dares cling onto the crown, something my younger brother never wanted, how intriguing. Judging by the countless books stacks in the library whenever I came across him it seemed like he was interested in learning about how to become a proper king. Or so he thinks he will get the crown.

That crown. Will. Be. Mine.

Rolling my eyes, I never once saw my brother read any of those tomes in the past. The lessons he undertook provided him with ample knowledge already. The Flynn I knew used to delegate the most crucial decisions to me or, at the very least, seek my counsel. Gradually, he was giving up control of the throne, allowing me to steer the kingdom in the shadows when our father was still pushing for him to be the crown prince. To think he gave it all up just to have a “happily ever after” with Everetta. I just can't understand it. Like truly, I can't ever imagine giving up such power, for what? An obsession he has? Then again if he didn't I would have had to perform rather unsavory deeds to get what I want.

Please of course I saw through his plans as if I would let that creeper, even if he was my brother, get the crown. It was just downright unsettling. He would have handed it all to Everetta.

In the past, on the very first day, even before my formal introduction to the whole family and court, he greeted me with an overly friendly smile. He waved at me as if we were long-lost friends. Little did I know, he had already schemed to poison my tea that very night, rendering me unconscious, to draw my blood and confirm our relationship through something or contraption. It was after that procedure he did that he managed to determine that we were indeed brothers. As if he needed to ensure it was true and not just nonsense spouted from our father's lips.

Letting out a frustrated sigh I shook those memories away as I stared out onto the field. There he was the false prince. The boy huddled against the gritty surface of the ground, his back plastered against the sand. A sword loomed threateningly, directed straight at his neck, a slow trickle of blood from the nick of the sword rolled slowly down his ashen face.

Coward.

I scolded as I watched the match before me. Clearing my throat I schooled my features once more approaching the pair in the sand-filled training grounds.

My brother, despite his outward appearance of vulnerability, was never one to shy away from a fight. He embodied the spirit of a Wolf. Battling with not just muscles and swords but also with the intellectual prowess of alchemy and his knowledge obtained from books. He knew how to defend himself, employing strategic positions and subtle techniques like those needles he often used to sink into opponents' skin. Pushing his new poisonous concoctions into their bloodstream to render them useless on the battlegrounds. At least he did in the past. He was the most underhanded Wolf I had ever had the “ delightful ” pleasure of meeting.

The urge to command that boy to rise surged within me, for he was my brother in this lifetime whether I liked it or not and he was a Wolf for lords' sake, where is his pride! No Wolf should ever bow to a mere servant. The real Flynn would have known that. While our citizens were undoubtedly the source of our power, we , as leaders, had to exemplify why we deserved to rule. Show that we were far superior to their common minds. Show our people exactly why we rule and they bare their necks to us, not the other way around!

With every molecule of strength in me, I forced a smile to slit across my face and approached the knight.

"Dear commander," I greeted, announcing my arrival, as the formalities dictated that the commander teach the prince.

To my dismay, this wasn't the case here. To my utter horror, he was nothing but an apprentice to the great commander. Meaning the commander took it upon himself to disregard the king's order and send, not even a proper knight, but an apprentice, a damn apprentice, to tutor the Prince, the damned crown prince, how to use a bloody sword. Does even the commander see this prince, if you could even call him that, a meek little boy unbefitting of his combat expertise? It was he, not the commander but the apprentice, who greeted me with respect, acknowledging my role as the Ambassador of Dracool. As this utter fool of a damned Mother of all Wolves little prince sat here on his bum not making a single sound, no greeting, no proper hellos, nothing . Something a prince should never do in front of guests, especially not ambassadors from other realms, courts, or anywhere really. Yet, here he was.

Breathing in and out slowly through my nostrils I tried my very best to keep my smile. To not wring this false prince's bloody neck.

Suppressing my frustration, I decided to test this apprentice, to truly see if perhaps this was just a fluke, and despite being an apprentice he was truly skilled. For I had given up on that waste of space behind me now. I could already tell he was no great swordsman, so if I could prove that this apprentice was truly actually skilled perhaps this false prince might be able to save even the smallest amount of pride. I will show that he didn't simply lose to some fae with no skill.

Grasping the sword from the ground, abandoned by the cowardly prince, I pointed it at the apprentice's throat. "Might I give it a try?" I bared my teeth in a predatory grin. Or maybe I just want to teach this apprentice that he couldn't go shaming the royal family.

I have to restore the name of the Wolves. I can't allow a royal family member to be defeated so easily by a mere apprentice. That and even if he was nothing but a doormat this boy was still my brother in this life. A brother whose honor had been damaged. Blood is all that matters most with only two exceptions, Akasuki and Everetta.

Despite the apprentice's initial bafflement, a few well-placed taunts allowed me to go a round or two with the man. And oh how my blood simmered. As if I needed any more proof after this. I don't think I even need to spar with the prince, seeing as how utterly lacking this fool in front of me was. How dare this prince masquerade as Flynn when he couldn't even hold his own against a mere apprentice, and a subpar one at that.

I had the little knight pinned on his back, a mirror image of the coward that was now related to me. His gaze beamed with admiration and fright as he stared up at me, a praise at the tips of his tongue no doubt. He didn't even put up a good fight. I smirked, my eyes gleaming with a hunger for blood, for the head of my victim in honor of my win when a sudden clap echoed like thunder on the sparring field.

Shoulder stiffening I turned facing the cocky figure that had interrupted my bout of fun. My eyes rolled at his audacity. Silently, I instructed the apprentice to leave with a flick of my hands. Sighing out my disappointment and disgust as I spun around to glare at the weakling of a brother I had as he still sat flat on his ass on the damned bloody dirt in awe up at me. I rolled my eyes once more, helping the little boy up with a hand. Yes, yes, I do love the admiration but time and place boy, time and place.

I don't want such admiration from someone who can't even defend themselves against an inferior apprentice.

How distasteful. Honestly, does he have no shame?

"You should learn how to do things properly if you're going to pretend," I slammed the little fencing stick of a sword I had in my hands toward his chest. The boy froze eyes wide as if caught.

"Leave," I growled out as I didn't want that bastard king to catch wind of this incident if he hadn't already. Family business should remain in the family. I'll address that little boy's true identity later.

Maybe it was the animosity in my eyes or something else but the boy left. Though I could tell he wanted to say something. What I might never know, or perhaps he might scavenge some courage to confront me about dismissing him.

Narrowing my gaze over at the arrogant bastard making his way towards me, I wondered why in the lords Lucarious never tried to pursue Everetta again, despite his hunger for my other half. Perhaps it was because of my little brother.

In a not-so-subtle way, my dear eerie little brother poisoned the Phoenix King's drinks every day all day with poisons just barely enough to kill, leaving the Blood King in pain and torment in his dreams for months with no end in sight. That was until one evening during a ball in the Blood King's Lands, where my brother had approached the king and announced he had a cure for all the tired relentless torment of nightmares and unbearable pains he'd felt thus far if he would stay away from his love, his obsession, Everetta.

I didn't know just why, when, or even how my brother fell for Everetta if you could call it love, but he did. At first, Lucarious seemed to be enraged but as time flew by and more and more poisonings occurred to him, that even the witch could not cure, and he was on death's bed, the King of Blood and Fire finally relented and gave up his pursuit. To this day, I haven't a clue how my younger brother snuck the poison into Lucarious's drinks every day all day, all the while performing his duties as deputy advisor to me. This was after I was recognized as the crown prince by my father. So my brother must have fallen for her sometime between me finally getting the recognition I deserved and him still having the crown in his future.

I could already feel the cold chill creeping up my spine as I shivered at the memories. It's as if he has eyes on me and Lucarious even now...

I swear he truly scares me at times. That in itself should mean a lot, not many things scare me.

"Well, that was interesting," Lucarious glanced around taking everything in. As I feared it was already too late for me to mask the true identity of my new brother. He already suspects the truth. Still, I mustn't let on to anything. Why I'm still protecting that imposter I haven't a clue. Brother or not, something about that false prince was just wrong and, I've seen wrong, lords my true younger brother was wrong in so many ways.

Showing indifference I cocked a brow, "Oh? I would think the King of Blood and Fire would be immune to the glitz and glamour of swords."

Lucarious chuckled as his pearly white teeth, a sharp contrast to his tanned skin, gleamed against the winter sun. "Oh, of course not. How could I ever find that not beautiful? I'm always ever so captivated. The red of blood just hits differently, don't you think? At last, I wasn't referring to the handling of swords but more so towards that coward that was behind your back a moment ago, Eli." He grinned, staring at his perfectly clean nails. His nonchalant phrasing was not fooling me. He knew.

Bloody hell.

I frowned, lifting my chin, "And what of it, not everyone is as skilled as I."

Scoffing Lucarious shook his head. Before staring at me a boisterous laugh boomed from his chest. "You know I've had my suspicions, I mean you are the great Eli, with all his prestige and proper etiquette, his loyalty to family and blood, yet... why is it that I felt your rage roaring off you like the rivers of fire in the Spring court from miles away? Tell me, does she know that you have your memories back? That little show you put on really had me for a loop but let's face it the Everetta we know would never ever go near my sister without killing her. Which means either the both of you don't have your memories or only she doesn't, and I only assume this because well, you are Eli. That and no reincarnation spell I've seen completely removes your memories, at least not the most crucial ones, the ones that hold the most trauma so to speak. What my sister did to Everetta, well, that certainly would be a core memory don't you think so? If Ev ever did cast that reincarnation spell she certainly wouldn't have chosen to wipe her own memories which means only one thing, Ellie." Lucarious ranted, hanging all his thoughts out to dry. His eyes gleamed with victory as shards of ice covered the ground and my blood began to freeze over in my veins.

Lucarious's eyes slowly trailed down at his frost-covered loafers, a slight sneer on his lips before a beaming smile, a grin as devilish as the demon lord himself graced his face. "She doesn't know. Does she? Should I go tell her?" He asked his back already turning thumb pointed towards the entry.

In my haste to stop him, I'd cast an ice wall. "Don't you fucking dare!" I bellowed as I enclosed us in an ice dome.

Lucarious turned, smiling as he shrugged. "Fine." Popping up a flaming chair for his comfort he smiled. It was burning away some of my ice leaving a small singed patch below him.

This was not good. It was never good when he smiled like that. Why do I get a feeling that what he wants isn't going to be at all to my liking? And that he knows more than I wish for him to know. Growling I barked out, "What do you want?"

Lucarious smile beaming like the devil he was. I could see the obsidian horns sprouting from his head, "Oh, nothing too big, just a little modification to the bargains we made yesterday. You and Everetta will help me in regards to my status as king, and in return, I won't tell her about your little secret and of course of our dear little Flynn's situation. Though I suppose he shouldn't be called Flynn now, should he? What's more, who knows if the real deal is even alive." He chuckled as if this was all some fucking game to him!

I gritted my teeth trying with all my life to come up with a different plan. After all, no bargain could be so easily spoken. What leverage did I have against this bastard? Damn it. Damn it all to the shadows. No, no there is one thing. It'll be a stretch but- "Tell her then. I was going to tell her the truth anyway," I fibbed. Not wrong, I was going to inform Everetta of Flynn's situation, just not now. But he didn't need to know what I was referring to with those words, whether it be in regards to the memories or about Flynn.

"However, I must warn you, she is a bit unstable at the moment and we both know what would happen if she were to ever find out about him. She's destroyed everything once, she can do it again. If she were to regain her memories now she wouldn't be able to handle it, and as you've mentioned we don't know if he's even alive." I continued trying to play on his feelings for Everetta. Lucarious only cocked a brow. Bloody hell, so much for that play.

Damn it! As much as I hated to admit it Everetta was always the better scammer, she came up with the bargains, the chips that we could play, the dirt that we had at our disposal.

"Oh, and why should I care? If he's truly dead in this life, then I could just-" Lucarious began before he clutched his heart, his nails dug into his flesh as if trying to rip his own heart out. I frowned. Was there an attack?

Sharpening my hearing I listened to the silent air outside the dome. Nothing. So what was going on? Hunching over Lucarious began coughing up blood. Gripping his chest as blood spattered across the sandy white snow like pink pearls falling from a necklace. I frowned, rushing towards him. Kneeling beside him I tried to examine his body for any traces of magic being cast, for what spell it might have been, only to find a whole assortment of magic and curses, potions, and poisons, already stitched into his very soul.

"I-I relent, I relent! I fucking relent! She's yours, for gods' sake, just stop!" He bellowed, his desperate words echoing into the air as if beseeching some unseen gods. Though I never believed in them. It appears I should perhaps rearrange my thinking as it seemed to have worked for Lucarious.

My mind raced, attempting to comprehend the events unfolding before me when a sudden recollection of my little brother's ominous words flooded my thoughts.

“So long as I live, he will feel my pain if he ever so dares to take even a single look at her, my love, my dear Everetta. He'll know what suffering truly means. If he even dares to lay a single finger or speak a single word for her, I will see to it that he longs for death.”

During one of my rare ventures into his study or so-called lab , I had witnessed him casting this curse. I made the mistake of inquiring about the curse's details and how in the world he got the magic to perform such a feat, only to earn a small innocent smile back as if he was merely orchestrating a pleasant picnic, "Oh, nothing you need to know, dear brother, just that I'll finally be at peace."

The bottle containing the poison had cracked that very moment as if it too was feeling the mind-numbing chill in the air. In response, I did what any sane fae would do—I hastily grabbed the book I was looking for and rushed out of that bloody hell hole.

Returning to the present day, I observed as Lucarious rose, glaring at the blood that stained the retreating ice, "Well, I guess that solves that question." He spat.

Indeed, it did. My brother was alive, though his identity remained a mystery. A victorious smile played on my lips, for only my little brother knew of a way to craft a potion so deeply woven into a soul.

I now held the leverage I needed to manipulate a bargain in my favor. I only hope my little brother isn't too angry with me if he were to hear of what I will do and have done. But we are brothers... right?