Chapter 171: Hidden Compartments
"Sable Crawford is my fated mate, my only queen for life."
"I broke up with her to protect her from your harm."
"I'd rather suffer than see her hurt again."
Lucian began trembling. "You... you deceived me..."
"Now you understand. You weren't getting revenge on me. You were helping me."
"Because every time you tried to hurt Sable, it made me more certain she was my everything."
"Every separation made me treasure our time together more."
Lucian suddenly burst into hysterical laughter. "Hahaha... hahaha..."
"I'm an idiot! I'm a goddamn fool!"
He thrashed wildly, trying to grab a warrior's weapon.
"Let me die! Let me die! I don't deserve to live in this world!"
I kicked him away. "Want to die? It won't be that easy."
I stopped Lucian's suicide attempt. "You don't get to choose how you die."
"You hurt Sable. You think dying casually will atone for that?"
Lucian screamed in despair. "Then what do you want?!"
"I want you to experience the pain Sable went through. Slowly. Bit by bit."
I picked up one of Melissa's photographs and slowly tore it apart in front of Lucian.
"No!" Lucian struggled desperately. "Please! Don't hurt her pictures!"
"This is how I felt when you hurt Sable."
I picked up the pearl necklace and cut the string, letting each pearl drop to the ground one by one.
Each falling pearl made Lucian shudder with agony.
I signaled to the warriors. "Tie him to the headstone."
They bound Lucian with silver chains against Melissa's gravestone.
I drew a silver dagger coated with concentrated wolfsbane and slowly carved the first wound across Lucian's chest.
Blood trickled down the cut as Lucian bit back a cry of pain.
The second cut appeared on Lucian's left arm, the third on his right leg.
I crouched in front of Lucian. "You know what? Sable almost died."
"Now I'll let you experience that despair."
I pushed the dagger slowly into Lucian's abdomen, avoiding vital organs, letting him bleed slowly.
"But I won't let you die too quickly. I want you to die slowly, painfully."
Lucian's breathing became labored. "Caelan... please... just end it..."
"Mercy? Did you show Sable mercy?"
As time passed, Lucian's voice grew weaker.
"I... I was wrong... I was really wrong..."
"Caelan... maybe... maybe in another world... we could be real brothers..."
I looked at him silently, the dagger hovering over Lucian's heart.
Lucian's eyes were growing dim, but suddenly, he smiled strangely.
"But... before I die... I want to bless you..."
I frowned. "What?"
Lucian's voice became ethereal and eerie. "I bless you and Sable... eternal happiness..."
"Especially Sable... that kind, beautiful girl..."
Lucian's smile became more disturbing. "I wonder... if she knew..."
"Knew what?" I felt a chill of unease.
Lucian used his last strength, his voice like a ghostly whisper. "If she knew... the man she married..."
"Is the person she hates most... what would she think?"
My face went white. Lucian's smile froze on his face as the light left his eyes completely.
Edward approached. "Your Majesty, it's finished."
"Bury him here. No headstone."
"Let him stay with his mother forever. Maybe death will give him the peace he never found in life."
I carefully placed Melissa's ashes back in the grave.
Deep in the village, Edward coordinated the final sweep. We'd been at this for hours—checking every corner where Lucian's remaining allies might lurk.
"Check the barn again," I ordered the nearest warrior. "Look for hidden compartments."
The warrior nodded and jogged toward the weathered structure. I turned to watch Edward question an elderly villager near the well.
"Sir, we're looking for anyone who might have helped a man named Lucian," Edward said, his tone patient but firm. "Any visitors in the past few weeks?"
The old man shook his head. "Only strangers were you folks."
A shout came from the direction of the abandoned houses on the village outskirts. "Your Majesty! We found someone!"
I strode toward the voice, Edward falling into step beside me. Two warriors emerged from a crumbling cottage, dragging a man between them. He looked to be in his forties, thin and nervous, wearing clothes that had seen better days.
"Found him trying to sneak out the back window," one warrior reported.
The man dropped to his knees the moment he saw me. "Please! I haven't done anything wrong!"
"What's your name?"
"Tim... Tim Brennan, Your Majesty."
"Tim," I repeated slowly. "And what were you doing hiding in that house?"
His hands shook as he clasped them together. "I was just... I was just scared when I heard voices. Didn't know who you were."
Edward stepped closer. "The house has been abandoned for months. What were you really doing there?"
Tim's composure cracked. Tears began streaming down his weathered face. "I was trying to get away. I knew... I knew someone would come looking eventually."
"Looking for what?"
"For anyone who helped him." Tim's voice dropped to a whisper. "I helped Lucian. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
I felt something cold settle in my chest. "How did you help him?"
Tim wiped his nose with his sleeve. "He saved my life once. Years ago, when I was dying from fever. His mother—Melissa—she gave me medicine, food. Brought me back from death's door."
He looked up at me with desperate eyes. "When Lucian came back here recently, asking for help, I couldn't say no. She saved me. I owed her son that much."
"What kind of help?" Edward demanded.
"Information," Tim admitted. "I told him when supply trucks came through. Who was asking questions in the village. If anyone new showed up."
"Anyone else involved?"
Tim shook his head quickly. "No! Just me. The others in Lucian's group—they're all gone now. Dead or disappeared. It was just me left."
I studied his face, looking for lies. "You're certain?"
"I swear on my mother's grave, Your Majesty. Lucian didn't trust many people. Most of his allies turned on him when things got bad. I was the only one still helping."
Edward looked at me questioningly. I made a small gesture with my hand.
"Your Majesty," Edward said formally, "how should we handle this?"
Tim began sobbing harder. "Please... I know I was wrong. But she saved my life. I couldn't betray her memory by abandoning her son."
I stared down at the broken man. He'd made a choice based on loyalty to someone who'd shown him kindness. Misguided, but understandable.
"Tim."
He looked up, fear and hope warring in his expression.
"Your debt to Melissa is paid. Lucian is dead."
Relief flooded his face. "Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you."
"But," I continued, "if I discover you've lied to me about anything—if there are others you haven't mentioned—I'll be back."
"There's no one else. I promise."
Edward signaled to the warriors, who released Tim's arms. The man scrambled backward, then hurried toward the village center.
"Edward."
"Yes, Your Majesty?"
"Have the teams finish their sweep. I want confirmation that we've found everyone."
"Of course."