Chapter 143 When grief turns to fury
IRIS
The King’s chest goes still, and the air cracks with silence. Darian doesn’t cry, doesn’t sob. He doesn’t even blink. He just stares at his father, face as sharp and hard as steel, yet inside… I can feel the storm brewing.
The healers freeze, magic still trembling in their palms. Their eyes are wide and fearful, finally meeting the wrath of a man who has seen death close, but not like this. Not his father.
Darian steps forward, voice low but lethal. “You!” His hand slams against the nearest table, shoving it with enough force to send vials rattling. “You were supposed to save him! Every spell, every remedy, every ounce of your skill!”
The lead healer swallows hard, hands shaking. “My lord… we did everything we could…”
“Don’t you dare speak!” Darian snaps. His eyes flare, fire blazing, veins tight against his neck. “Everything you could? This was my father! Do you understand what that means?!”
I step closer, heart pounding, trying to reach him. But the storm inside him is too strong, too raw. “Darian, please…” I whisper. My hand hovers near his arm. He doesn’t notice me. Not yet.
“You had ONE job, save him! YOU WILL ANSWER FOR THIS!” he roars. He slams his fists against the wall, sending a shock through the room. A table tips over. A vial shatters, hissing with residual magic. The healers step back, fear etched into every line of their faces.
“I… we tried!” the older healer pleads, voice trembling. “We couldn’t…”
“COULD YOU?!” Darian yells, voice breaking through the stone walls. “Could you? Or were you too glad to see him dying in front of your eyes?!”
I reach out, pressing my hands lightly on his arms. “Darian… stop. Please.”
He doesn’t listen. His chest heaves, fists shaking. And then the doors burst open.
Adrian steps in first, followed by Kelvin and Zeus. Their faces are pale, shock evident. But Zeus… his expression is too calm, too measured, and Darian sees it instantly.
“You,” Darian spits, storming toward Zeus. His hands grab the front of Zeus’s tunic, yanking him close. “You did this! I know you!”
Zeus straightens, face controlled, and raises his hands defensively. “I…Darian, listen.”
Adrian steps forward, voice sharp, trying to intervene. “Darian, calm down! Let him…”
“LET HIM?!” Darian snarls, shoving Zeus harder. “You’re a coward, Adrian! Always hiding behind rules and decorum! Do you even know what it means to protect this family?!”
Kelvin swallows, hands tense at his sides. He doesn’t speak. I can see the fear in his eyes, knowing the storm is about to consume us all.
Zeus finally speaks, voice measured, almost icy. “Darian, I didn’t…this wasn’t me. You’re wrong. You’re… letting grief cloud your judgment.”
Darian laughs, sharp and bitter, and the sound makes my stomach drop. “Wrong? I’ve known you my whole life! Your ambition… your scheming… it’s all here!” He slams his hand against Zeus’s chest, trembling with rage. “Do you think I don’t see what you are? What you’ve always wanted? The throne? My father dead? ”
Zeus steps back, jaw tight, hands raised. “I’m not responsible. Stop!”
I can see Darian’s body tense, fury coiling like a living thing. I step in quickly, putting myself between them. “Darian!” I hiss, grabbing his shoulders. “Stop! Please! You’re not yourself!”
He freezes, eyes burning into mine. The fire doesn’t die but for a heartbeat, it falters. He’s shaking. Trembling. And then, slowly, he exhales, leaning into my hold as if I’m the only thing keeping him from collapsing entirely.
“Iris…” he mutters, voice raw. “I can’t… I can’t let him get away with this. I can’t…”
“You’re not letting anyone get away with anything right now,” I whisper. “You’re letting yourself breathe. That’s what matters.”
Adrian steps forward, cautiously, voice low. “Darian, let’s talk. We can…”
Darian glares at him and his mouth snaps shut.
I squeeze his arms, pressing my forehead to his. “No more. Not here. Not like this. Come with me. Now.”
He hesitates, jaw trembling, fury still rolling beneath his skin. His fingers curl, nails pressing into my palms. But I hold firm. Slowly, almost reluctantly, he lets me guide him toward the door.
“Iris… they’ll never understand. They’ll never…”
“I know,” I whisper, gripping his hands. “But you don’t have to face them right now. You have me. That’s enough. Come on.”
He finally nods, letting me pull him out of the room. His steps are heavy, unsteady, rage still simmering but contained by the fragile thread of my presence.
We reach the stairwell, and for a moment, he pauses at the top, chest heaving. His hands curl into fists at his sides. I watch the pulse in his throat, see the almost imperceptible tremor in his fingers, and my heart twists.
“Darian,” I whisper, stepping closer. “I need you to breathe. Please.”
He doesn’t answer immediately. Then, without warning, he swings around, pulling me against him. The wall presses into my back, and his forehead rests against mine. His hands grip my shoulders like he’s afraid if he lets go, the world will collapse.
“They tried,” he hisses through gritted teeth. “They tried everything, and it…he… gone. Gone!” His voice cracks, and for the first time, I see him falter and it makes my chest ache.
I press my palms to his chest. “I know. I know it hurts. But you’re not alone. I’m here. I’m not leaving you.”
He groans, shaking his head, and pushes off the wall just enough to grab my hands in his. “Iris…” His voice shakes, and something in his eyes darkens, flickering with an intensity that makes me shiver. “It’s… it’s Zeus.”
I blink, startled. “Zeus?”
“Yes,” he spits the name like venom. “He… he’s always wanted the throne. He’s… he wanted him…my father to die. This… this wasn’t an accident, Iris. I’m sure.”
A chill slithers down my spine. I’ve seen the tension between the brothers before, but I didn’t think it would escalate to this. “Are you sure?” I ask, my voice shaking slightly.
Darian glares at me, eyes burning. “I know him. I’ve known him since the cradle. And he’s been planning this… since I was a boy.” His jaw tightens. “He wanted power. He wanted everything. And now… now it’s in his hands.”
“They’re all weak,” he mutters under his breath, teeth grinding. “All of them, weak. My brothers, if they knew, if they dared…” His breath hitches in his throat. He clenches his fists so tightly that his knuckles whiten.
“Darian,” I whisper, stepping closer. “You need to breathe. Please. Don’t… don’t let this consume you.”
He shakes his head, dark laughter slipping out in a sharp, bitter edge. “Consume me? Iris… I’m already consumed. By rage, fear, by what’s coming.”
I squeeze his arms, keeping my voice soft. “Then let me help. Lean on me. Right now. Just for a moment, let me hold you.”
He hesitates. A flicker of vulnerability passes across his features. Then, slowly, he lets go of some of the weight pressing him from the inside. His shoulders slump, and he leans into me just enough for my arms to wrap around him.
“Iris…” he breathes, almost a whisper. “If anything happens… if I…” His words catch. He swallows, jaw trembling. “I’ve… I’ve promised… the prophecy.”
My heart lurches. “What ?” I ask softly, wary.
He exhales sharply, leaning into me again. “Iris, do you understand?” His voice is raw. “One of us must die. One of us will, and I—” He chokes on the words, shaking. “I offered myself. I offered myself to protect you.”
I grip his arms tightly. “No. You don’t get to do this alone. Not while I’m here.”
He shudders violently, his forehead dropping against mine, and I hold him tight. “Iris… I…”
“I know,” I whisper, fingers tangling in his hair. “I know. I’m right here. You don’t have to carry this alone.”
He collapses suddenly into me, knees buckling, and I catch him, pressing him against my chest. His body is heavy, and every heartbeat pounds like a drum against mine. “I can’t… I can’t do this,” he mutters, voice breaking.
“You are,” I tell him softly. “You are doing it. You’re here, you’re alive, you’re still standing. That’s enough right now.”
He buries his face in my shoulder, shaking. “I promised… I promised the prophecy I’d die and now…” He pulls back just enough to meet my eyes, pain radiating in every line of his face. “Now my father is gone, and I don’t know if I can. ”
“You can,” I say firmly. “You will. You’ll face whatever comes next. But right now, you stay with me. You stay. You’re not alone.”
He swallows, closing his eyes, trembling, and nods. Slowly. Tentatively. He leans into me again, letting me support him. “Iris…”
I shush him, pressing a kiss to his temple. “No more words. Not yet. Just breathe.That’s enough.”