Shadows

Lucius's POV

I shut the door softly, ensuring she had climbed into bed and was pretending to sleep. I couldn't risk anyone finding her—not now, not ever. The thought of Ariel catching even a glimpse of her made my body stiffen. My daughter hadn't yet seen her mother awake, and she wasn't going to get the childhood she deserved.

Guilt gnawed at me as I walked down the hall, my steps heavy with the weight of my failures. My feet carried me to the third floor, where maids and guards on patrol bowed as I passed. I nodded absently, focused on reaching her room. When I opened the door, she was already asleep.

I walked over to Ariel's bedside and knelt beside her. She clutched the old teddy bear to her chest—the one I had told her was a gift from her mother. Since then, she had treated it like a sacred treasure, carrying it everywhere. My heart clenched when I saw the faint streaks of tears on her cheeks. She had fallen asleep crying again.

I reached out to brush her hair from her face, resisting the urge to pull her into the tightest hug. Just as I was about to settle next to her, faint voices outside the room drew my attention.

I rose silently and opened the door. Standing there were my five generals: Asher, Kael, Ryder, Michael, and Gideon. They all bowed in unison.

"Your Highness," they greeted in low murmurs.

"What is it?" I asked, my voice barely concealing my irritation.

"The King of Aston and his generals are here," Gideon informed me.

"Edward?" I frowned. "What is he doing here?" The Kingdom of Aston had always been a rival, but ever since I had ascended to the throne and made her my queen, they had backed off. For years, they hadn't dared to interfere in my affairs. Why now?

"They're in the meeting chamber, Your Majesty," Gideon continued.

"Tell them to leave. I'm busy with my daughter," I said, turning away.

"Lucius, wait." Gideon grabbed my arm. His grip was firm but not disrespectful. Only he could dare such familiarity—he was more of a brother to me than my actual sibling.

"Edward wouldn't come here without reason," Gideon said evenly.

"Maybe it's about the spirits," Kael added.

I sighed, frustrated but resigned. "Fine. Let's go."

As I strode to the meeting chamber, my irritation grew with each step. Edward was the last person I wanted to deal with tonight.

When I entered the chamber, there he was—relaxed and smug, sipping wine from a goblet as though he owned the place. Behind him stood his eight generals, their expressions unreadable. The sight of Edward's smug face made my blood boil.

"Edward," I said smoothly, taking my seat across from him. My generals flanked me, a united wall of silent power. "To what do I owe this… honour?" My voice dripped with sarcasm.

Edward grinned his yellowed teeth on full display. "Oh, Lucius, you've done plenty to earn my presence."

His flippant tone grated on my nerves. But then his smile vanished, and his expression turned grave.

"This isn't the time for games, Lucius," he said, his voice low. "There's a spirit on the loose."

I stilled. Kael guessed right.

Edward leaned forward. "It entered Aston first. We used Gwigu smoke on the palace and the surrounding kingdom, but there was no sign of it. It must have moved on. And since Decresh is near Aston, we believe it's here now."

Gwigu smoke—one of Athena's relics, designed to detect spirits. My jaw tightened.

"How can you be sure it's a spirit?" I asked. "And who saw it?"

Edward's face darkened. "I saw it myself. It possessed one of my mistresses."

I raised an eyebrow. "And what, exactly, were you doing when this happened?"

Edward smirked. "You don't need the details, Lucius. Let's just say I was... distracted."

I grimaced, waving him off before he could elaborate.

"So, how did it escape?" I asked. "And how are you still alive?"

Edward puffed out his chest. "Do you think I'm so easy to kill? I'll have you know I'm nearing the Hwasu stage," he said showcasing his brown teeth again irritation coursed through me and turns out it was not only me.

I heard Asher grunt behind me. The irritation in the room was palpable.

"And you're certain the spirit is here?" I pressed.

Edward nodded. "Yes."

I leaned back, feigning nonchalance. "Decresh has it under control. Thanks for the warning."

Edward's eyes narrowed. "You can't handle this alone, Lucius. Let's work together to eliminate it."

"I said we have it under control."

Edward's smirk returned, cruel and mocking. "Decresh doesn't have Athena anymore."

My body tensed.

"Oh, don't act surprised," Edward said, his tone gleeful. "Everyone knows she's dead. You're not fooling anyone, Lucius, Enough of the secrets."

My vision turned red. Before I realized what I was doing, I grabbed Kael's sword and had it at Edward's throat. His generals reacted instantly, drawing their weapons, but so did mine. The room crackled with tension, one wrong move away from an all-out war.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Edward hissed, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and fear.

"How dare you speak her name," I snarled.

"She's dead, Lucius!" Edward spat. "Stop pretending she's still here!"

The rage surged, and I slashed his shoulder. Blood sprayed across the table as Edward fell back, clutching his wound.

"Lucius!" Gideon barked, but I didn't care.

Edward's generals moved to retaliate, but he held up a hand, stopping them. "Enough," he said, his voice strained.

I stepped back, my grip on the sword tightening. "Get out of Decresh, Edward. Now."

Edward staggered to his feet, supported by his men. His smile was gone, replaced by a cold, hard glare.

"You're a fool, Lucius," he said, his voice low. "You've lost your energy. Without Athena, you're nothing but a shadow of your former self. You are so weak you can't draw energy but need your darling wife".

"Leave," I growled he was lucky he was right I would have snapped his head off.

Edward smirked one last time, blood dripping down his arm. "Fine. But when Decresh falls to the spirits, don't come crying to me."

With that, he and his men left, their footsteps echoing in the silence.

As soon as they were gone, I turned to my generals. "Clean this mess," I ordered, my voice cold.

Then, without another word, I left.