"Remove it!"
Lucian's voice thundered through every corner of the room.
I could feel it… his anger, his hatred, the grief and fury he had buried for centuries while living as Severin's son. The ice around us screamed in response, crawling along the walls, the floor, the air itself.
"Deal or no deal?" Severin asked calmly.
He took a few lazy steps back, leaning against the wall as he crossed his arms, utterly unbothered. Like a man who knew he held the key.
The key to breaking Lucian.
The room plunged into a deeper cold.
My chest burned sharply, each breath harder than the last. Across the room, Thalor suddenly doubled over.
He coughed once.
Blood splattered onto the frozen floor.
"Thalor!" Auren shouted, catching him before he collapsed. Panic flooded his voice as he looked toward us. "Lucian, stop! Your ice—your ice is hurting him more!"
Lucian froze.
The storm around him wavered.
