"Why are you still here? I'll hold them off—just go, now!" Lyria snapped, her brows knitting into a frown as she glared at Kael Renforth beside her.
The infamous Devil Deven had brought his men to the Denvair house, and the crime Kael was accused of—murdering Valen Malavant—left no room for mercy. His life was already forfeit.
But Kael's response was calm, his hand enveloping hers in a firm yet gentle grip. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine."
The touch startled her. After five years of marriage, it was the first time he'd held her hand so intimately.
"That's the man. Kill him!" Deven barked, raising his blade and pointing directly at Kael. Two henchmen lunged forward, knives glinting in the sunlight, their expressions twisted with murderous intent.
Victory for Malavant's family meant Kael's death, and these men were eager to claim it. Their blades swung high, aimed to sever his head from his shoulders.
But just as they prepared to strike, something inexplicable happened. Their hands froze mid-swing, their feet faltered, and the next moment, both crashed to the ground as if an unseen force had tripped them.
Thud!
The bizarre sight left Deven scowling in frustration while those around him exhaled shallow breaths of relief. The gruesome execution had been momentarily delayed, but it was far from over.
Lyria shoved Kael aside and stepped in front of him, shielding him with her body. "Run! Malavant's family won't dare touch me yet!" she declared, her voice firm despite the storm raging in her chest.
She had already resigned herself to an unpleasant solution—if she had to beg for mercy or leverage her connections to save Kael, she would.
Deven sneered at her defiance. "Run? Where would he go? After killing Valen Malavant, there's no place in all of Port Avallon where he won't be hunted down!"
His cold, calculating eyes bore into Kael, silently assessing. Kael might have been peculiar, but Deven wasn't reckless enough to approach personally. Instead, he waved for more men to attack.
Kael stepped forward, gently moving Lyria aside. "I'll go with you."
His quiet words stunned everyone present. Relief washed over the Denvair family like a tide, but Lyria's face fell into a mask of despair.
"Are you out of your mind?" she cried. "If you go with them, it's a death sentence!"
Kael's gaze softened as he met her eyes. "But if I don't, the Denvair family won't escape unscathed."
For a fleeting moment, their connection deepened, his unwavering calm meeting her fear and anger. Lyria's lips quivered before she clenched her fists. "Then I'll go with you! With me there, the Malavant family won't dare kill you outright!"
Her words were a bold gamble, but they revealed the depth of her resolve.
Kael's stoic expression softened into a rare smile. "That won't be necessary. I'll be fine—trust me."
His voice carried quiet confidence, and something about his calm stirred unease among his adversaries.
Kael glanced briefly at the gathered Denvair family. To them, he had always been a useless addition—a so-called "waste of a son-in-law." Even Lyria, his wife, had initially regarded their marriage as a family obligation. Yet, in this moment of crisis, she stood firmly by his side.
Kael's smile lingered as he reflected on their strange bond. "This woman has endured so much because of me."
From behind them, Lyria's younger sister Celine muttered with frustration. "You're so clueless. My sister is trying to save your life, but walking into their hands is suicide. The Malavant family won't show mercy."
Her words mirrored Lyria's own fears. But Kael had made his decision.
"Let them come," he whispered, his hand tightening ever so slightly around Lyria's one last time before stepping forward.