Chapter 172. Mark of Slavery

Xerina’s POV

There was heavy silence.

Rasmus stood at the head of the room, his presence casting a long shadow over the dimly lit chamber. He was dominant, commanding, every inch of his posture radiating the authority he carried so naturally. My father and Luca rested nearby, both still weakened from the battle. Luca’s breaths were shallow, and Papa’s brow was furrowed in pain, though neither man’s pride allowed them to show just how broken they truly were.

And then there was Rasmus. Unscathed. Unyielding. His icy gaze cut through the room, flicking from me to the others gathered as he laid out the stakes. We had lost, badly, but Rasmus didn’t speak of defeat. He spoke of war, of strategy, of vengeance. I could feel the tension in his voice, the suppressed rage that boiled beneath his words.

But more than that, there was something else in his tone—a truth he had yet to reveal. Something deeper, darker.

“We can’t waste time licking our wounds,” Ra