#Chapter 116 – By Blood

Asher The front doors to my estate shut behind me with a hollow, echoing thud. I didn’t wait for the housekeeper’s greeting. Just brushed past the staff and shrugged off my cloak with a sharp flick, letting it fall to the entry bench instead of placing it on the hook like I normally would. “Shall I light a fire to the study, my Lord?” someone asked behind me. “No.” My voice came out too clipped. I didn’t turn around. “Leave everything.” The hall was dimly lit, pools of golden glow falling from the wall sconces in soft intervals. Normally, I found the shadows elegant. Tonight, they felt smug. I walked straight to the study, my footsteps loud on the stone floor. The door opened with a push and clicked shut behind me, sealing me into the one room in the estate that was mine and mine alone. Mahogany bookshelves lined the walls, their shelves dustless and curated—rare volumes, treaties, and old court poetry no one actually read. A decanter of imported whiskey sat on the cred