Chapter 232 — The Favored Son

Chapter 232: Chapter 232 — The Favored Son

~ Raven ~

"If you want to silence her, you’ll have to go through me first."

Raven stared at Kieran, wondering whether the idiot had any idea how ridiculous he sounded.

She’d encountered enough Blackthorn family arguments to know that getting involved was rarely worth the trouble, and considering how exhausted she already felt, the sensible thing would have been to leave before someone decided to drag her into it again.

Unfortunately, the growing crowd was making that difficult.

Students had gathered along both sides of the courtyard, some openly watching while others pretended to be occupied with their Linkslates. Raven recognized several members of the Cardinal Court among them, and judging by the excited whispers spreading through the gathering, news of the confrontation was already traveling.

Wonderful.

By tomorrow, Bellringer would probably have an entire edition dedicated to the Blackthorn family’s latest embarrassment.

"Kieran, move aside," Alaric said, his expression darkening as he glanced toward the gathering students. "We’ve embarrassed ourselves enough for one afternoon."

His brother gave a humorless laugh, making no effort to move.

"Now you’re worried about embarrassment? That’s interesting, considering you had no problem humiliating Celeste a few minutes ago."

"I told her to stop provoking unnecessary trouble. If you consider that humiliation, then I don’t know what else to tell you."

"You could start by explaining why you’ve suddenly decided Raven Rivers deserves your protection."

Alaric’s jaw tightened.

"I’ve already told you I’m not discussing this here. Take Celeste and leave."

Kieran stared at him for a moment, his expression growing uglier.

"Goddess, you really can’t help yourself, can you? Even after everything I just said, you’re still giving orders."

"Because you’re behaving like a fucking child."

The words seemed to catch Kieran off guard.

Alaric drew a slow breath, although his expression remained cold.

"You want Father to trust your judgment? Then perhaps you should give him a reason to stop questioning it."

Raven almost winced.

That was a particularly cruel thing to say, especially after everything Kieran had just admitted about their father’s favoritism.

For several seconds, Kieran simply stared at his brother, his face slowly turning red.

"Say that again."

Alaric seemed to realize he’d gone too far, but his pride wouldn’t allow him to take the words back.

"Kieran, don’t make this worse."

"Say it again, Alaric!"

His voice rose sharply, and several nearby students stepped backward as a faint pressure rolled off him.

Alaric glanced toward the crowd.

"Lower your voice."

Kieran shoved him.

The movement was so sudden that Raven barely had time to register it before Alaric staggered backward.

A collective gasp rose from the watching students.

For a moment, Alaric simply stared at his brother, looking almost disbelieving.

"Kieran!" Celeste exclaimed, reaching for his arm.

But Kieran shook her off, his eyes fixed on Alaric.

"I’m not one of your servants," he said through clenched teeth. "Stop talking to me like I am."

Alaric straightened slowly, his expression turning cold.

"Don’t do that again."

"Or what? You’ll report me to Father?"

"Kieran, I’m warning you."

"And I’m telling you that I’m finished taking orders from you!"

He lunged forward again, grabbing the front of Alaric’s uniform.

Alaric caught his wrist and twisted it away, but Kieran refused to release his grip, forcing them both several steps backward.

"Let go of me," Kieran growled.

"Then stop behaving like an idiot."

Kieran’s eyes flashed amber.

The next moment, he swung.

His fist caught Alaric across the jaw, snapping his brother’s head sideways and drawing another wave of shocked murmurs from the gathering students.

Raven’s mouth fell open.

Holy Goddess.

He actually hit him.

Alaric staggered half a step before recovering, one hand rising briefly toward his jaw.

Then he turned back and struck Kieran.

The punch landed squarely against his brother’s cheek, knocking him backward hard enough that he nearly collided with Celeste.

She cried out and scrambled aside, but Kieran recovered almost immediately, snarling as he lunged forward and grabbed Alaric by the front of his uniform.

The two crashed together, their shoulders colliding as Kieran drove his brother backward.

Alaric caught him around the arm and twisted, forcing Kieran off balance, but his brother refused to release his grip.

They stumbled toward the covered walkway, striking one of the stone pillars hard enough to make several nearby students retreat.

"Stop it!" Celeste shouted, rushing after them. "Both of you, stop!"

Neither listened.

Kieran swung again, but Alaric avoided the blow and drove his shoulder into his brother’s chest, forcing him backward.

For all their differences, the twins were both powerful, experienced fighters, and even without drawing upon their full abilities, their movements were considerably faster than those of ordinary students.

Raven could barely follow some of the exchanges, although she quickly noticed that neither was fighting with the discipline she’d seen them demonstrate during their academy training.

Kieran attacked aggressively, throwing himself forward with little concern for defense, while Alaric relied on his superior control to turn his brother’s movements against him.

Unfortunately, neither seemed particularly interested in demonstrating proper combat technique.

They were angry, and judging by the increasingly ugly expressions on their faces, the confrontation had stopped being about who could win a fight.

"Goddess, they’re actually fighting," someone whispered nearby.

Another student looked around nervously. "Shouldn’t somebody stop them?"

"Are you going to?"

Nobody moved.

Raven couldn’t blame them. She certainly wasn’t interested in stepping between two furious Blackthorn heirs, especially when she could barely stand comfortably after her own training session.

Still, watching them fight was an experience she never would have imagined having.

The twins had always presented themselves as a united front whenever their family was threatened. Even when Raven rejected them, they’d stood beside one another, sharing the same contempt for her and the same determination to protect their reputation.

Now they were throwing punches in front of half the courtyard.

She almost wished someone from Blackthorn could see this.

The thought brought a brief, unwilling smile to her lips before another sharp impact drew her attention back toward the brothers.

Kieran had managed to catch Alaric across the mouth, splitting his lip, but his momentary advantage disappeared when Alaric seized his collar and drove him backward against the pillar.

The impact made Kieran grunt.

"Enough!" Alaric snapped, keeping him pinned. "Have you completely lost your mind?"

Kieran struggled against his grip, his expression twisted with anger.

"Get your fucking hands off me!"

"Then stop attacking me!"

Kieran answered by driving his fist into Alaric’s stomach.

Alaric released him with a sharp breath, and before either could strike again, Celeste rushed between them, spreading her arms.

"STOP!"

Both brothers halted.

Celeste stood between them, her face flushed and her breathing uneven as she looked from one to the other.

"Have you both gone insane?" she demanded, gesturing toward the courtyard. "Everyone’s watching!"

The words seemed to reach them more effectively than anything she’d said earlier.

Alaric glanced around the courtyard, and Raven followed his gaze, noticing just how many students were staring at them.

Several had their Linkslates raised openly now, while others whispered excitedly among themselves. One boy was already hurrying toward the academic buildings, no doubt eager to share what he’d witnessed.

Alaric stepped away from his brother, wiping the blood from his mouth, while Kieran straightened his rumpled clothes and pressed a hand against his swelling cheek.

Neither looked particularly pleased with himself.

Raven suspected they were both beginning to realize how much damage they’d done to their family’s reputation.

A public argument was one thing, but two Vanguard heirs fighting like this in front of dozens of witnesses was something else entirely.

And knowing Valerius, there was very little chance anyone would allow them to forget it.

Kieran glanced toward the students and gave a bitter laugh.

"Well, congratulations. The perfect Alaric Blackthorn finally lost his temper."

His brother lowered his bloodied hand, his expression exhausted.

"Kieran, just stop."

"Why? Worried Father might find out you hit me?"

Alaric looked at him for a moment before turning away.

That seemed to irritate Kieran even more.

"You know what your problem is?" he demanded. "You expect everyone to trust you, but the moment someone questions you, you act like they’ve committed some terrible offense."

Alaric slowly turned back.

"Is this really what you want to keep arguing about after what just happened?"

"No, Alaric. What I wanted was an explanation, but you couldn’t even give me that."

Kieran gestured toward Celeste, who was still standing between them.

"You’d rather embarrass your own family than tell us why you’re protecting Raven."

For a moment, Alaric said nothing.

Raven watched him carefully, expecting another sharp response, but he merely pressed his lips together.

That troubled her more than another insult would have.

Alaric had always been someone who spoke with absolute certainty, especially whenever he was putting someone else in their place. He rarely hesitated, and even when he was wrong, he generally found a way to make the other person feel responsible.

Yet today, every time someone demanded an explanation, he seemed unable or unwilling to provide one.

And somehow, it all had something to do with her.

Goddess, she hated that thought.

She hadn’t asked Alaric to intervene, and she certainly hadn’t asked the twins to turn the courtyard into a family battlefield.

Celeste approached Alaric cautiously, her earlier anger giving way to confusion.

"Alaric, please." She glanced at his bleeding lip before meeting his eyes. "I don’t understand. Why are you doing this?"

Raven watched as his expression changed slightly, his gaze moving toward her before returning to Celeste.

For a moment, she thought he might finally answer.

Instead, he shook his head.

"Leave it alone, Celeste."

Her face fell.

"That’s all you’re going to say?"

"There’s nothing else I can say right now."

Kieran shook his head in disbelief.

"Unbelievable."

He stepped away from Celeste, adjusting the collar of his damaged uniform.

"You know what? I’m done."

Alaric frowned.

"What?"

"I’m done letting you make decisions for me. If Father wants something from me, he can tell me himself, but I’m not going to keep following your orders just because you think you know better."

"Kieran, don’t make this worse than it already is."

His brother gave him one last bitter look.

"You don’t get to decide that anymore."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away, pushing through the gathered students.

Several hurriedly moved aside to let him pass, and within moments he’d disappeared into the academic passage.

Celeste watched him leave before turning toward Alaric again, her expression filled with uncertainty.

"Alaric..."

He didn’t look at her.

"Go after him."

"But you still haven’t told me why—"

"Celeste, please."

The exhaustion in his voice seemed to catch her off guard, and for a moment, she looked as though she intended to continue arguing.

Eventually, however, she pressed her lips together and followed Kieran, leaving Alaric standing alone in the middle of the courtyard with his uniform rumpled and blood still marking the corner of his mouth.

Raven watched him for several seconds.

She’d never imagined seeing the Blackthorn twins fight over anything involving her, let alone something as insignificant as another of Celeste’s insults.

Yet the confrontation had revealed something she hadn’t expected.

Kieran had been carrying years of resentment toward his brother, and Alaric’s refusal to explain himself had finally given him a reason to let it out.

But that still didn’t explain Alaric’s behavior.

He’d allowed himself to be insulted, challenged and even attacked rather than tell his own family why he’d intervened.

His gaze eventually shifted toward Raven.

Their eyes met across the small distance separating them, and something in his expression made her hesitate.

She almost asked him what the hell was going on, but before she could speak, Alaric looked away and started toward the opposite walkway.

Raven remained where she was, watching him leave as the students around her erupted into excited conversation.

She knew enough about House Blackthorn to understand how seriously the family guarded its reputation. Alpha Blackthorn had always demanded loyalty and obedience from his children, and public embarrassment was something he rarely tolerated.

Yet Alaric, the very son who cared most about preserving that reputation, had just allowed his brother to turn against him in front of half the academy.

And even after everything that happened, he’d refused to explain himself.

Whatever Alaric Blackthorn was hiding, Raven was beginning to suspect that it was far more serious than any of them realized.