Aísē: My Five Supernatural Wives-Chapter 91: Wedge?

Few moments later....

Braham wiped the blood from his lips and straightened his posture with remarkable composure.

"Ahem..." he cleared his throat, smoothing down his robes as if nothing had happened. "So, where were we?"He fixed me with a sharp gaze, the earlier vulnerability replaced by the commanding presence of a powerful archmage.

"As you already know, I am Braham Faust," he announced formally,"Patriarch of the Faust family and Leader of the Mages Association."His voice carried weight and authority, a stark contrast to the broken grandfather act from moments before.

Victor shifted uncomfortably beside us, clearly embarrassed by the old man’s antics.

Aisha remained tense at my side, her grip on her spear not wavering despite the bizarre turn of events.

I couldn’t hold back the resentment bubbling in my chest. "You forgot to add ’The Psychopathic Old Man’ in your introduction," I spat, my voice dripping with venom.I stepped forward, not caring about the potential consequences.

"What kind of game are you playing? First, you nearly crush me with that pressure bullshit, then you act like a lovesick grandpa over there," I gestured dismissively at Mariabell who was still pouting,"and now you’re back to being all high and mighty?"My hands clenched into fists at my sides.

"Which one is the real you, old man? Because I don’t trust any of them."Aisha’s grip on her spear tightened as she prepared for whatever might come next.

Victor looked like he wanted to disappear entirely.

Braham chuckled, a sound that held both amusement and calculation. "Hohoho," he mused, stroking his long white beard thoughtfully,"I suppose my greetings were too intense.

But you see, young man, that was merely a test to determine whether you are suitable." His purple eyes gleamed with interest as he studied my face.

"You possess power beyond your years, but more importantly—you have the spine to stand against an Archmage. That’s precisely the kind of wedge we need between our factions." He took a step closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone.

Braham nodded slowly, his ancient eyes reflecting the weight of centuries of conflict. "Precisely," he confirmed, his voice taking on a lecturing tone.

"The supernatural world is a powder keg ready to explode. Vampires against werewolves, mages against the Church..." He began counting off on his fingers.

"Demons against the Church, vampires against both mages and the Church, werewolves against mages and the Church... The witches were persecuted by humans until they formed an alliance with the vampires."

He paused significantly," And now we stand at a crossroads where one wrong move could ignite war across every faction."

His gaze settled on me with renewed intensity. "But you, young man—you have ties to multiple worlds that could bridge these divides.

Your human heritage which now acts as a binding to Five other Bloodlines..." he glanced at Victor, "and now your connection to my family through Victor."

I could feel the frustration building in my chest as I stared back at Braham. "I know all that," I said, my voice sharp with impatience,"but I don’t understand what you actually want.

If this was just about faction politics, you’d be talking to the leaders of each group instead of dragging me into your grandfather’s mansion."I took a step closer, not backing down from his intense gaze.

"Don’t bullshit me, old man. What are you really after? Because calling me here and putting on this whole show tells me there’s something bigger at stake."

Aisha shifted beside me, sensing the tension escalating.

Victor remained frozen in place, clearly caught between family loyalty and whatever was about to unfold.

I fixed Braham with a demanding stare. "So spill it—what do you want from me?"

Braham’s expression shifted dramatically, the calculated mask slipping to reveal something more predatory.

His eyes lit up with genuine interest, and for the first time since we’d arrived, he looked almost... pleased.

"Ah," he breathed, a slow smile spreading across his weathered features,

"finally. Someone who doesn’t dance around the truth." He clapped his hands together once, the sound echoing through the grand hall like a judge’s gavel.

"I was beginning to think I had misjudged you, young Valerian."

He began to circle me slowly, his staff clicking against the marble floor with each measured step.

"The other factions would indeed be my first choice for such delicate negotiations—but they’re all too entrenched in their own power struggles."

His voice took on an almost professorial tone.

"You see, what I’m after requires someone who can move between worlds without being immediately dismissed as just another political pawn."

Aisha tensed beside me as Braham completed his circuit and stopped directly in front of us.

I watched Braham’s calculating expression and didn’t hesitate to call him out.

"So you want to forge a direct connection with me, is that it?" I asked, my voice laced with suspicion.

"Are you jealous that other factions are connected through marriage but the mages faction isn’t? Is that what this whole production is about?"I gestured around the opulent room with a dismissive wave of my hand.

"Because if you’re looking for some kind of alliance, old man, there are more straightforward ways to ask."

Aisha’s grip on her spear tightened as she sensed the negotiation shifting into dangerous territory. Victor looked increasingly uncomfortable, clearly knowing more than he was letting on.

The archmage paused in his pacing, his purple eyes narrowing as he studied my face intently.

Braham’s expression shifted to something more guarded, a flicker of calculation crossing his features before he smoothed it over.

"Hmm," he murmured thoughtfully, stroking his beard, "perhaps we should discuss this topic later."

He glanced between me and Aisha, noting our tense postures.

"You two should rest for now. This mansion has guest quarters prepared with everything you might need."

His voice carried an undercurrent that suggested the conversation was far from over.

He turned to Victor with a nod.

"Victor will show you to your rooms."

Mariabell suddenly perked up at this announcement, her earlier pout forgotten as she bounced on her toes excitedly.

"Ooh! I can show them too! I know all the best rooms!" Braham gave her an indulgent smile that seemed genuine for once.

I decided to play along, though my suspicions remained.

"Alright then," I said, my voice careful but not entirely trusting.I gave Braham a long, hard look before turning away, memorizing his expression for future reference.

"We’ll talk later."Aisha nodded curtly, clearly wanting to get out of the oppressive atmosphere of the mansion’s main hall. Victor looked relieved at the temporary reprieve and quickly stepped forward.

"Come on, I’ll show you to your room."

Mariabell clapped her hands together in excitement as she practically bounced beside us.

"This is so exciting! You’re going to love it!"

As we followed Victor through the sprawling corridors, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the calm before a much bigger storm.

The archmage’s words echoed in my mind: What exactly did he mean by ’wedge’? And why did I have the distinct impression that whatever he was planning would change everything?

Aisha’s quiet whisper sent a chill down my spine. Her fingers gripped the fabric of my shirt with desperate tension as we followed Victor through the ornate corridors.

"Valerian..." she murmured, her voice barely audible,"I don’t feel like staying here."

I glanced down at her worried expression and felt my own unease deepen.

The oppressive weight of the mansion seemed to press in around us, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were walking into a carefully laid trap.

I slowed my pace slightly, letting Victor get a few steps ahead while Mariabell chattered excitedly about various rooms.

Lowering my voice so only Aisha could hear, I replied,

"Neither do I, love. But we need to play this smart."

My hand found hers and squeezed reassuringly.

"Something tells me this Braham Faust doesn’t let people walk away from his invitations easily."

Victor led us up an elegant staircase lined with portraits of stern-looking mages from centuries past, each one seeming to watch our progress with judgmental eyes.

Victor stopped in front of an ornate wooden door, intricately carved with arcane symbols that seemed to shift in the candlelight.

"Here," he said, his voice strained as he fumbled for the key,"you two can use this room."He unlocked it and pushed it open to reveal a spacious guest chamber decorated in dark velvet and gold accents.

The bed was large enough for two, draped with luxurious silk curtains.

"If you need help," Victor continued, his eyes darting nervously between us and down the hallway, "my room is right next door."

Mariabell peeked around Victor’s shoulder, her expression eager.

"And I’m just down the hall if you need anything! I know all the secret passages and..." She trailed off as Victor shot her a warning look.

Victor’s hands trembled slightly as he handed me the key.

"The bath is through there," he gestured toward an adjoining door,"and there’s fresh clothing in the wardrobe."

But his nervous energy suggested there was more he wanted to say but couldn’t risk saying aloud.

Aisha clung closer to my side, clearly picking up on the tension radiating from our reluctant host.

’Hmm maybe it’s time I help this poor friend of mine’ I thought as my eyes squinted at the insect flying around Victor.