“Seriously,” I pushed.“Who did you fight?You look like you’re about to drop dead.”
Theo’s Adam’s apple jumped as he swallowed.His gaze darted to Tavrik, who was practically vibrating.
“I didn’t fight anyone,” Theo said quietly, his expression mortified.
“Then what—”
“I fell down the stairs!”The confession exploded out of him, his hands flying to scrub his face.“Okay?I fell down a whole fucking flight of stairs.”
The hallway went dead silent.
Tavrik and I locked eyes for exactly one second before we both absolutely lost it.
I doubled over, laughter ripping out of me.Tavrik slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor, wheezing.
“Stop laughing at me!”Theo whined, his voice pitched high and hands flailing helplessly at his sides “It really hurt!”
His lower lip jutted out in the most pathetic pout I’d ever seen on a grown man, his eyes impossibly wide and wounded.
Naturally, we only laughed harder.
Mira added the final touches to my attire, fastening the serpent link around my upper arm.The twin heads caught the firelight, casting writhing shadows across my bare shoulders.The delicate gold chains draped around my neck felt like silken shackles, their weight settling into the hollow of my throat where my pulse hammered.Each heartbeat was a reminder of how very alive—and terrified—I was.
The day had stretched on endlessly, my body moulded into the depression of my mattress like a corpse in its grave.Each passing hour had fed the monster of dread growing in my chest.The memory of last night—sitting mere feet from Dalkhan while every instinct screamed at me to either run or throw myself at his mercy—made my skin crawl.
Mira’s gentle tap against my shoulder blade jolted me back to reality.
I yanked my sandal straps, the leather biting into my skin as I secured them tight enough to leave marks.The pain was almost welcome, something real to focus on besides the churning in my stomach.
“Let’s go!”Jasila’s voice rang out from beyond the doorway, her small frame hidden by the wall of muscle that was Theo and Tavrik completely blocking the entrance.
I drew in a shaky breath
Please don’t let him be there.Please, please, please—
Waves of conversation crashed over us as we entered the throne room.Every seat was already occupied, the space alive with movement.I swept the room in one desperate scan, praying to the Heavens, which never seemed to listen.
And there he was.
The invisible noose around my neck tightened until black spots danced at the edges of my vision.Even from across the room, his presence was a gravitational force I couldn’t escape.
He sat rigid in his throne, every line in his body radiating controlled tension.His gaze was locked determinedly on Iznia, who hovered beside him like a poisonous flower.The deliberate way he refused to acknowledge my existence was more devastating than if he’d torn me apart with his stare.
It was better this way.
Iznia’s eyes found mine across the expanse of the room, her auburn hair catching the light as she tossed it over her shoulder.Her lips curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile.
I had to clench my jaw to keep from baring my teeth.
I stalked to our usual table.The familiar comfort of my friends settling around me was the only thing keeping me tethered.Theo and Mira sat on my left while Tavrik and Jasila sat to my right.
I made my plate a fortress of food, piled high with everything within reach.I hadn’t eaten all day, and my stomach was consuming itself from the inside out.
Kaseer dropped into the chair across from us, all loose limbs and easy confidence.He reached for his brass cup, tipping it back and draining it in one long pull.
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.“Did you miss me?”
“Oh, absolutely.”I shoved food into my mouth, chewing slowly to give the sarcasm time to settle.“I spent every waking moment counting the days, the hours, the very seconds until I would see you again.”
