“Happy wedding day, little flower,” I mumble.
“I saw my mom yesterday,” she responds, ignoring me yet again.
So that was Sariya’s surprise. She’d been glowing with excitement all morning, refusing to tell me why. I had no idea she even knew who Daisy’s mother was—but of course she did. If anyone could bring her here, it would be Sariya.
“That’s… incredible,” I manage, unsure what else to say. “How was it?”
She turns to face me, eyes glistening. “Amazing,” she breathes. “She looked exactly like how I remembered. I’ve missed her so much.”
A tear escapes, running down her cheek. Without thinking, I reach up and brush it away with my thumb. She doesn’t flinch; instead, she leans into my hand with her eyes closed and exhales slowly.
“She also said something about you.”
I stiffen. Fuck. “What did she say?” I ask quietly, still stroking her cheek. Her skin is so soft. Untouched by war, by centuries of rage. So unlike my own.
Her eyes slowly open and I swear they burn straight through to my soul. “She… she said it wasn’t true. When I told her you can’t stand me.”
I look into her eyes. Those fucking eyes. She asked me my favourite colour back in Aurora’s Veil. I told her black. It wasn’t the truth—but I didn’t know that at the time. No one had ever asked me something so… simple. But that, I thought about it. Really thought about it. And I realised, my favourite colour isn’t black. It’s the ocean. The sky. The exact shade of a perfect summer’s day. Because all of them? They live in her eyes.
“Right,” I murmur. “And you believe that? That I can’t stand you?”
She nods and pulls away from my touch. “Can you blame me, Korithax?”
She tries to move past me, but I cage her in against the balcony railing, hands braced on either side.
“You’re correct,” I say. “I can’t stand you.”
Her brows furrow, and she pushes against my chest. “I thought so. Move, Korithax. I don’t want to listen to you spitting any more hatred at me. You’ve done that enough.”
“Stop and listen to me, Daisy,” I growl.
She storms past me into the room, struggling to remove her gown with the endless row of buttons down her spine. She huffs, throwing the skirt like it’s going to help.
“Please,” I bite out through gritted teeth.
Manners weren’t exactly in my repertoire. I was used to getting what I wanted—no questions, no niceties. But this girl? She pushed every button I had, tested every limit without even trying. Still… I told myself I’d try. For her. So if saying please is what it takes—then fine. So be it.
She freezes and turns slowly, staring at me in shock. “Did you just say please?”
I roll my eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic about it.”
She snorts a quiet laugh, then turns so her back is facing me once again. I step behind her, placing my fingers against the top button.
“Let me help.”
She stiffens for a brief moment, then nods, and I let my fingers graze her skin as I begin undoing each button one by one.
“I can’t fucking stand you,” I murmur, voice low. “Because somehow… you, a mortal girl with too much light and too much mouth, has more power over me than any god ever has.”
I trace my thumb along her spine, just to feel her again. I hate how much I crave her.
“You think if I didn’t care, I’d have stayed by your side after you tried to kill yourself?” I pause, clenching my jaw. “You think I set Kaelith on fire for fun?” I snort, dark amusement curling at the edges of my annoyance. “Though I’ll admit, his screaming was satisfying.”
I lean in, my lips brushing the shell of her ear. She shudders, and I swear I feel it in my bones.
“When I saw his hands on you, Daisy, I wanted to rip his realm from existence. I would’ve, if you’d told me to.”
Her breath catches, her body going rigid under my hands. I know I’m scaring her. But it’s the truth, and I refuse to sugar-coat the storm inside me.
