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“You believe you’re invulnerable,” Calysian murmured, and I had to clamp down on the urge to jolt. He’d leaned close, his breath warm against my ear. “So, go on. Wander into that building alone.”
I shrugged, stalking toward the dilapidated excuse for a door. My heart may have been thundering in my chest, but I would never allow this bastard to see it.
It was a test—only I wasn’t sure if he wanted to see if I was a coward or to prove I was reckless. Either way, I was going into that building. Hesitating would simply make this take longer or confirm to whoever was watching me from inside that I was afraid.
Only an idiot allowed predators to see their terror.
Calysian let out a choked laugh behind me. “Gods, woman. Do you have no fear?”
I glanced over my shoulder. “Yes. I fear that you’ll continue to draw this interaction out even longer. Leave.”
His expression turned flat. “The debt has not been satisfied.”
“It has.”
“Weren’t you listening? I decide. One day, I will find you, Madinia Farrow. When you’re ready to be the woman I think you are.”
Cold fury slid through my veins. “If I see you again, you’ll regret it.”
He chuckled. “Likely, I will. But I’ll still find you.” Turning, he strolled away.
I’d already put his presence out of my mind. My power burned through me, ready to char and destroy at any moment. My hand found the cracked doorknob, and I risked one last glance behind me.
He was gone.
I stalked into the building—which, from the debris strewn across the floor, had been occupied earlier today—and watched as a man turned. Short and balding, with a face crisscrossed with scars, he still managed to stand with an air of menace. His gaze swept over my skin, appreciation gleaming in his eyes. I immediately longed for a bath.
Strolling closer, I angled my body so my back was to the wall. The last thing I needed was for someone to sneak up on me.
“The Cleaver,” I said.
He looked me up and down once more, and this time, his gaze was detached. “I know you. You were one of the queen’s bitches.”
“And now, I’m a free bitch,” I said coolly, and the corner of his mouth quirked.
“What is it you want?”
“Let’s talk about what you want. Revenge for your son. I know you were responsible for the riots. But Regner managed to suppress them.”
He sneered, several of his scars turning white as his skin stretched. “My son wasn’t corrupt.”
“You know the corrupt don’t exist.”
He turned away to gaze down at the city. “Well, he wasn’t a hybrid. He was a human. And Regner burned him anyway. Then he tried to invite me to his castle,” he spat. “As if we could talk about it.”
That was my opening. “You want revenge?”
“I do. But why would I imagine one of the queen’s bitches could help? I know,” he said before I could speak. “You’re a free bitch now.” His laugh was low and mocking.
I suppressed the urge to set his shoes on fire and watch him dance. While it would be amusing, it was unlikely to secure his cooperation. So, I took a moment to wrestle with my temper. He turned back, watching me. Amusement was written across his face.
“We’re going to kill Regner one day,” I told him simply. “You don’t have to do anything to make that happen. It’s inevitable. But something tells me you’d like to look your son in the eye when you see him at the end of this life. And you’d like to tell him you helped avenge him.”
The amusement drained from his face. It wasn’t real amusement anyway. “What do you want?”
It was my turn to smile. “I want chaos.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
