Arthur turned toward the voice and smiled.
"My lady, I've returned just as I promised," Arthur said.
When he turned around completely, Astarte was standing right behind him.
Her long purple hair cascaded over her shoulders in soft waves, while her pitch-black eyes remained fixed on his with an almost unsettling calm. She wore a revealing black-and-violet outfit that hugged her body perfectly, exposing just enough to make her appear dangerous rather than merely beautiful.
The dress accentuated her slender waist, long legs, and the elegant threat hidden within every movement she made. She looked less like someone standing in a forest and more like a queen of darkness who had stepped out of a nightmare.
Astarte studied him for a moment.
"To be honest," she said, "I thought you would've run away."
Arthur smiled faintly.
"I could have, if I'd wanted to," Arthur replied. "But I'm the kind of person who always takes what's rightfully his, no matter what."
His gaze sharpened.
