He walked out of the grand throne room, his boots clicking softly against the marble tiles. Female guards standing in the corridor watched him pass, their eyes dropping to the fresh bite mark on his lip, but nobody dared to ask him any questions.
Returning to his private suite felt like stepping into a freezer. He locked the double wooden doors and leaned against them, letting out a long, slow breath. The sweet, corrupted scent of her perfume still clung to his skin, and the taste of her blood lingered on his tongue. He walked over to the washbasin and splashed cool water onto his face, scrubbing the smell of her magic off his neck.
The frustration of stopping right at the edge gnawed at his stomach, but the looming danger fueled a much colder, sharper resolve in his chest.
'Two days,' Kai thought, staring at his dripping reflection in the polished copper mirror. 'She thinks she's setting a trap, but she just handed me the schedule for her own execution.'
