Abisai
"What's wrong?" Zabina asks.
I don't know how to answer without breaking her. But the signs are unsettling.
She suddenly stands and walks toward the door.
"Don't leave," I order.
She doesn't listen. She opens the door and steps out.
"Damn it."
I get up and go after her. I catch her in the hallway. My hand closes around her arm, and I pull her toward me harder than I meant to.
Her eyes are filled with tears. Rage burns in my chest like wildfire.
"Don't cry," I growl, clenching my jaw.
"Let go of me," she hisses. "What did that priest tell you? Are you going to kill me?"
I release her instantly, as if her words had scorched me.
Of all the things she could have said… why that?
She tries to pull away, but I grab her again and drag her back into the study. I slam the door shut.
"Seriously, Zabina?" I snarl. "After everything between us… you actually think I want you dead?"
She looks at me, her eyes brimming with tears that refuse to fall.
I lift my hand and gently thumb away her tears, my touch softer than I expected.
"Why would you even think that?"
"I saw how that priest looked at me. The way he left… What do you have to do, Abisai? Tell me."
I don't know where to begin. The silence stretches between us.
"You won't tell me?!" she screams, shoving me in the chest.
I don't budge an inch.
"You're right," I finally say. "I have to extinguish your light if I want to maintain the balance my ancestors forged. Your gem is of royal blood. It's too powerful. In the wrong hands, you become a weapon. But rest assured — I've known that from the start."
Zabina slumps against the door as if I've knocked the air out of her. Her face pales.
"The only way to seal the path to Galgoth and stop the silver demons is through a royal blood gem."
"So… you're going to… sacrifice me?" she whispers.
I can't stand seeing her like this.
I grip the back of her neck and kiss her hard, almost angrily. She tries to turn away, but I hold her still and deepen the kiss until she surrenders, moaning against my mouth.
"Are you insane, Zabina?" I murmur against her ear. "I need you alive. I don't give a damn about the gem on your chest. To this kingdom, you're my human, my concubine… now my woman. I owe you my life. That debt can only be paid in blood — but not yours."
She looks at me, still trembling.
"And that priest?" Her voice is broken. "Won't he betray me?"
"No."
"How can you be sure?"
"Because if he opens his mouth, he pays with his life," I say without hesitation. "And he knows it."
I grip her chin and kiss her again. This time, she doesn't resist. She lets me take control. Her hands clutch at my clothes as if I'm the only stable thing in her world.
I pull her toward the armchair, sitting down and settling her onto my lap. I wrap my arms around her tightly, pressing my cheek against her racing heart. I can feel it pounding beneath my ear.
The sensible thing would be to do what Vacul asked. If I choose her, I betray everything I am.
But I made a promise when I was twelve, and I intend to keep it.
I need to redeem myself.
And at this point, I don't want to be without her. Without her warmth. Without her scent. Without the way she trembles when I touch her.
Because I want to choose her above all else — above this entire kingdom.
And if it's a sin, let it be my sin.
I won't ask for forgiveness.
"Stay with me," I murmur against her skin. "Even if it's dangerous. Even if it's impossible. Stay."
Zabina doesn't answer with words. She only clings to me tighter, burying her face in my neck.
And for the first time in a long time, I'm afraid.
Afraid of losing her.
Afraid the price of protecting her will be too high.
I yank the straps of her dress down and bury my nose between her breasts, breathing in her scent. The silver gem pulses against my cheek. I don't care. I only want her.
In one swift motion, I lay her back against the armchair. Her legs wrap around my hips. I press my mouth to hers without restraint, kissing her hungrily, almost angrily. My tongue invades hers as my hand slides to her ass, gripping it hard, my fingers digging into her flesh.
I bite her neck, and she moans.
I need her.
I'm starving for her body. Starving for her heat. Starving to remind her who she belongs to.
I hastily undo my pants and drive into her in one deep thrust, all the way to the hilt.
Zabina arches her back with a muffled cry. She's so tight, so hot and wet it's almost painful how good she feels.
"Fuck…" I groan against her neck.
My white dragon.
And anyone who wants to touch her will have to go through me first.
I start moving without mercy.
Her moans grow louder, more desperate. I love it.
"Abisai…"
"Say it again," I demand, quickening my pace. "Say my name while I take you. Come on."
"Abisai… Ah!"
I grip her hips and lift her slightly to drive deeper. The gem glows brighter between us, as if responding to the pleasure I'm giving her.
Zabina trembles beneath me. Her legs tighten around my waist. She's unraveling, exactly how I want her.
"Look at me," I order, gripping her chin. "I want to see everything I do to you."
Her pleasure-glazed eyes lock onto mine.
Pleasure drags me under with her.
We stay like that for a long moment — panting, clinging, slick with sweat. My forehead pressed to hers.
When I finally catch my breath, I brush her damp hair from her face and look into her eyes.
"Never doubt me again," I whisper. "I'm not going to kill you, Zabina. Not today. Not ever. I'd burn this entire kingdom to the ground before I lose you."
She looks at me in silence, her eyes bright and her cheeks flushed. A lone tear slides down her temple.
I kiss her and pull her against my chest.
After a long court session, I meet with my men in my private chamber.
Rumá has arrived.
He brings news.
"The Padras clan is being controlled from within by your cousin, Abisai," Rumá says, standing in the center of the room. "Leader Zabelón is just a puppet to avoid suspicion. Your uncle is gaining strong alliances. With you dead, he could claim the throne for his son."
He pulls documents from his bag and drops them onto my desk.
"Proof," he concludes.
Levin picks them up and begins flipping through them, his brow furrowed.
"If there's one thing Higmer has always been, it's a brilliant, cunning bastard," Levin mutters, turning the pages. "Letters, payments, promises of positions… the son of a bitch has been weaving this for years. The signature is Thymá's."
I lean back in my chair, drumming my fingers on the polished wood. Rage burns inside me, but I keep it in check. Blind fury is for the weak.
"One more thing," Rumá continues, lowering his voice. "From what I've gathered, Higmer is digging deep into the passage to Galgoth."
I clench my jaw. I have to admit it: Higmer as an opponent is a damn pain in the ass. Intelligent, patient, and ruthless.
I stand up.
"For now, we stay silent," I say. "I can't make direct accusations against my father's brother without solid evidence. The bastard gaining favor with a few nobles isn't enough to prove he murdered my brother. I need more. Something concrete to bring him down." I nod to one of my men. "Send Stema to get close to my uncle's new wife. Women talk too much when they feel alone, and that poor woman seems miserable in her marriage. I want to know everything Thymá does, who she meets, and what plans she has for Higmer."
Levin nods with a calculating smile.
"Stema is perfect for this. No one will suspect a lady's companion."
Zymei crosses his arms.
"And in the meantime?"
"In the meantime, we keep watching," I reply. "And I'll keep protecting what was never meant to be mine… but is mine now."