The hall outside Kael’s study was quiet, but Ariana could still feel the echo of his presence, like a shadow that clung to her skin.
She walked quickly toward her room, needing distance—space to breathe, to shove down the memory of the way his gaze had locked on hers like he could see through every layer she’d built.
She didn’t make it ten steps before her pulse spiked again.
The air shifted—charged, heavier.
She knew without turning that he’d followed her.
Her feet stopped of their own accord. She stood there, frozen, as the slow, deliberate sound of his boots approached.
When Kael reached her, he didn’t speak. He simply stepped into her space, and she felt it—like the very air bent around him.
“Did I say you could walk away from me?” His voice was low, dark silk, brushing over her
