Malric’s Pov
I saw the look on her face as she turned and left. A look that cut sharper than any blade, though I refused to name it. I didn’t know why I felt that way—why there was a weight in my chest, why her silence stung more than her words. I don’t feel bad for anyone. Not anymore. Anyone can go to hell and I would watch the flames take them.
So why her?
Why did the sight of her retreating back make me restless?
She didn’t come back home that night. I noticed. I shouldn’t have. But when the corridors stayed silent, when her footsteps never echoed near my door, I felt it. The absence.
By midnight, I sent one of her warriors after her. For her protection, I told myself. That was all. Nothing else. Yes, I might tell her to leave me alone, yes, I might claim I didn’t need her presen
