The air felt like it had frozen.
My mocking question made Cole’s pupils tighten, his breathing turn rough.
I’ll admit it—I wanted to mess with him.
So what if he still had a shred of feeling for me? He wouldn’t dare agree.
Cole was never going to break his engagement, and I was never going to escape mine.
He and I were always destined to end up as strangers...
I didn’t want to think about it anymore. I walked away with long strides.
As we brushed past each other, I could hear the whisper of his cloak grazing the wind.
But I never looked back.
So of course I didn’t see the surge of desire that surged in his blue‑green eyes.
...
I finally got to see Mya.
The palace was thick with the heavy smell of herbs and a faint scent of blood.
I walked slowly toward her room.
On the bed,
