By the time Alina was escorted back through the obsidian halls of Kael’s fortress, her body still trembled from the confrontation, her mind replaying the way Kael’s fury had filled the ballroom like a storm. She could feel it even now, coiled tight in the air around him as he led her through the corridors without a word. His silence was worse than any threat.
The guards bowed as he passed, shadows trailing behind him like a living tide. Alina’s gown whispered against the stone floors, her pulse still uneven. She had expected him to unleash his rage on Riven, but instead he’d chosen to retreat, dragging her with him. That restraint unsettled her more than violence.
When the heavy doors of his chambers shut behind them, the silence finally broke.
Kael turned on her, his eyes like black fi
