"Do it clean," Serafina said coldly, her eyes never leaving the horizon.
"Yes, my Lady," Kae murmured, already melting into the shadows like smoke.
She stood there for a long moment, fists still trembling, feeling the sting of broken skin and broken trust. The air was thick, hot, like it could swallow her whole.
She turned, cloak swirling, and stalked back through the palace gates.
The guards didn't dare meet her gaze.
Good. Fear was easier to command than loyalty.
Each step she took echoed loudly, bouncing off the cold marble walls. She didn't slow down. She didn't look back. Her blood pounded in her ears, louder than the roaring whispers of servants scrambling to get out of her way.
She didn't care.
She didn't care about their looks, their mutterings, their pray
