Lucian's POV
The car smelt like leather and Jalin’s cologne - sickly sweet, like rotting roses. I stared at my reflection in the tinted window. The suit he had stuffed me into was too tight around the throat. A king’s attire for a king’s corpse.
"Sit straight," Jalin said. His gloved finger prods my spine, a mockery of tenderness. "You look like a stray."
I slumped further. Let him rage. Let him break. It’s all the same now.
The car hit a pothole, jostling us. Jalin’s hand clamped my thigh. "You’ll ruin everything," he hissed. His breath is hot against my ear, the way it always is before he peels me open. "Fix your face. Now."
I didn't move.
He sighed, that familiar blend of irritation and hunger. Then his hand fisted my hair, slamming my forehead into the window. Pain exploded behi
