"You know about the Luna trials, right?" I asked the moment the line clicked and Vardis picked up the phone.
"Yes," Vardis’s deep, gravelly voice vibrated through the speaker. "I even signed the royal decree for them yesterday. I want to see those high-society girls with absolutely no fight in them try to claw their way to becoming my Queen."
He let out a dark, cold laugh that sent a shiver down my spine. "It should be an amusing waste of time."
"I'm joining," I said plainly.
An immediate, heavy silence stretched over the line. For a few agonizing seconds, the only sound was the quiet hum of the luxury car’s engine. Finally, Vardis broke the quiet, his tone dropping into a low, serious baritone. "Where are you right now, Elena?"
"I'm on my way back to the hotel."
"Hurry up," he comma
