Kael’s POV
The morning sun slashed through the window like a blade, sharp and merciless.
Too bright. Too loud. Too real.
I shoved aside the heavy velvet curtain. The chill from the marble floor climbed up my legs as I paced.
My feet thudded in a rhythmic storm, back and forth, again and again, like a beast caged inside its own mind.
My fists curled, then loosened.
Clenched again. My nails bit into my palm.
Diana.
That girl. That mortal. That... curse.
I should be calm. Composed. A strategist, not some wreck of a man.
But all I saw was her face.
Her hair had fallen over her shoulders last night like moonlight spun in silk. That scent, vanilla and warmth, still haunted my skin like a cruel spell.
I hated how it lingered.
I hated her.
I hated myself more for remembering.
And th
