The echo of the great hall faded behind us as the door closed, leaving Nox and me in a side corridor lit only by sparse iron candelabras. The silence vibrated like a taut string. I felt my pulse pounding at my temples, a hammering I couldn’t tell was born of anger, fear—or the stubborn knot of both.
Nox stepped forward, hands open, a gesture of false peace. His smile—that crooked hinge between cynicism and curiosity—tightened the pit of my stomach.
“Well, Selene. Marrying the king in front of his entire court? Even for you, that’s impressive.”
“Don’t provoke me,” I snapped, forcing my voice to stay firm. “You orchestrated this. You whispered to Skadi, to that monarch, that we were mates. If anyone’s playing games for applause, it’s you, carrion bird.”
Nox tilted his head, as if savorin
