Kira’s POV
I walked like a ghost on autopilot, the king’s handprint still burning on my ass, his taste still in my mouth, vampire blood still smeared on my jaw.
School. He said school. Like I’m sixteen and late for homeroom. My brain kept replaying the last five minutes on loop…fangs, claws, a woman’s face peeling off, everyone dropping to their knees like the king pressed an invisible “worship” button. And me…just standing there like an i***t who forgot the script.
I turned a corner and nearly walked into a suit of armor. Great. Even the furniture wants to fight me.
“Princess!”
The voice cracked through the hallway like a lifeline. Liana. She was running toward me in her little maid dress, eyes wide, curls bouncing.
Something inside me snapped. The tears I’d been fighting since the
