The royal solar wasn't a place of execution. It was a gilded chamber of torment, designed to remind me exactly how easily a slave could be erased.
"Hold her there." Queen Lilith's voice cut through the heavy heat of the room like a shard of ice.
Two silver guards shoved me forward, forcing me to my knees before the roaring stone hearth. The flames hissed and spat, blasting raw heat into my face until my cheeks felt blistered. Sweat turned to steam beneath the silver fox fur of my gown. I tried to pull back, but iron gauntlets clamped down on my shoulders, pinning me closer to the fire.
"You dare ignore a direct royal summons, camp piece?" Lilith purred, stepping into my line of sight. Her violet eyes caught the firelight like something predatory. "You think because my son wraps you in h
