The day passed in a haze after Kaelen left me in the library. I tried to focus — on the books, on the strange symbols I couldn't understand — but his words stayed with me.
"You could be my downfall."
It sounded like a warning. Or maybe a promise.
Dinner was a quiet, tense affair. Kaelen didn't show up, and the massive dining hall felt even colder without his presence. I wasn't sure if I was relieved or disappointed.
When I finally returned to my chambers, I expected silence. Instead, I found someone waiting for me.
Not Kaelen.
Darius.
He was sitting in one of the chairs by the fire, perfectly at ease. As if he owned the place.
I froze in the doorway. "What are you doing here?"
He smiled — slow and lazy, like a cat who'd found something interesting to play with. "I wanted to see how you're settling in."
"I'm not in the mood for games, Darius."
"Who said I was playing?"
I was too tired for this. "Get out."
He didn't move. "You really don't understand what you've walked into, do you?"
I folded my arms, forcing myself to stay calm. "Then why don't you enlighten me?"
Darius rose smoothly from the chair, closing the distance between us with a kind of practiced grace. He stopped just a little too close, his dark eyes flicking over my face.
"You think Kaelen's your protector," he said softly. "You think because he put a ring on your finger, you're safe. But you're not. The people here — they'll eat you alive."
I refused to back down. "And what about you?"
His smile widened. "Oh, I wouldn't dare ruin the prince's favorite toy."
My temper flared. "I'm not his—"
The door burst open before I could finish, and Kaelen was there.
He didn't speak. He didn't have to. The temperature in the room plummeted, and the flames in the fireplace guttered low.
Darius stepped back with a slow, mocking bow. "Your Highness."
Kaelen's eyes didn't leave me. "Get out."
Darius didn't push it this time. He slipped out of the room without another word. The door clicked shut behind him — and then it was just the two of us.
Kaelen stayed by the door, his golden eyes watching me like a predator sizing up its prey.
"Do you enjoy testing my patience?" he asked quietly.
I lifted my chin. "I didn't invite him in."
"That's not the point." He took a step closer. "Do you know what Darius does to things he wants?"
My pulse jumped. "He said the same thing about you."
Kaelen went still. "Did he?"
"He said I was your… favorite toy." I hated the words even as I spoke them.
Something dangerous flickered in his eyes. "Is that what you think?"
"I don't know what to think." The words burst out before I could stop them. "You pull me closer, then push me away. You say I belong to you, but you keep me at arm's length. What do you want from me, Kaelen?"
He was in front of me in an instant. Too close. His presence was overwhelming — heat and power and something I couldn't name.
"What I want?" His voice dropped lower, almost a growl. "You wouldn't survive it."
"Try me." The words were out before I could stop them. A challenge. A mistake.
Kaelen's hand shot out, fingers curling around my wrist. Not hard, but firm. Unyielding.
"You don't know what you're asking," he said. But his eyes told a different story. They burned.
"Then show me."
The air between us snapped tight — like a wire stretched too far. His grip on my wrist tightened just enough to make my breath hitch. But then —
He let go.
The fire died out of his eyes. "You think this is a game, Adrien. But there are rules here. And if you break them—"
"Then teach me the rules," I interrupted. "You dragged me into this world, Kaelen. You bound me to you. But I won't stand here in the dark while you and Darius and whoever else circles like wolves."
For a second, I thought he might actually tell me.
But then his expression shuttered. "Stay in your chambers," he said. "Don't speak to Darius again."
"Kaelen—"
"Goodnight, Adrien."
And just like that — he was gone.
I stood there, heart pounding, frustration burning in my chest. He wanted me to stay quiet. Obedient. But that wasn't who I was.
If he wouldn't give me answers, I'd find them myself.
Even if it killed me.