The male twitches his upper body, muttering something under his breath. Instinctively, I lean in, realizing too late the trap he’s set. His head snaps back, colliding with my nose.
“Shit.” White flares behind my lids as my eyes water, my grip on the male loosening just enough for him to jerk free. He rolls to the side, his weight pinning one of my legs to the ground before his elbow crashes into my ribs. I shout in pain as the male rolls off of me and towards the shadowy space not illuminated by the dim light streaming in from the hallway.
Breathing through my nose is impossible as it swells, my eyes still watering as I try to blink the wetness away. Blood leaks down onto my lips, the metallic taste blanketing the tip of my tongue.
Steps shuffle near me, accompanied by the sound of a weapon being drawn. I try to roll away, but the rebel sends a harsh kick to my stomach, a breath wheezing out of me before he straddles my body. He leans over me, squeezing his knees tightly into my sides while he pins both of my hands over my head.
“How angry do you thinkHis Majestywill be when we string your corpse up next?” Cold metal presses at my neck, and I force myself to relax as I strain to see the male through the darkness. “Sorry it had to come to this, Princess.”
My thoughts halt, dread turning my body leaden. “How do you know that?”
He moves even closer, pushing his blade more harshly against my skin until I grit my teeth at the prickling pain. “We all know who you are, Bahira Daxel. Princess of the Mage Kingdom. Your death is going to usher in the removal of Kai for good.”
I buck my hips in an attempt to throw him off balance, but the male doesn’t budge. Panic tightens my throat, a strangled noise drawn from me at the sting of his blade. I can barely make out the outline of his head and shoulders, his breath warm as he whispers against my ear.
“We knowallabout you, and—”
His weight is thrown off of me, a growl thundering out into the room. I roll to my side, gasping for a full breath as the crunching of bones followed by a male’s whimper sounds. Heavy steps echo, my body bracing to keep fighting until the light of a flame gem is uncovered, revealing Kai. He walks across the room to another flame gem, the golden amber light now pouring into the space and over the body of the male crumpled on the floor.
I stand, ignoring my shaking legs as Kai’s gaze traces over my body. He storms his way towards me, absolute fury rippling over every part of him. The male groans on the floor, but Kai kicks him harshly enough to silence him. Standing in front of me, his eyes move to the blood that has only now stopped leaking from my nose and slowly trail down, lingering where the blade was pressed against my neck.
“How did you know to come in here?” I ask, clearing my throat as I drag the back of my hand over the space above my lips.
“I was coming up to speak with you when I saw your bedroom door was ajar and heard whispers. I thought—” He stops abruptly, clenching his jaw.
“You thought what?”
Kai simply shakes his head, running a hand through his hair before he turns and looks back at the male who is now passedout on my floor. Licking my lips, I face the male too and fold my arms over my chest, wincing at the pain in my ribs.
“Do you recognize him?”
“No.”
“He knew who I was and said that all the rebels did. He was going to kill me in an attempt to get to you.”
Kai snarls at that, causing goosebumps to break out over my body. “That will never happen.” I feel the power of his words as they settle between us, his gaze coming back to mine. “Are you okay?”
“Fine enough, thanks to you.” The adrenaline coursing through me begins to dwindle, leaving me feeling drained.
Kai’s brows draw down low. “I need to bring him down to the dungeons to await interrogation.” Squatting down, he tugs on the shifter’s body until he’s lying on his back. The male’s arm flops down at his side, revealing a tattoo on the inner part of his bicep.
“Wait,” I tell Kai as I kneel and reach out to twist his arm so it’s more visible under the glow of the flame gems. “This tattoo—it’s the same as your grandfather’s sigil, isn’t it?” The oryx.
Amber eyes flick up to mine, a single dark brow arching. “Yes.”
Sighing, I drop the male’s arm and stand. “Don’t you think it’s odd that they have chosen this to masquerade under? Literally? They wear fucking oryx skulls asmasks.If they are so opposed to your rule, why pick an animal that represents the family line you come from?”
“I think they merely hateme, not the blood that runs through my veins.”
It is stupid to notice the way his voice deepens and how his gaze drops from mine as he speaks. Idiotic to feel that pang of sympathy, not in pity but understanding. Or maybe I’m finally recognizing why I’m so drawn to Kai, why I have been sincethe very first moment I saw him standing in the Mirror. He’s likeme. We are two halves of the same whole—two people forced to face our shortcomings head-on because the only other alternative is to become the broken down, lesser versions of ourselves that everyone else thinks we already are.
“Well, then they are fools.” The words come out more harshly than I intend but still no louder than a whisper. Kai stands slowly before taking a step towards me. His stare is piercing—the feeling of it like having the air squeezed from my lungs. “Stop looking at me like that.”
“How am I looking at you?” he asks. I huff out a laugh at how ludicrous this role reversal is, but it only encourages Kai to come closer. Tipping my chin up, my eyes stay glued to his as our chests meet. “Tell me how I’m looking at you, Bahira.” He doesn’t miss the rapid beating of my heart, how it betrays the mask of calm I try to slip on. His fingers wrap around my neck, careful to not disturb the nick from the blade as his thumb rests over the fluttering of my pulse.
Then his gaze snaps to the door, mine following a second later to see Tua standing there with wide eyes.
“What happened?” he asks, striding into the room before either of us can answer. The male who attacked me moans on the floor, his body twitching as he begins to wake up.
