The reaction is instant and visceral. Heat floods my body from core to extremities, my skin flushing as if I've stepped too close to open flame. My heart crashes against my ribs with bruising force, and for one disorienting moment, the world narrows to just those eyes holding mine across an impossible distance.
What the hell?
"Cousin." Kaan's voice cuts through the moment like shadow-forged steel. He descends from the dais, though I feel the tension radiating through our connection—possessive fury carefully leashed. "Yasar. It's been... how long?"
"Fifty-three years, give or take." Yasar's voice slides through the hall like silk over bare skin. Rich. Cultured. Nothing like Kaan's rougher edges. "Though from what I hear, much has changed in that time."
His eyes return to me, and that inexplicable pull intensifies. Like gravity shifted slightly east, making every cell in my body want to lean toward him. I force myself to remain absolutely still, fingers curling into fists at my sides.
This is wrong. This feeling is wrong.
"Allow me to make introductions," Kaan says with false civility, though shadows writhe at his feet like agitated serpents. "My wife, Lady Nesilhan Karanlikoglu. Nesilhan, this is Yasar—my cousin from the eastern territories, son of my father's sister."
The formal introduction gives me permission to acknowledge him directly. I incline my head with measured courtesy—not too warm, not dismissive. The calculated response of a court lady who's been trained since childhood to navigate dangerous political waters.
"Lord Yasar. Your timing is... convenient." I keep my voice neutral, though my pulse still races traitorously. "War declarations and family reunions rarely coincide by accident."
His smile is devastating—warm where Kaan's are weapons, inviting where my husband's are warnings. "Your reputation for directness wasn't exaggerated, Lady Nesilhan. How refreshing."
His gaze shifts then, settling on Elçin with an expression that's entirely different from how he looked at me. There's genuine appreciation there—the way a swordsman might admire a well-crafted blade. "And you must be Lady Elçin. I've heardtales of the warrior-scholar who serves as both counsel and shield to the Shadow Queen."
Elçin's expression remains carefully neutral, but I feel her stiffen slightly beside me. "Tales have a way of exaggerating, Lord Yasar."
"Do they?" His smile shifts, becoming more genuine, less calculated. "The reports mentioned you took down three Light Court assassins during the last border incursion. With a broken arm, if I recall correctly. That seems rather difficult to exaggerate."
"Two assassins," Elçin corrects coolly. "The third merely required... persuasive conversation."
Something flickers in Yasar's eyes—respect, perhaps, or intrigue. The kind of look a predator gives another predator when recognizing an equal. "Persuasive conversation. How diplomatic." He inclines his head to her with what seems like actual deference. "I look forward to hearing more about your tactical approaches, my lady. It's rare to meet someone who wields both intellect and steel with such apparent mastery."
He moves closer to me then, and gods help me, I have to lock my knees to keep from swaying toward him. "Please, call me Yasar. We're family, after all."
"Are we?" The question escapes before I can stop it, sharp with the four months of betrayal and loss that have taught me to trust nothing. "Family suggests loyalty. Care. Neither of which seem particularly abundant in the Karanlikoglu bloodline."
The hall goes silent. Even the shadow-orbs seem to dim in response to my deliberate insult. The connection carries Kaan's shock mixing with something that might be approval—he's always admired my capacity for strategic cruelty, even when it's aimed at him.
But Yasar's smile only widens, his gaze warming with what looks like genuine appreciation. "Direct and perceptive. Nowonder my cousin was willing to risk everything for you." He gestures toward the palace corridors. "Perhaps we can continue this conversation somewhere more... intimate? The formal hall seems ill-suited for real discussion."
Everythingin me wants to say yes. Wants to follow him wherever he leads, wants to bask in that warm attention like a flower turning toward unexpected sunlight. The pull is so strong it feels almost physical—invisible threads wrapped around my ribs, tugging me east.
I take a deliberate step backward instead, creating distance even as my body screams protest.
"The formal dining hall should suffice," Kaan interjects, his voice carrying an edge I haven't heard since the early days of our marriage. Dangerous. Possessive. "We have much to discuss regarding the Light Court invasion. Mywifewill join us, along with Elçin and my war council."
The emphasis on 'wife' isn't subtle. Neither is the way Kaan's shadows extend across the marble floor, creating a dark boundary between me and Yasar. Claiming territory. Marking possession.
Any other day, I'd resent it. Today, with this inexplicable attraction making my thoughts hazy and both Emir and Zoran gone on their search for Banu, I'm almost grateful for the reminder of exactly what ties bind me to this palace and the monster who rules it.
"Of course," Yasar agrees smoothly, as if he hasn't noticed the territorial display. "Though perhaps Lady Nesilhan could show me to my quarters first? I'd welcome her perspective on the palace's recent... renovations."
Say no. Say no. This feeling isn't natural. Something is wrong.
"I'm not a tour guide, Lord Yasar." I force ice into my voice, wielding coldness like the weapon it is. "I'm sure the servants can provide whatever assistance you require."
His expression shifts—just a flicker of something that might be disappointment or might be calculation, gone so fast I can't be certain. "As you wish, my lady. Though I hope we'll have an opportunity to speak more freely over dinner. I sense we have much in common."
The presumption should offend me. Instead, traitorous warmth blooms in my chest, my light magic responding to his presence in ways that make no sense whatsoever. Golden sparks dance beneath my skin, drawn toward him like iron filings to a lodestone.
Kaan notices. Of course he does. Through the bond, his rage spikes with enough force to make me wince. His shadows explode outward, filling half the hall with writhing darkness, frost spreading across marble in crystalline patterns.
