I felt the wicked pull tighten in my gaze as I leaned forward.
“I want to corrupt his students—mind, soul, and purpose. I want to mold them into weapons of darkness, make them serve the very evil that Mathias sought to cleanse. Let them become the rot he tried to cut away. Let them carry it. Let him watch it grow.”
Amir shook his head. “You stubborn fool. Your mind’s made up, then.”
He took another long pull from his whiskey, watching me over the rim of the tumbler.
I mirrored him, letting the burn wash down my throat like fire licking the edges of purpose. I drummed my fingers against the arm of the chair—steady beats of resolution.
“First things first,” I said. “The plan begins with Cora’s elimination.”
Amir lifted an eyebrow. “Mathias’ wife?”
“She’ll try to stop me. Interfere. So, she must be removed.”
Amir’s lips curved into a smirk. “And how do you plan to do it? How might I... assist?”
I slashed my hand through the air, cutting the thought in two. The wind stirred unnaturally, swirling through the room like a phantom.
“Leave it to me,” I said, my lips curling into a dangerous grin. “You focus on your part. I’ll handle Cora. And the child.”
A faint gasp.
My body went still.
Then, hurried footsteps retreating down the corridor.
I rose from my chair in a flash. “Did you hear that?”
Amir didn’t move. He only sipped his whiskey, calm as ever. “Sounds like someone was listening.”
“Is Cora here?” I asked, scanning the doorway. “I thought she was out on errands.”
“She arrived not long ago,” Amir said, his voice even, his eyes gleaming with something unreadable. “You should strike now while you still have the advantage.”
Then, he dragged a single finger across the table’s surface, tracing a lazy, invisible line through the symbols of valor carved into the wood.
A secretive smile tugged at his lips.
I narrowed my eyes.
What was he planning?
Why was his smile so calm?
Why did it feel like I was no longer pulling the strings?
A piercing wail cut through my thoughts.
The rage drained from me instantly, replaced by a sharp, breathless urgency.
Cora had heard everything.
I flew up the stairs, driven by instinct, fury, and the hunt.
Cora.
She radiated innocence—too bright, too clean. Her porcelain skin practically glowed in the moonlight. Wild, wavy hair spilleddown her back, framing a face untouched by cruelty. But it was her eyes—those piercing, crystalline blue eyes—that struck the deepest. They weren’t just beautiful. They saw. They saw me.
