Page 162 of A Reign of Chromes & Shadows

“And let us not forget,” Azrien jabbed, “that you knew this would be the only way I’d allow you to keep the daughter hidden away.”

Rain let out a loud, deliberate yawn.

He turned away without another glance, heading toward the staircase that led to the twins’ rooms. His steps were unhurried, casual; a clear dismissal. The conversation was over.

Halfway up the steps, he paused and looked back over his shoulder.

“I find it funny—cute, even—that you think I need you to allow me to do anything. They remain under my protection regardless of your opinion or demands. I’m giving you the courtesy of a peaceful solution. Let me know what you decide.”

He didn’t wait for a response.

Chapter 45

As Rain approached his room, Snow stood in the doorway like a sentinel; arms folded tightly across her chest, shoulders drawn up, posture rigid with tension. Her eyes were wide, bright with unspoken questions, worry etched into every delicate line of her face. She looked as though she’d been standing there for some time, waiting, bracing.

Rain slowed instinctively.

Despite the storm still raging inside him, he softened for her.

He reached out, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a brief, grounding embrace. Snow melted into it for a heartbeat, her breath catching, before she stepped back.

“Everything is as it should be,” he murmured, voice low, steady. “He’s going to accept my offer. The girls are safe.”

He motioned toward the room, silently pleading for this conversation to be quick. His grey trousers clung to his legs like a cold second skin, heavy and uncomfortable, and he longed for the relief of warmth and dry clothes.

Snow slipped past him and curled into the armchair, tucking her feet beneath her. Settling in. Rain groaned as he unfastened his belt, disappearing into the closet to strip out of his soaked clothes.

The room was quiet except for the soft rustle of fabric.

When he re-emerged, dressed in warm joggers and a dry shirt, Snow’s eyes tracked him with unwavering focus. She didn’t blink. Didn’t lookaway. Her posture was tight, her fingers anxiously twisting the ring on her index finger; a nervous habit she’d had since she was ten.

Rain dragged a chair opposite her and sat.

The tension in her body was unmistakable; he had better get comfortable.

“You really told him you’re going to finish Drazier?” she asked, voice low, urgent, almost breathless. Her energy revealing her concern for him, for what he was agreeing to.

Rain met her gaze, expression steady.

“Yes, I know you’re worried for me, but your concern is misplaced. I am to be the only King of our realm,” he said. “Certain people will need to be taken care of. Drazier just happens to be our first hurdle”

The words were calm and measured but the truth beneath them was sharp enough to cut.

Snow inhaled sharply, her throat bobbing as she swallowed. Rain could feel her anxiety prickling at the edges of his empathic sense; a tight, fluttering pressure, like wings beating frantically against a cage.

The truth was simple: no king relinquished power willingly.

No throne changed hands without bloodshed.

Rain had accepted it and now Snow must.

“Drazier’s cruelty toward his daughters tells me everything I need to know about his values,” Rain continued. “He deserves retribution. I want justice for them. I’m furious on their behalf. And now I have the chance to act.”

He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, lowering himself to her level; a gesture of intimacy, of honesty, of grounding.

“But you know I’m not reckless, Snow. I’ve weighed every risk. Every outcome. This isn’t a decision I’m making lightly.”

Snow’s fingers tightened around her ring, twisting it so hard Rain worried she might snap it. Her breath trembled. Her eyes glistened with fear she refused to let fall.