Page 95 of A Requiem of Fire and Ice

Elemny roam freely in this kingdom compared to the Kingdom of Flesh. Silver, red, green and blue eyes settle on every shop, stopping now and again as tourists do. It reminds me of when Xavier, Kylie, Sara and I went to the shopping mall, eyeing cute handbags, colourful clothes and shimmering jewellery.

Something catches my attention two stores to the right and down. Again, I lure Prince Reen to another shop and eye the necklace displayed out front of the store. Without realising, I release my hold on Prince Reen’s hand and enter the jewellery shop.

The clerk immediately notices me, and his greedy silver eyes illuminate as he bounds toward me. “Good morning! Is there anything of interest to you…” His voice trails off when Prince Reen enters a moment later. His unsettling gaze is on me as he stands by my side.

“Can I get that necklace, please?” I say.

“Uh…” His gaze fixates on Prince Reen until I make him turn his attention towards me by leaning to the side and blocking his view. “Sure. Give me a moment.”

Prince Reen grabs my arm, squeezing tight as he turns me around to stare into the depths of hell. “Leave my sight again, and⁠—”

I beam a grin. “You will what? Kill me, Reen? Before you gain your satisfaction.”

“You are a menace,” he says through clenched teeth.

“I know.” My hands move across his shoulders, and with a tilt of my head and a flutter of my lashes, I say, “What are you going to do about it?”

“Here’s the necklace!”

Prince Reen’s eyes roll toward the shop clerk, and a sense of hunger salivates through them.

“Kill him, and I'll fucking scream,” I declare, and it causes him to snap his focus back on me. “I will reveal who I am, and you don’t want that, do you?”

He glares at me, and I know he’s imagining all the ways he can hurt me, but it’s better that he thinks of me than an innocent. When his shoulders ease, becoming less rigid, I remove my arms from around his shoulders and thank the clerk while Prince Reen hands him the money.

“Turn around,” Prince Reen declares.

He places the necklace on my chest, only for the pendant to rise to my throat as Prince Reen fastens the clasp behind my back. Heat, fiery and filled with bloodlust, consumes him when he leans down, his lips daringly close to my ear. “You think you’re so smart, Pandora. But I know as well as you that your games don’t last as long as mine.” He kisses my neck, and a shudder of heat and delight prickles against my skin. My breath hitches, and my heart splutters in my chest. Prince Reen chuckles as he says, “See how easy it was for me to make you fall apart at the seams? Test me again, and my next move will have you dropping to your knees, fucking desperate for more.”

I face Prince Reen, and my hand touches where his mouth was a moment ago. “I knew you wanted to fuck me.”

He curls his lip. “Your vulgarity knows no bounds.”

“You love it.”

He smirks. “Sure. Now let’s go before I knock you the fuck out and carry you to the Toshiharu estate.”

The shop clerk looks at us as if we’re freaks.

I giggle and say, “Isn’t he just the romantic?”

He takes my hand and lures me out of the jewellery shop. Alad asks us how it was, but Reen ignores him, and we make our way toward the Toshiharu estate with no more tourist shopping.

At first, I assume he’s pissed off, but when I eye Prince Reen, he presses his lips thinly to prevent himself from laughing.

My chin arches, a smile spreads across my face, and I lace my hands into the gaps in his. We walk down the crowded streets with onlookers dropping their jaws at the sight of the hot-headed prince holding hands with another.

Chapter 41

Hungry [Rob Bailey & The Hustle Standard]

Reen Kyong, July 20th

Senri Toshiharu waits outside the gates of his estate. Guards on either side open them on command, and we enter the courtyard. Tall pine needle trees line the pathway to his home, and vibrant, artificial green grass stretches across the garden with blooming flowers.

Those silver eyes of Senri snap to the flat-chested parasite holding my hand before his gaze shifts back to me. “Thank you for coming. How have your travels been so far?”

“Where’s Kate?” I ask, hearing Pandora’s hitched, excited breath from beside me. She must be as curious as I am about where to find her for questioning.