Chapter 20 · The Mask Cracks

"Stop pretending you’re still in control, Nova. It’s pathetic."

Kael’s voice wasn't the golden-boy whisper the public loved. It was low, grating, and far too close to my ear. Before I could snap back, he lunged, grabbing my wrists and slamming them against the cold marble of the vanity. The impact knocked the breath out of me, leaving me pinned between his chest and the mirror.

"Get off me," I spat, twisting my arms. I tried to summon a spark of my core energy, but all I got was a pathetic flicker in my veins. A reminder that I was currently a battery with no charge.

"Or what?" Kael leaned in, his weight pressing me flat. I could feel the heat of his body through the thin fabric of my dress, and the smell of sandalwood and something metallic—like ozone before a storm. "You'll incinerate me? You can't even light a candle right now."

I glared at him, my chest heaving. "I’m not your toy, Kael. This contract was for protection, not for you to play house with a prisoner."

"Protection is expensive," he murmured. He shifted, his thigh sliding between mine to lock me in place.