Chapter 22 · Power Play in the Dampener

"Stop pretending you don't like it, Nova. The way you tremble when I touch you isn't fear. Not anymore."

Kael’s voice was a low vibration against my ear, his chest pressing me hard into the cold, reinforced wall of the dampener cell. The metal was freezing, but he was searing, his body a wall of heat that left me nowhere to run. He had me pinned by the wrists, his grip tight enough to leave marks, but not enough to break skin. Just enough to remind me who held the keys.

I glared up at him, my breath hitching. "I'm trembling because I'm trying to figure out which part of your smug face I want to break first."

He chuckled, a dark, dry sound that didn't match the 'Golden Boy' image the rest of the world worshipped. He leaned in closer, his nose brushing against mine. I could smell sandalwood and something sharp—like ozone before a storm.

"Still the little monster," he whispered. "Even without your core, you're all teeth and claws."

"And you're still a fucking hypocrite," I spat. "Playing the saint while you keep me locked in a basement. What's the matter, Kael?