"Stay behind me and keep your mouth shut, Nova. One wrong word and you're back in the holding cells."
Kael’s hand clamped onto my upper arm, his grip tight enough to leave a mark. He didn't look at me—he was too busy flashing that blinding, saint-like smile at the group of acolytes blocking the hallway.
I tried to wrench my arm away, but he just tightened his hold, pulling me flush against his side. I could feel the heat radiating off him, the smell of ozone and expensive soap. It was sickening.
"You're hurting me," I hissed, my voice a low scrape.
Kael leaned in, his lips almost brushing my ear. The smile never left his face, but his voice dropped to a lethal whisper. "Good. Maybe it'll remind you who owns your leash right now."
He stepped forward, practically dragging me into the light of the main atrium. A dozen pairs of eyes snapped toward us. These were the 'pure' ones—the golden boys and girls of the Sanctuary who spent their days meditating on justice and their nights judging everyone else.
"Kael!" a girl with a shimmering silver cloak called out, her brow furrowed. "Is that... is that the woman from the news? The one who leveled the East District?"
Kael didn't let go. In fact, he shifted his hand, sliding it down to wrap around my wrist in a way that looked protective to them, but felt like a handcuff to me.
"She's a victim of the collapse," Kael announced, his voice booming with that fake, effortless authority. "Traumatized. Broken. I've taken her under my wing to ensure she receives the proper rehabilitation. She's under my personal guardianship."
I felt a surge of bile hit the back of my throat. *Victim? Broken?* I wanted to scream. I wanted to summon a bolt of energy and incinerate the smug look on every single one of their faces. But my core was a void, a hollow ache in my chest that reminded me I was nothing more than a stray dog in a gilded cage.
"Rehabilitation?" the girl asked, stepping closer, her eyes scanning my ragged clothes with blatant disgust. "She looks like she’d kill us all the second you turn your back."
Kael chuckled. It was a soft, melodic sound that made my skin crawl. He pulled me closer, his chest pressing against my shoulder.
"That's why she's with me," he said, his eyes locking onto hers. "Because I'm the only one who can keep her in check. Right, Nova?"
He squeezed my wrist, a silent warning. *Play along or suffer.*
"I... I have nowhere else to go," I managed to choke out, the words tasting like ash.
"See?" Kael beamed. "She's practically terrified. Now, if you'll excuse us, she needs her medication and some rest."
He didn't wait for a response. He steered me away from the crowd, his pace quickening as we entered the private residential wing. The second the heavy oak doors of his personal suite swung shut, the mask vanished.
Kael slammed the door shut and shoved me toward the center of the room. He didn't drop his hand until I stumbled, the sudden loss of contact leaving me off-balance.
"You're a natural," he sneered, crossing his arms. "That 'trembling victim' act was almost believable. Almost."
"Fuck you," I snapped, straightening my spine. "You're the one playing dress-up, Kael. The whole 'Golden Boy' bit? It's a joke. You love this, don't you? Having the big bad villain reduced to a pet."
Kael stepped toward me, his boots clicking on the marble floor. He didn't stop until he was inches away, towering over me. I refused to back down, even as the air between us grew thick and suffocating.
"I don't love it," he whispered, his gaze dropping to my lips for a split second before snapping back to my eyes. "I enjoy the control. There's a difference."
"You think you've won because I can't fight back right now," I said, my voice trembling despite myself. "But the second I get my core back, I'm going to rip that smile off your face."
Kael laughed, a dry, humorless sound. He reached out, his fingers grazing my jawline. His touch was light, almost tender, which made it ten times more terrifying.
"Then you'd better hope I keep feeding you," he said. "Because without me, you're just a ghost in a pretty dress. Now, go wash up. You smell like the gutter."
He turned his back to me, walking toward his desk. That was my chance.
I didn't go to the bathroom. While Kael was preoccupied with some holographic tablet, I began to drift. I knew this room. It was too clean, too curated. Everything had its place, which meant anything out of place was a secret.
I crept toward the far corner of the room, where a heavy locked cabinet stood. My heart was hammering against my ribs. I didn't have my powers, but I still had the instincts of a thief. I spotted a keycard resting on a side table—he'd been careless, or maybe he was just that arrogant.
I swiped it. The lock clicked with a soft, electronic chirp.
Inside were files, relics, and confiscated artifacts from various 'villain' raids. Most of it was junk. But at the very bottom, tucked inside a lead-lined velvet box, was something that made my breath stop.
It was a shard. A jagged, pulsing sliver of deep violet crystal.
My energy core fragment.
I stared at it, my hands shaking. This was the piece I thought Silas had incinerated during the betrayal. This was the only thing that could jumpstart my recovery, the only key to my power.
And it was here. In Kael's private collection.
"Looking for something?"
I jumped, nearly knocking the cabinet over. Kael was standing in the doorway, his silhouette framed by the dim light of the hall. He wasn't smiling anymore. His expression was blank, his eyes cold and predatory.
I gripped the shard tight in my palm, the sharp edge cutting into my skin.
"Where did you get this?" I demanded, my voice cracking. "This was supposed to be destroyed!"
Kael walked toward me, the slow, deliberate pace of a hunter who knows the prey has nowhere to run. He stopped right in front of me, reaching down to wrap his fingers around my wrist, forcing my hand open to reveal the crystal.
"I've had it for a long time, Nova," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Long before you crawled to my door."
I looked up at him, horror dawning on me. "You... you've been watching me. For how long?"
Kael leaned down, his breath warm against my cheek, a dark smirk finally curling his lips.
"Since the very first time you burned down a city block just to see the colors," he whispered. "I didn't just find you, Nova. I've been waiting for you to break."