The grand halls of Obsidian Keep were nothing like the stone corridors of Rivenwood. Every inch of the fortress seemed carved from shadow.
Dark walls stretched high above, lined with flickering torches that cast long, wavering silhouettes. The very air was different and it made Selene's every movement feel scrutinized.
She had been here for weeks now, playing her role with careful precision. She had learned early that hesitation could cost her everything.
King Khael was not an easy one to deceive.
The first time she had stood before him, his golden eyes had seemed to pierce through her, peeling away the layers of her disguise. She had expected him to see the truth then and there, for the charade to shatter under the weight of his scrutiny. But he hadn't. Instead, he had smirked, called her a bold little prince, and kept her close.
Why, she still didn't know.
Selene walked through the corridors now, trailing behind one of Khael's ever-watchful guards. She was being summoned again, though for what purpose, she could only guess. The summons had become more frequent, their meetings lasting longer than necessary. At first, she had thought it was because he suspected her deception. But that didn't seem to be it.
He was… intrigued by her.
She had seen it in the way his eyes lingered, in the way his fingers tapped absently against his throne when she spoke. He was amused by her defiance, by her unwillingness to bow as easily as the others did. And something else—something far more dangerous—was lurking beneath that amusement.
The doors to his chamber swung open.
Selene stepped inside, her shoulders squared, and her expression carefully neutral. Khael stood near the large window, dressed in black and gold, the rich fabric draped over his broad shoulders. He was every bit as imposing as the first time she had seen him, power coiled within him like a beast waiting to strike.
"You summoned me," Selene said, keeping her voice steady.
Khael turned, studying her as if she were an interesting puzzle he had yet to solve. The silence stretched between them before he finally spoke.
"I am beginning to wonder," he mused, "if you enjoy testing my patience."
Selene held his gaze, refusing to flinch. "Have I done something to offend you, Your Majesty?"
The corner of his lips twitched, a ghost of a smirk that did little to ease the tension in the room. He took a step toward her, then another, closing the distance between them with slow, deliberate strides.
"You never kneel," he said. "Never avert your eyes. You speak as though you have no fear."
Selene forced a casual shrug. "Would you prefer I cower?"
Khael's chuckle was low and deep. Although there was something else in his gaze—something thoughtful, almost contemplative. He reached out, his fingers brushing against the collar of her tunic, adjusting it in a way that made her entire body go rigid.
"You are an unusual creature, little prince," he murmured.
Selene swallowed, willing herself to remain still. His touch was light, barely there, but it sent a strange shiver through her. She had expected cruelty from him, expected a monster in every sense of the word. What she had not expected was this slow, burning intensity.
He stepped back, his gaze flicking over her once more before he turned away. "Leave me," he said, dismissing her as suddenly as he had called her.
Selene exhaled, her fingers curling into fists at her sides before she forced them to relax. She turned and walked out, only allowing herself to breathe properly once she was beyond the doors.
This was getting dangerous.
She had thought she could manipulate him, that she could use his curiosity to her advantage. But the longer she stayed, the more tangled she became in this game neither of them seemed to fully understand.
And worst of all—she wasn't sure who was truly winning.
*****
The days passed, and the summons continued.
Khael's attention did not wane. If anything, it only sharpened.
Selene felt it in every lingering glance, in the way his fingers sometimes grazed hers when he handed her something, in the way his gaze drifted lower when he thought she wouldn't notice. It unsettled her, not just because of what it meant, but because she felt it.
A warmth beneath her skin. A strange, unspoken tension between them.
She had to escape soon.
She had to get Lyra and leave this place before the game she was playing spiraled out of her control.
A new fear took root within her.
Khael was a king. A ruler who took what he wanted without question, without permission. And yet, he had done nothing more than look. He had not touched her in any way beyond what was necessary, had not ordered anything of her beyond her presence.
Why?
And worse—what would happen when he finally did decide to act on whatever this was between them?
Selene was standing near the training grounds when she felt his presence behind her.
Khael moved like a predator, his voice came out in a deep rumble when he spoke. "You spend a great deal of time watching my men train."
Selene turned slightly. "Perhaps I am learning."
"Are you?" He stepped closer.
The heat of his body was palpable, and Selene clenched her jaw, refusing to step back even as every instinct screamed at her to.
Khael studied her, his gaze trailing over her with slow deliberation. "It is strange," he said, almost to himself. "There is something about you that I cannot place."
Selene forced herself to breathe evenly. "Perhaps your instincts are failing you."
Khael chuckled, but there was something sharper beneath it. "Perhaps."
And then, before she could react, his hand shot out, catching her wrist.
Selene tensed, her heart pounding so hard she was sure he could hear it.
His thumb grazed over her pulse, slow, deliberate.
"Strange," he murmured. "Very strange."
Selene wrenched her hand free and took a step back, her chest rising and falling too quickly. "Are you always this curious about your prisoners?"
Khael's eyes darkened, something unreadable flickering in them.
"No," he said.
Selene turned before he could say anything else, walking away with measured strides, refusing to look back.
She had to get out of here.
Because if she didn't, it wouldn't be long before King Khael discovered the truth.
And when he did, she wasn't sure if his obsession would turn into fury—or something far more dangerous.