Chapter 100: Eyes of Fire
Chapter 100: Eyes of Fire
The blue I wanted, the one that haunted me, was electric. Fierce. Piercing.Zaliver’s eyes.
And I was so damn close to seeing them again.
That man’s actions made no sense. One second I felt like I meant something, and the next, I was nothing more than a pawn in some cruel, celestial game.
Does he want me or not?
Why go through the trouble of sending me back home only to drag me back again like I’m some possession he can’t decide to keep or discard? Why the guards? Why the sudden attention and control? The questions were a swarm in my head: stinging, biting, never settling.
I clenched my fists in my lap, my nails digging into my palms. How dare he toy with me like this? How dare he twist me up inside with confusion and leave me to unravel on my own?
I turned away from the clouds and the blur of the sea below, focusing instead on my reflection in the window. The woman staring back at me looked familiar, yet entirely foreign. Her eyes were narrowed, silver flames flickering where warmth used to live. The ghost of a smirk tugged at one corner of her lips, wild and promising something dark. There was fury in her eyes, yes, but also control. Purpose. Something unshakable had awakened.
And I liked it.
Revenge tasted bitter in my throat, but I welcomed it. Being tossed around like a ragdoll, manipulated and disrespected, had flipped a switch inside me.
Was that what I was to him? A toy? Something to chew on until he got bored and sent it away, only to call it back when he pleased?
The thought made my stomach turn.
It was disgusting to even consider that I might be some divine offering, gifted from the gods just to keep Zaliver tame. I was no gift. No offering. No peace token. My heart throbbed painfully at the idea that he might see me as anything less than his equal.
I hadn’t even noticed my claws had extended until they were already embedded deep in the armrest, tearing into the plush fabric like it had wronged me personally. I didn’t care. The pain helped. It gave the storm inside me a direction, something to anchor onto.