[Dawnspire Wing—Lavinia's Chamber—Midnight—LAVINIA'S POV]
"Repeat. That. Again."
I rubbed my eyes furiously, as if scrubbing hard enough would somehow erase Rey's smug grin from existence. Alas, no such luck. He leaned against my doorframe like a predator who'd cornered his prey, a smirk carved sharp across his lips.
"You heard me, princess." His voice was a deliberate drawl, too calm, too certain. "Caelum… is the hidden emperor."
. . .
. . .
My mouth opened. Shut. Opened again. The words stuck to my tongue like ash. "…I sincerely hope you brought proof. Because if you came here in the middle of the night just to throw rumors at me—" my tone dropped cold, sharp, "—I swear, Rey, I will kill you for real."
His smirk deepened, infuriatingly confident. "Relax, princess. I did."
I stared at him, searching for the lie, and found none. "…Get in," I muttered, stepping aside.
