In her room at the Kael estate, steam still clung faintly to the air. Valeria stepped out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel draped around her neck, droplets sliding down her pale skin and tracing the lines of her lean figure. Her raven-black hair clung wet to her back, strands dripping onto the wooden floor as she rubbed at it with the towel.
On the bed lay a loose house robe she had set out earlier. She slipped it on slowly, the fabric falling baggy over her frame, hiding the strength beneath. The hot shower had been a small mercy, a much-needed release after the brutal work of dismantling the Demon Cult. Her body was clean, but her mind was still restless.
As she pulled the top over her head, her voice broke the silence.
"He's already surpassed me."
