Kolton's fingers wrapped around Kimi's wrist, his grip firm as he attempted to pry the ornate box from her trembling palm. The heat radiating from her skin should have been his first warning, but desperation clouded his judgment. A bitter laugh escaped her lips, sharp and cutting through the tension between them.
Without hesitation, she hurled the box to the marble floor with enough force to make it skitter across the polished surface. Her eyes blazed with an inner fire that had nothing to do with magic and everything to do with fury.
"If you refuse to walk away right now, I will incinerate you along with whatever pathetic offering you brought me."
Her threat hung in the air like smoke, but Kolton's attention had already shifted to her outstretched palm. His fingers found hers before she could pull away, his touch gentle as he examined the skin that moments before had been wreathed in flames.
"Did you hurt yourself?"
