Zareth moved through the blood-stained mansion with a predator's grace, his dark robe trailing like shadows spilling over polished stone. The air was sharp with iron, thick with the coppery tang of death. His crimson eyes, glowing faintly in the dim light, flicked over each mutilated corpse with unhurried calculation. Every step he took echoed against the hollow silence of the once-lively halls, each sound an assertion of authority, each breath brimming with dangerous stillness.
He entered the kitchen, where remnants of an untouched feast lay spread across the long table. Roasted meats glistened beneath candlelight, wine spilled like blood across the floor. The councilmen followed behind, hesitant, their gazes darting nervously as though the very walls would accuse them.
"Get the food tested," Zareth muttered, voice laced with authority sharp as a blade. He didn't raise his tone—he never needed to. His voice carried like the toll of a bell, each word striking a chord of obedience. "And have the bodies delivered to the council chambers. I will be there soon."
The councilmen bowed hurriedly, rushing to obey. Zareth's gaze lingered on the grotesque tableau, but his lips curved into a crooked smile that made the bravest of men avert their eyes. Whoever orchestrated this massacre had left no trace except one—an unspoken challenge meant for him.
"They want me to see," he murmured, his tone laced with amusement rather than alarm. "How… bold."
He walked out of the mansion brushing his hand through his hair .
His form dissolved into a ripple of shadow, vanishing from sight as if swallowed by the darkness itself.
Elsewhere in the mansion, Elarythn moved with purpose, her gown brushing the marble floors as she summoned a servant. Her voice was honey-sweet but her words held poison. She leaned close to the young maid, instructing her to fetch Prince Kael. Kael, seated stiffly at the dining table, glanced around to make certain the Emperor was nowhere in sight before rising.
He followed discreetly, meeting Elarythn in the hallway.
"Make sure to get me her birth necklace," Elarythn whispered, her eyes gleaming with malicious satisfaction. With a final glance toward the room she had prepared, she swept away, leaving Kael standing before Serenya's door.
Inside the room, Serenya sat quietly upon the edge of the bed—the only piece of furniture the chamber held. Her fingers knotted nervously in her lap, her gown pooling around her like waves of silk. She turned at the sound of the door creaking open, her breath hitching with surprise.
"Prince Kael?" Her voice was soft, startled She looked behind him with no trace of Elarythn.
Before she could rise fully, Kael crossed the room in a rush and wrapped her in his arms. She stiffened against him, her heart slamming against her ribcage like a caged bird.
"What are you doing here?" she whispered, panic threading through her tone as she pulled slightly back.
Kael's arms tightened. "I've been wanting to see you alone. The Emperor wouldn't leave your side to let me near you." His words spilled fast, desperate, as if rehearsed. "I've made plans—plans for us to escape together tonight—"
"Stop." Serenya's voice trembled as she pressed her palms against his chest. Her eyes flicked toward the door, wide with dread. "You shouldn't be here, Prince Kael. Where's my sister?"
He held her hand firmly, refusing to release her. "Are you frightened? There's no need. Your father has already made preparations. We can leave Nytheris to Thamur ." His voice cracked with emotion, but Serenya's gaze was locked on the doorway, fear blooming like ice in her chest.
It's not what he was saying wasn't attempting but she was now bound to Zareth with his name engraved on her skin . She had decided to accept this fate.
"Please," she whispered, shaking her head. "Tell my parents I'm fine. You should leave. If he comes—"
Her words died when Kael chuckled bitterly. "Are you really going to throw away everything I've risked? I should be in Thamur right now, but I stayed—for you. And still, you won't even look at me."
Serenya's heart tugged painfully—not from affection, but from the weight of his misplaced desperation. "Kael, I'm sorry, but you don't understand, I don't think I have—"
Before she could finish, he slipped a delicate chain around her neck, his fingers fumbling with another clasp. Her eyes widened as she realized too late—her birth necklace had been taken.
"Kael—!"
"Shh," he whispered. "The Emperor isn't here. Just… stay with me for a moment, Please." His voice was pleading, almost boyish in its desperation.
Serenya stepped back, lips parting to protest, but the door slammed open.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Zareth stood in the doorway, his crimson eyes blazing, his presence filling the room like a storm. The air itself seemed to bow beneath his authority. Serenya froze, her pulse leaping violently as if the walls themselves had caged her in.
"It's not what you're thinking—" she rushed out, panic spilling through her words.
But Zareth's lips curved into that dangerous smile—the kind that promised devastation.
"One pest after another," he drawled, stepping forward. His voice was velvet laced with steel, laced with a sarcasm so biting it made Kael pale. "And this one doesn't seem to understand simple words."
In a blink, his hand closed around Kael's throat, lifting him effortlessly off the ground. Kael's boots kicked helplessly, scraping against the stone as he clawed at Zareth's grip.
"When I told you to stay away from her," Zareth said smoothly, his tone calm but lethal, "did I stutter?"
Kael's face reddened as he gasped for air, but his strength was nothing before the Emperor's overwhelming power.
"Please!" Serenya cried, rushing forward. She grasped Zareth's wrist, her small hands trembling against the iron of his grip. "Nothing happened between us, Zareth!"
Zareth's gaze slid to her, cold fire blazing in those crimson depths. "Nothing?" His head tilted, his tone mocking. "Then why do you smell like him?"
Her breath caught. His words made her cheeks flush with shame and helplessness, though no sin had been committed.
"Please stop! You'll kill him!" she begged, voice breaking.
Zareth's expression did not soften. His grip only tightened until Kael's body sagged, his face paling.
"Wait for me outside." His command was low, but it thrummed with such authority that the very air seemed to vibrate.
Serenya shook her head, panic spiraling. "No—please, don't—"
"Now."
The single word, uttered with lethal finality, sent a shiver racing down her spine. She had no choice. Heart pounding, she stumbled out, clutching her skirts as though they could steady her racing pulse.
Inside, Zareth hurled Kael across the room. He crashed against the wall, the force sending cracks splintering through the plaster. Kael gasped, struggling to breathe.
"When I speak," Zareth said, striding toward him, "you will listen. Do not make me repeat myself."
Kael coughed, managing a broken whisper. "Serenya… was once my betrothed—"
His words ended in a strangled cry as Zareth's fist drove into his gut, slamming him against the wall again.
"It is Princess Serenya," Zareth corrected coldly. He crouched before him, every movement deliberate, almost mocking. With an elegant flick, he smoothed the prince's disheveled collar as if tidying a child. "And let this be the last time I see you within reach of her. Next time, you won't live to regret it."
When Zareth stepped out, Serenya was waiting just beyond the door, her knuckles white where they clutched her gown. Her wide eyes met his immediately, full of fear and urgency.
"I wasn't the one who asked him here," she blurted, words spilling in a rush. "Nothing inappropriate happened between us."
Zareth's gaze burned into hers. He said nothing at first, only caught her hand and brought it lazily to his lips. His kiss was deceptively gentle, but his next words cut like a blade.
"You smell like him."
Before she could speak, he pulled her firmly down the hall, his stride unrelenting. Serenya stumbled to keep up, panic bubbling inside her chest. He pushed open the door to another chamber, dragging her inside and shutting it behind them with a resounding slam.
"What are you doing?" Her voice was breathless, tinged with alarm.
"Helping you get rid of him." His tone was laced with dry sarcasm, as though her innocence were amusing.
Her cheeks flushed hot when his hands moved behind her, tugging at the laces of her gown.
"Zareth—!" Her panic rose like a tide, hands clutching at her bodice. "I already told you, nothing happened between us. Why don't you believe me?"
He leaned down, his lips brushing her neck with deliberate slowness, sending a shiver coursing down her spine. His breath was warm against her skin, his voice low and edged with menace.
"I believe you, little dove. If I didn't, you wouldn't be standing here. But belief does not erase the truth—you were alone with him. His scent lingers on you. That," his lips grazed the sensitive curve of her shoulder, "is unacceptable."
Serenya's heart thrashed wildly. She bit her lip, trembling, caught between protest and silence as his fingers slipped to her corset, pulling at the knots.
Her innocence collided with his merciless dominance, the air between them thick with danger, possession, and something she couldn't name—something that terrified her more than Kael ever could.