Kael's golden eyes widened fractionally—the first crack in his icy mask. He stepped onto the platform, towering over her. Up close, he smelled of smoke, steel, and something dangerously intoxicating. His fingers brushed her chained wrist as he paid, and the contact sent a jolt of raw power and unwanted heat straight to her core.
"You're no ordinary slave," he murmured, voice low and rough, meant only for her. "What are you hiding behind those pretty eyes?"
Elara lifted her chin, meeting his gaze with defiance she hadn't felt in this weak body yet. "Whatever it is, Your Highness, it's not for sale."
A ghost of a smirk tugged at his lips. "Everything has a price. Especially you." He snapped the chains with a flick of shadow magic, but instead of freeing her completely, he fastened a sleek black cuff around her wrist—a slave mark that pulsed with his personal mana. Possessive. Irremovable without his will.
As he pulled her through the crowd toward his waiting carriage, the System chimed again.
[Tutorial Quest: Enter Shadowflame Academy. First Trial begins in 48 hours.]
[Bonus: Use the Bond to unlock your first skill. Current Skills: None.]
The carriage ride to the imperial capital was tense silence broken only by the rumble of wheels. Kael lounged across from her like a king on his throne, long legs stretched out, studying her with unnerving intensity. Every time his gaze dropped to her lips or the curve of her neck, the golden bond thread tightened, sending unwelcome sparks of desire through her blood.
"You tremble," he noted, voice velvet over steel. "Fear? Or something else?"
"Disgust," Elara shot back, even as heat pooled low in her belly. In her past life, she had hated men like him—arrogant princes who took what they wanted. Yet this body reacted to him like dry tinder to flame. The System was clearly rigged.
Kael leaned forward suddenly, caging her against the seat with one arm. His breath ghosted her ear. "Liar. I can feel it—the pull. You're mine now, little slave. Body, power, soul. Fight it if you want. It only makes the claiming sweeter."
Elara's hand shot up, pressing against his chest. Beneath the fabric, she felt the steady thunder of his heart—and the faint echo of her own power stirring in response. A tiny flame flickered to life in her palm for the first time. Weak. But real.
She shoved him back. "Touch me without permission again, and I'll burn that pretty face off."