Chapter 203

Sinai had always known about Zaiper’s depravities. Hell, she’d indulged in countless affairs with him for a century. But either he’d grown sicker, or he was punishing her for her slip-up three days prior.

“Are you alright, Mistress Sinai?”

Sinai straightened, masking her pain. “Mistress Gaille? What brings you to this part of the fortress?”

“Oh, you know how it is with us ladies,” Gaille simpered, approaching with a saccharine smile. “We like our fresh air wherever we can find it.”

“Is that so?” Sinai’s tone was clipped.

“Indeed.” Gaille’s eyes raked over Sinai, her lips thinning. “Although, someone has been visiting my master’s quarters more frequently than expected. How many days now?”

Sinai lifted her chin defiantly. “Your master and I have some business to attend to.”

“Business, you say? Business it is then.” Gaille’s voice dripped with venom. “Do not encroach upon my master, Mistress Sinai. He is mine.”

Sinai scoffed. “Yours and a few hundred others. Don’t be delusional, Gaille. Your master belongs to no one and everyone.” Gaille’s face reddened, but she took a deep, measured breath.

Sinai watched, amused, as Gaille struggled to control her rage. Finally, Gaille spoke through gritted teeth. “How would you like it if I frequented your master’s quarters?”

Sinai’s laughter rang out, sharp and mocking. “We both know you’ve tried before. Numerous times, even. He rejected you like a sack of rotten potatoes.”

Gaille’s handmaidens gasped, their faces a vision of shock and outrage. Their mistress turned a furious crimson, her veins pulsing visibly. Sinai half-expected her to shift then and there.

“My master is desired by all, but unattainable to any,” Sinai smiled. “Unlike yours, who mounts anything with a hole, male or female, anything with—or without—a pulse.”

Gaille’s smile was a cruel slash across her face. “At least my master desires me,” she retorted, crossing her arms. “He may take many, but he still wants me. I get naked, climb into his bed at night, and he welcomes me. Unlike you.”

Sinai’s amusement died.

“You are his only mistress, yet unwanted,” Gaille pressed, smug. “Two millennia together, and he never chose you. He belonged to Queen Evielyn from the start. Even after her death, he doesn't look at you. And now? Now, he belongs solely to Emeriel.”

Emeriel. The name hit Sinai like a punch to the gut. Her blood boiled. “What did you just say?”

Gaille stepped closer, her eyes glittering. “You heard me. He would rather belong to a human than his Urekai mistress. One year with her was all it took to win his heart, while you've had two thousand years and couldn't even make him glance your way.” Gaille’s laughter was harsh and triumphant. “You, Mistress Sinai, are the joke of all jokes.”

A scream tore from Sinai’s throat as she shifted into her beast form, her muscles rippling and bones cracking. Gaille mirrored her transformation. With a roar, they lunged at each other, claws and fangs bared. Blood sprayed across the stone floor as claws raked through skin and fur, each trying to tear the other apart. The handmaidens scattered, their screams distant.

In the back of her mind, Sinai knew the soldiers would soon arrive, and punishment would follow. But in that moment, she couldn't care less.

Princess Emeriel

“It’s beautiful at night, isn’t it?”

Emeriel turned, startled by Prince Daviel’s voice. Moonlight bathed the cliffside, glowing over the river below. “Your father will have my head if he sees you in this part of the palace, my prince,” she said reluctantly.

The prince smiled, stepping closer. “My father threatens it, but will never carry it out. For some reason, you and your pretty sister are off-limits.”

Emeriel returned her gaze to the stars. A hand curled around her waist, and she flinched.

“The Urekai have my father’s breeches in a twist all day,” Daviel continued, oblivious to her discomfort. “I heard they are spending the night in town. Everyone vacated Home Merabis for them.”

Home Merabis, the most popular and luxurious guesthouse in town, had always been bustling. But if the Urekai were there, it’s no wonder no other human was. “I do not wish to talk about that.”

The prince turned to study her. “Well, I am a concerned suitor. I do not wish for you to go with them.” His grip tightened possessively. “I want you to stay here, with me.”

He drew her closer, both arms around her waist. “I have been courting you for over six months, Emy. Give me a chance.”

Emeriel’s whole focus was on his arms, fighting the urge to pull away. She had entertained suitors before, allowing them to court her in an attempt to fill the emptiness inside. Prince Daviel was the grandest of them all.

He genuinely seemed to care for her. For a man who had antagonized her on the battlefield when he thought she was a man, he had long since changed his attitude after her return.

Prince Daviel was exquisitely handsome, a sensation among noble ladies. He did everything right, and all the maidens were jealous of Emeriel. Yet, she felt nothing for him.

His touch, like that of the others, made her uncomfortable. To put it mildly, it made her skin crawl.

“Give me a chance to show you my love, Emeriel,” he pleaded. “I will never take yours for granted. I will cherish you forever.”

He leaned in, his lips seeking hers.