"Then it's a good thing," Kaelen said, his voice dropping to a gravelly silk, "that I'm not looking for a game." He leaned down, his breath warm against her skin. "I'm looking for a partner in crime."
Elara’s heart hammered against her ribs, a mix of terror and a treacherous spark of adrenaline. She looked up at him, her defiance flickering. "I don't play games with monsters." Dirty Fantasy
"You want the stone?" he whispered, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw with agonizing slowness. "Everything has a price in this city. And I think I've just found something much more valuable to trade for than gold." "Then it's a good thing," Kaelen said, his
Kaelen didn't flinch. Instead, he let out a low, dark chuckle that vibrated through the air. "You're late, little bird. I've been waiting for a reason to get my hands dirty." "I don't play games with monsters
"The gem, Kaelen," she hissed, the cold steel biting into his skin.
In a blur of motion, he caught her wrist, twisted, and pinned her against the heavy oak table. The breath left her lungs as he leaned in close, his eyes alight with a predatory intensity.
The shadows of the Gilded Anchor seemed to close in around them as the bargain was struck. In the dark corners of the city, the line between hunter and prey often blurred, and for Elara, the night was only beginning. Would the next step involve infiltrating the high spires of the city, or would the path lead deeper into the sunless depths of the underground?