The Shadows Between Us By Tricia Levenseller -

"He touches nothing he doesn't intend to destroy," the guard replied.

"Perhaps your darkness just hasn't met the right kind of light," she countered, her hand hovering inches from the barrier of ink-black smoke. "Or perhaps you're just lonely up there on your pedestal of gloom."

The shadows in the Slytherin-esque court of the Shadow King didn't just flicker; they breathed. Alessandra Stathos stood at the edge of the ballroom, her gown a midnight silk that felt like armor. She didn't want the King’s heart because she loved him—she wanted it because he was the only thing standing between her and a crown of her own. The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

That night, she didn't wait for an invitation. As the music swelled into a haunting cello melody, she stepped into his path. The shadows around him hissed, rising like cobras.

Kallias didn't pull away. Instead, the shadows wrapped around her wrist—not crushing, but tethering. "A dangerous ambition." "He touches nothing he doesn't intend to destroy,"

"Step back, Lady Stathos," Kallias said, his voice a low, melodic warning. "The darkness isn't fond of company."

"You're staring again," a voice like shifting gravel whispered near her ear. Alessandra Stathos stood at the edge of the

"I don't do 'safe,'" she smiled, her eyes bright with the thrill of the hunt. "It's far too boring." To help me tailor the next part of this story, tell me: