hen she stepped out of he

nam

an unfamiliar crest: a serp

ctly centered, silent and threatening, like a trap

oke th

an iti

it

tor's private

dat

on

plana

arni

pocket. Kai hadn't said a word about this. And that meant one of

0, she arrived

, draped in sheer white linen and s

was alre

r cut

chi

sses of

ged finger against the table like he was ke

't gree

o the chair ac

sa

ou think love is more dangerous when it's real... or whe

sion was u

." She he

ve hurts

mm

ped hi

ong

frow

," he said,

tab

on ill

lusions is-" he smiled,

id not

ned fo

own Kai?" "A few days

g his

her postu

sked

nodded

esn't bo

s that he never a

he ch

smiled

Kai don'

evo

nto somethi

aus

didn't tell you, d

back, satisfied. "That's th

th for after you'

ed like glass

small object a

hon

l

er-s

t on,"

di

blinked on

deo

wo year

essed

iny, low-quality-li

Slumped forward. Blood stain

an entere

ll

-hai

lm

a

something into th

alked

ed at th

lip e

hone down, ve

ilted hi

feel

, down the gravel path toward the western gardens where guests were gathering fo

omething flickered

va

," she

pped f

d he sho

tell

pressed in

what it lo

at," she

eone says when it's exac

y were begin

one of the side paths, down into the

llowed

he said.

in the video

as

your way?"

ready for th

your call.

estion." She stared at

ll him?" sh

enc

dn't f

" he

acked

here?" s

n't an

ai?" Still

oice

too?" Finally, h

e said

ing something mor

eath c

ut he was already turning away, voice low as he

ready,

's just