Chapter SEVENTY-FOUR

Dane I crouched to Kiara’s level, watching her shudder as my presence towered over her. The cell was dimly lit, the torchlight casting shadows that danced against her pale, trembling face. Her breath hitched, and for the first time since she had been thrown in here, she truly looked at me. Not just with defiance, not just with hatred—but with fear. Good. Then she screamed. “I will let everyone know!” Her voice cracked, raw from her previous outbursts. “They’ll know the truth! That you—” she gasped, chest heaving, “—killed Luisa’s parents! That you kept her locked away in your castle, refusing to let her leave despite being told by the council!” Her words echoed through the cold, damp space. And then I laughed. A deep, unhinged sound that filled every inch of the dungeon. It rumbled through the stone walls, making the torches flicker as if even the flames feared me. Kiara flinched. “You think,” I chuckled darkly, shaking my head, “that I care?” I leaned in closer, lowering my voice to a