CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

Before I hear Alden speak, his presence radiates with a powerful intensity and the air around us shifts. Karken’ attempts to keep me in a state of high alert evaporate as soon as Alden walks in. “What are you doing, Karken?” he growls, fury searing into the very fabric of his being.

“Brother,” Karken says, a smug grin crawling up his face as if their encounter was an elaborate plan to have them reunited. “We were just talking about you.”

“Leave us be,” Alden demands coldly. “Cathy and I are in the midst of something.”

“Of course,” Karken responds quietly, an eerie stillness settling over him as he raises one hand in submission even though no battle has been fought. “It is your castle. C'mon Khimaira, let's leave them to ignite their passion.”

“Goodbye Cathy,” Khimaira says as she stands to leave her icy words cutting through the air like a blade. With a swift, almost deliberate movement of her wrists, her fingers trace the necklace around my neck and the back of her hand harshly brush