The crown system: four kings bound to me
Slowly, impossibly, Azriel stepped closer.
The black smoke reacted instantly, surging toward him like a predator sensing prey. Gasps erupted across the courtyard, but Azriel did not stop. He continued forward until only a few feet separated us. Every instinct inside me screamed danger, yet another part of me—something deeper than instinct—felt no fear toward him. That contradiction terrified me. His eyes searched my face with unsettling focus, lingering as if comparing what he saw to something buried in memory. Then he spoke, quietly enough that only the three kings and I could hear. “Interesting.” Kael frowned. “What is?” Azriel’s gaze never left mine. “She’s fighting it.” My breath hitched