Page 123 of The Serpent Prince

The creature had no face that she could see, but it turned and disappeared through the wall. She took that as a good sign.

A moment later, the door opened.

Imani stepped forward. Tentatively, she reached for the golden handle and swung it open the rest of the way.

CHAPTER 45

With a hand on her hip, wand in the other, she strode into what appeared to be the king’s study, and promptly stopped. On the corner of his desk, Magnus’s head sat. Juices dripped from it. His sallow skin resembled a melted candle. Imani’s lips pinched together, and she quickly exited the room.

Dread gripped her heart. What kind of mood would she find Kiran in? She wasn’t afraid of him anymore, but she didn’t have the patience for his games.

Imani reached the bedroom and found the door slightly cracked. Carefully, she pushed it open.

Her stomach clenched so hard she nearly vomited.

A lantern burned bright on the bedside table, and when he raised his head, her breath stalled. She hated how handsome he was. So handsome it was hard to tear her gaze away. But Imani forced herself to look upon the woman in the bed, a female elf with dark hair and green eyes. A dwarf, to be sure.

Pain sliced through her chest. Why did she care? Imani meant what she’d said earlier—she didn’t give two fucks about where and who he was with anymore. They were done.

Yet, an acid-like sensation instantly melted her insides.

It was humiliating. That was it. That was the only reason why Imani felt like she was at the point of combusting right now. She could never trust him—never be with him. Ara had taught her that freedom and dignity came before anything else, and if anyone tried to tarnish either of those things, Imani should lash out.

Indeed, Kiran had shown her who he was again and again.

A sinking feeling took over her body as she realized that Zadie had probably been right about his plans for her. Besides Imani’s magic, and unless he wanted to breed her, Imani was meaningless to him. And she’d rather die than let him do the latter to her.

He had merely tossed her aside like nothing they’d shared mattered. Was everything over the past few months a simple dalliance for him? A way for him to exert control over her in another way?

Imani couldn’t find the words to speak, so she just stared, unrelenting, at his beautiful face.

His expression didn’t shift, but Imani felt the iciness in it. The cold, imperious royal had replaced the warm lover from a few nights before.

She pierced him with a similar look of her own, holding his intense stare, and didn’t back down. Instead, she steeled herself, thankful for his treachery—it was the last time she’d fall for Kiran’s lies.

“What day is this?” the king asked, dragging his hands through his messy hair, not even trying to hide the female in his bed.

Of all the things Imani had expected him to say, that wasn’t one of them.

Ignoring him, Imani turned toward the hearth, wishing she could dive right into the flames and let them consume her as readily as Kiran’s dragon fire.

Behind her, she could hear murmurs of whispers between the lovers. Shortly thereafter, a door shut.

Imani turned and glared at him.

Alone and shirtless, Kiran stood and stretched languidly, like he wasn’t slowly killing her on the inside. “I told my guards I wasn’t to be disturbed.”

“You should know by now that things like guards and locks can’t stop me,” she replied, not remembering any guards. It occurred to her that they hadn’t been there. The nymph witch had played her and sent them away. Zadie had wanted her to find Kiran like this—to prove a point.

A smile tugged at his mouth. “Zadie didn’t try to stop you from coming down here?”

“She tried, but we have unfinished business to discuss.” Imani kept her face impassive, despite her thrashing heart. “I thought … I thought we had an understanding.”

He laughed like she was a fool. “You thought wrong. That’s over now that I’m king.”

“So are we just done then?” Despite her resolve earlier, Imani felt like she was cracking from the inside out. How could he be so unfeeling?

“Yes, we’re done being anything to each other when people are watching. But fear not, I’ll still see you in private once I’m mated.”