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He stalked right towards me and I was too dumbfounded to move. I merely watched him approach, until he was right beside me. He looked me up and down, then turned to Theron hurling the serpent head to the base of the throne podium.

“It’s done,” he said.

“So I see,” Theron said admiringly. “Was it difficult?”

“No.” That was all he said. He rolled his shoulders as he clasped his hands behind his back and I gave him a sideways glance.

I was tall for a woman, standing just shy of six feet, but this man still towered head and shoulders above me. And it wasn’t just his height that was intimidating - it was his size. He was a tower of sheer muscle, a broad back and thick arms. His dark hair was plastered to his head, but I supposed it hung to his shoulders when it wasn’t encrusted with serpent blood.

He seemed to notice me inspecting him and he turned to look down at me. His glowing blue eyes narrowed as he took me in. “So, is this the Peyrusian bitch?”

My mouth fell open, and my cheeks burned with outrage. “What the fuck did you just call me?”

He leaned down closer to me. “I asked, are you the Peyrusian bitch?” He raised his voice, and spoke slowly, deliberately.

Theron chuckled. “I’d be careful what you say to this one, she’s a venomous little asp.”

“I kill asps.” The man’s eyes flickered briefly to the serpent's head before us. “I appear to be rather good at it.

“And I kill Velesians.” I replied, holding his gaze. “I’m very,verygood at that.”

“Good thing I’m not Velesian.”

“Perhaps I’ll just have to expand my repertoire.”

Theron’s laughter echoed across the throne room. “Oh, you two are going to be good friends!” He cried, clapping his hands together like a fucking child. “Elara, this is Rook Norahi, my personal assassin.”

Rook spat at my feet, sneering. “Looks like I got your dress dirty, Highness.”

I glanced down to see serpents blood seeping into the blue silk that trailed to the floor. I smiled as I met Rook’s eyes. “Theron picked it out, it’s not really my style.”

“You probably prefer blood red, hmm?” Rook grinned.

“Soaked in the blood of my enemies, perhaps.”

“Well, your kind certainly has plenty of those.” His lips curled back revealing a mouth of gleaming white teeth.

Theron clapped again, delighting in the scene playing out before him. “Yes!” He threw his hands into the air. “Oh, do you know, I’ve had a wonderful idea.”

Rook and I both turned to look back at Theron, who was now nodding enthusiastically. “Rook,” Theron said, “you will train with this delightful creature.”

“Train?” Rook and I both said the word at the same time.

“Yes, train!” Theron gave us both a wide smile. “I have some very amusing plans for our esteemed royal guest, and since she’s a great warrior, it would make sense for her to train with my greatest warrior, wouldn’t you agree, Rook?”

I could practically hear Rooks’ jaw clench and flex. “Your Majesty, I wouldn’t want to hurt your fragile little guest.”

“Oh, I assure you, you won’t.” I scoffed.

“I don’t beat women,” he said, looking down at me.

I returned his cynical gaze with a glare. “No, males like you probably just rape them.”

Rook’s eyes widened with rage, and he took a step towards me. I didn’t even flinch, pure fury keeping me rooted to the spot. And then I saw it. The elongated knot glowing underneath the serpent’s blood, a shimmering silver mark on the man’s forearm. The mark of a slave, forced onto all those who had found themselves on the wrong side of the Uprising five years ago.

This man was a Night Demon.

“Rook.” Theron’s voice was a sharp bark that had Rook instantly freeze. “Now, you two, I think this will be the most advantageous training environment. We wouldn’t want the Princess’s skills to become rusty.” He walked down the stairs of the dais, and approached his assassin, “I trust you will train her well, and sharpen her already formidable skills, won’t you?”