Page 20 of Cruelly Fated (Princes of Avari #1)

I followed my phone’s directions to one of the high-rises, the tallest one, of course. I circled it twice, hunting for a parking spot, but there were none. Only an underground garage with the security gate. Naturally, Valor didn’t include any instructions for the garage.

I pulled up to the booth. A small screen lit up, projecting my pale face back at me, and revealing a single round key slot. Could it be that simple? I inserted Kyon’s key.

“Welcome. Kyon. Voltaire,” a robotic voice announced in stiff syllables.

The gate lifted and folded into the ceiling.

I retrieved the key and eased the car forward.

Green LED lights flicked on in the far-right corner, illuminating a stylized dragon logo above five parking spaces—some already occupied by Kyon’s impressive car collection.

I pulled into the only available spot and cut the engine.

There was no turning back now. My car had officially clocked out for the night and wouldn’t be waking up until tomorrow. Honestly, I was surprised the red overheat light hadn’t blinked on yet. For the past few days, it had been running suspiciously well.

I crammed a change of clothes and a few toiletries into my backpack and walked to the elevator. There was no button panel—just the round key slot. I slid the key in again.

“Welcome, Mr. Voltaire,” the robot chimed. “We hope you had a pleasant day.”

It paused as if waiting for a response.

“I’m sure you’re tired after your long day. Goodbye now,” it added in a droning, therapeutic tone .

Was that an AI assistant-slash-wellness coach? Of course it was. Only in a building like this.

The elevator began its ascent, humming quietly beneath my feet. A low chime like the opening note of a symphony sounded as it slowed. The doors parted to reveal a set of mahogany double doors, polished to a mirror sheen and emblazoned with a black dragon-wing emblem across the center.

I blinked. Did Kyon own the entire floor?

With a gentle hiss of pressurized air, the door unlocked and swung inward on its own.

Lights flickered on, soft and easy on the eyes.

I stepped inside, doing slow turns and double-takes of an open space with high ceilings.

I brushed my fingertips over the cool, dark marble in the high-end kitchen straight out of a luxury magazine.

Then strode over to a sleek sitting area that unfolded before towering floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city of Avari.

The penthouse sat higher than anything else around it. I drifted toward the glass, momentarily awestruck by the kaleidoscope of color glittering across the Plaza below.

I swiveled and passed the kitchen to a set of modern double barn doors and slid one side apart. A pristine white room opened before me, completely empty though. The same floor-to-ceiling windows wrapped around two adjacent walls, offering a fresh perspective of the city.

Avari’s famed Skyturn Wheel slowly rotated, haloed in thousands of pulsing lights.

Just beyond, the Avari River shimmered beneath the glow, its surface broken by anchored yachts bobbing quietly at their docks.

I took a mental picture of both objects, planning to paint them when I got a chance.

A take from these windows would be one of a kind and could sell well, especially with the tourists.

The bedrooms had to be on the opposite side of the penthouse. I traipsed back along the panoramic view, then slid the door closed behind me.

I took in the living space again—clean, modern, edged with masculine elegance.

It had the kind of quiet confidence you didn’t question.

I could easily picture a gentleman lighting a cigar while lounging on the black leather couch, discussing mergers or bloodlines or gods knew what.

The walls were bare though. Perhaps Kyon didn’t live here full-time.

Maybe only his associates or business partners used this property.

Honestly, if someone brought me here to negotiate, that view alone would close the deal.

I crossed the space to the second set of double doors and pushed them open.

This room mirrored the other one in layout but with more walls.

A massive bed dominated the center directly across from the entrance.

The black velvet sheets felt cool to the touch.

At least the stained wood headboard added a natural element, mixing up the modern metallic style.

Along the left wall stretched walk-in closets. A handful of tailored suits hung in one corner, suggesting someone had stayed here recently, though not often.

I stepped through an open archway to the right. The bathroom was every bit as indulgent as the rest of the place. Marble from floor to ceiling. Double sinks. Wall-lined storage cabinets. And a sprawling glass shower with a dozen jets that looked more suited for hydrotherapy than casual hygiene.

Past another privacy wall, a claw-foot tub the size of a small hot spring faced a wall of windows, this time overlooking the far edge of Avari. Altogether, the penthouse offered a sweeping, two-hundred-seventy-degree panorama of the city.

A yawn snuck up on me, and I muffled it behind my hand. Thank the fae gods the club was closed tomorrow, and I could finally figure things out. Right now I craved some shut-eye.

I changed into my long pajama pants and cami set, then crawled beneath the cool sheets. A shiver skittered across my skin. It felt odd, maybe even reckless, to lie in the same bed Kyon might’ve slept in. And a little thrilling.

I scrunched my eyes shut and gave myself a mental slap.

Now wasn’t the time to fantasize. Kyon was older, more experienced.

Once he got out and saw me face-to-face, whatever spark we thought we had would eventually fizzle.

He was used to elegant, polished women. Women who fit into his world without effort.

I sighed. Better not to get tangled up in something I couldn’t define or fully understand.

I grabbed the other pillow and hugged it close. Later that night, I woke up drenched in sweat and panting. In the dream, my lover’s eyes shone iridescent green.