Page 23 of Princess of Bael

I swallowed, releasing her with a shove, and stepped back before I did something I regretted.Like kiss her.

Just the consideration of it had my insides turning to molten embers, the desire one I’d cultivated and denied for far too long.

Being around her only worsened that longing.

Because she made me feel so damn good. Those mere touches were enough to help me breathe a little easier, lightening my soul and clearing my mind.

It was… intoxicating.

Addictive.

Insane.

Mietek had told me to use her to improve my strength, but now that I’d touched her twice, I wasn’t sure I could follow through.

Using her would only deepen my overall craving.

Using her might lead to me keeping her forever.

And using her might break her irrevocably.

I ran my fingers through my hair, blowing out a breath.Using her isn’t an option.

I wasn’t the Archangel I used to be. Once upon a time, I would have done anything to save the balance. But it was too late. The power scales were always intended to tip.

I’d prolonged the inevitable for as long as I could.

Now we needed to work on recovering from it and ensuring the scales tipped in our favor.

Which meant finding Kristina.

I turned away from Kayla to wander away from the foyer I’d teleported us into. Her eyes had fallen to the beige tiles and were now lifting to take in the grand staircase beside us. “It’s bright,” she muttered.

“Yes. Windows tend to allow light in,” I deadpanned, gesturing to the two-story glass windows framing my grand entry door.

“Oh, is that how windows work?” She canted her head to the side. “Fascinating.”

Snorting, I continued into the hallway leading to the myriad of kitchens lining the back of my home. Food was my solitary indulgence in life, but as I reached the initial layer of my sanctuary, I realized I wasn’t hungry. Rather than explain myself, I merely said, “If you need food, you’ll find it here.” Because IfeltKayla walking behind me, her energy a seductive wave to my senses. It didn’t matter that she’d kept ten feet between us. It might as well have been an inch.

Here only five seconds and she’s already infiltrating my space, I thought, grumbling to myself.This was a bad idea.

But there wasn’t anywhere else for us to go. I needed my books and spells, and this area between the realms was relatively safe. At least until the balance fully shifted.

Which wasn’t going to happen on my watch.

Kayla and I just needed to solve this puzzle, then we could kill this buzz between us.

By fucking, some dark part of me whispered.

I ignored it, walked by where she stood frozen in the dining area off the first kitchen, and took the hall behind my kitchens toward my study at the end.

Kayla followed, commenting on the size of my estate and asking if I was compensating for something, but I didn’t deign to reply to her childish feedback.

Perhaps I’d show her the error of that thought someday.

Perhaps I wouldn’t.

More light streamed in through the double doors at the end, the three-story windows beyond framing my library turned study. Or maybe it was a studyanda library, because the other three walls were all bookshelves up to the ceiling.