Page 106 of A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash

A tool that would be polished and adorned, used until she was no longer needed. And then? Then, like all things that lost their worth…

She would bediscarded.

Alina rose from her seat, ignoring the frantic protests of her servants. Their hands reached for her, their voices urgent, but she had already made up her mind. She ran.

Down the long, gilded hallways of the castle, her slipperedfeet barely made a sound against the polished floors. She knew the eyes that followed her—stunned, wide, whispering in her wake. A princess was not meant to run. A princess was meant to glide, to be graceful and poised, a thing of elegance.

But Alina did not stop.

She moved with purpose, though she was uncertain of her destination. She was searching—chasing a singular thought, a single name, one person she needed to find.

By the time she reached the door, her chest was heaving, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

She knocked.

The door swung open, revealing Kai, his tall frame blocking the threshold, his lips curling into an amused smirk as he took her in—flushed, breathless, unraveled.

‘Well, princess,’ he said, his voice like a secret. ‘I certainly never expected it would be so easy to get you into my room.’

‘Do shut up.’ She pushed past him, careful to make sure no one saw her slip inside, then gestured sharply for him to close the door behind them. ‘Why are you not at the picnic?’

Kai arched a brow. ‘Why? Were you waiting for me?’ His teasing tone vanished the moment his gaze landed on her cheek. The red mark stood stark against her skin, and in an instant, the light in his eyes darkened into something far more dangerous. Without hesitation, he reached for her, his fingers brushing over her burning skin, his touch impossibly gentle. ‘Who did this?’

‘I did not come here for that purpose.’

‘Was it the guard?’

She blinked, caught off guard.‘What?’

‘Hagan,’ he clarified, his voice laced with lethal intent. ‘Did he touch you?’

Alina shook her head. ‘No, Hagan did not lay a hand on me. It was my mother. We argued, and she… she struck me.’

A growlrumbled deep within Kai’s chest.

‘Calm down, Kai,’ she said. ‘You are not going to attack my mother,the queen.’

‘Watch me.’ His entire body had coiled with tension, the predator within him barely restrained, his black eyes a storm of fury. But after a slow exhale, his shoulders eased—just slightly. The storm subsided, though not entirely. ‘I do not mind starting another Great War for you, princess.’

Alina opened her mouth, but no words came.

No one had ever said such a thing to her before.

Her throat tightened, her vision blurring at the edges.How sad, she thought,that a foreign prince has shown me more kindness in weeks than my own kingdom has in my entire life.

‘I don’t want you starting a war for me, Kai.’ She turned away, trying to gather herself, her gaze wandering over the unfamiliar space. She had never been inside a man’s chambers before—except for Ash’s, but that hardly counted.

It was dark, the curtains drawn, keeping the world at bay. The bed was unmade, the sheets tangled, and a half-finished tray of food rested on the table, untouched. ‘We have maids, you know.’

‘I don’t like others touching my things,’ he said.

Alina’s gaze drifted across the room.Noneof it is yours, she thought. A suit of black armour gleamed in the corner, a few scattered weapons leaned against the wall. Her attention lingered on them.

She stepped forward, fingers itching to reach out.

‘They are hook swords,’ Kai explained, stepping past her to lift them from their resting place. Alina instinctively took a step back, wary of the sharp edges. Kai stilled, watching her carefully. ‘Do not be afraid. I won’t let anything hurt you.’

She wasn’t sure why, but his words sent something warm curlingin her chest.

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