Kai closed his double doors and leaned back against the wood.

He could still taste sweet wine and madness lingering on his lips. Her chaotic celestial energy crossed his skin like static electricity, leaving a strange, burning prickle across his jawline.

Walking over to his balcony, he stared out at the glowing city and clenched his fist tightly.

’She’s rotting from the inside,’ he thought, letting his freezing mana soothe his stinging face.

’That power she craves so much is eating her alive, and she doesn’t even realize it yet. She might actually burn her own mind out before I even have to lift a finger. I can feel it in her kiss. She’s desperate for an anchor because she knows she’s losing control.’

He stared down at his hands, watching a small layer of frost dance over his knuckles.

’I just need to keep playing her game,’ he reminded himself, dismissing the ice. ’I’ll make her believe she’s the one pulling my strings. If I keep rejecting her, she’ll only want me more. That’s how predators work. They hate easy prey.’

A soft knock interrupted his plotting.

Two female attendants stood out in the hallway, keeping their eyes respectfully lowered to the floor.

"Our Matriarch requests your presence in her private bath chamber," the taller woman murmured, her voice trembling slightly.

"Right now. She doesn’t like to be kept waiting, Kai."

"Tell her I’ll be right there," Kai replied smoothly.

He didn’t bother changing clothes.

Tightening the golden sash of his black silk robe, he followed them through quiet corridors.

Heat rolled over him the second he stepped into the royal bathing room. Scented oils and glowing flower petals filled a sprawling marble pool.

She waited for him in the water, entirely naked. Her crimson hair floated around her shoulders like spilled blood, sticking to her neck from the rising steam.

"Take that robe off and get in," she ordered softly, resting her bare arms on the marble edge. "You must be tired after playing such a cold, untouchable statue all day."

He didn’t hesitate.

Pulling his sash loose, he let the expensive silk pool onto the floor. He stepped down into the warm water, wading across the pool until he stood right in front of her.

’She really likes putting on a show,’ he thought, feeling the heat sink into his tired muscles.

’But she looks even more unstable in this light. Those glowing veins on her neck are pulsing so fast. She’s practically humming with corrupted magic.’

She reached out, grabbing a soft sponge soaked in oil.

"You’re too tense, Kai. Turn around so I can wash your back."

"I’m perfectly fine," Kai countered, staying exactly where he was. "I prefer to face my hosts. Especially when they have a habit of dragging men away during dinner."

A wicked smile touched her lips.

"Defiant as always. I wonder how long it will take to break that little habit. You act like you’re in charge, but we both know who rules this room."

Dropping the sponge into the water, she placed her bare hands flat against his chest.

She traced the hard lines of his torso, letting her fingernails drag slowly down his stomach. Her touch sent a jolt of fire straight to his groin.

"I want to own every single part of you," she whispered, stepping closer until her wet skin brushed against his hips.

"I want you to forget everything outside this palace. When I’m finished with you, you won’t even remember your own name. You’ll only know mine."

Kai caught her wrists, stopping her hands before they drifted any lower. He didn’t push her away. Instead, he slid his grip up her arms, pulling her flush against him so she could feel exactly how turned on he was.

"You talk a lot for someone who hasn’t actually claimed anything yet," Kai challenged her, leaning down so his lips brushed her ear.

"You think you can just buy me with a few nice gifts and a warm bath? I don’t submit just because you wear a crown."

She gasped softly, tilting her head back to give him better access to her neck. "I don’t buy my prizes. I conquer them. And I always get what I want."

"Then you better try a little harder," he taunted, kissing the sensitive pulse point below her jaw.

He let his hands wander down her wet back, gripping her bare waist tightly. Water sloshed around them as he pressed her against the side of the marble pool.

She let out a moan, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him with frantic desperation.

They were dangerously close to crossing the line. He could feel her yielding completely, her body practically begging him to take control. She tasted like power and ruin, and he wanted to devour all of it.

’I could take her right now,’ he thought, his blood roaring in his ears. ’I could fuck her against this wall and steal all her secrets while she’s completely distracted by pleasure. She’s so desperate for a real touch.’

His hand slid lower, gripping her thigh to lift her leg over his hip. She whined softly into his mouth, grinding against him.

But she suddenly planted her hands on his chest and shoved him back just a few inches. She was breathing raggedly, her glowing crimson eyes wide with unsated lust.

"Not yet," she gasped, splashing water on her flushed face to cool herself down. "I don’t reward candidates until they win the final trial. You still have one more test tomorrow, city boy."

Kai let out a frustrated breath, keeping his hands firmly on her hips. "You’re playing a very dangerous game. Teasing a starving man usually ends with someone getting bitten."

"I like teeth," she laughed breathlessly, swimming backward into the center of the pool. "Win tomorrow, Kai, and I’ll let you do whatever you want to me. Prove you’re the strongest, and you can have the entire kingdom."

Kai climbed out of the water, grabbing his silk robe from the floor. He didn’t bother drying off, simply pulling the black fabric over his wet skin.

He walked to the door and glanced back over his shoulder. She was watching him leave, biting her lower lip with undeniable obsession.