Page 38 of The Alien's Cruel Starfrost Domain

“Will it be long?” Despite her earlier playfulness, I could hear the loneliness beneath her words. “I’m getting terribly bored up here without anyone to properly appreciate my wit.”

“I don’t know. Possibly.” We both knew I might be lying—I had no way of knowing when I might travel off-world again. “The sooner I find Lara and bring her back, the sooner that will be.”

“Still no sign of...” She paused. “Wait, are you alone? Or is your shadow still hovering?”

I glanced at Khrint and raised an eyebrow. “I will leave momentarily. You may go.”

“Oh. I’m sorry, Your Lordship,” he said with a start and scuttled out.

“Finally,” Cyan said once he’d gone. “Now, about her powers—still nothing? Perhaps you’re not being creative enough.”

“The terrors of my household aren’t enough to provoke her into displaying them.”

“Ah yes, because terror is so much more effective than kindness. Remind me again how well that’s working out for you? Have you tried complimenting her? I hear humans respond well to that.”

I sighed. “She doesn’t realize she has any power at all.”

“And yet she’s probably being drawn to the Starfire crown as we speak. Interesting how that works, isn’t it? Almost as if someone should have predicted this.”

“Yes, you told me this would happen. I’m headed after her now. Just run through the scenarios again. Let me know if you comeup with anything new.”

“Other than ‘maybe try being nice’? I’ll add that to my ever-growing list of advice you won’t take.”

“Goodbye, Cyan.”

“Try not to lose any more humans while you’re gone!” she called out as I ended the communication.

I shook my head, unable to completely suppress my smile. Dammit. My AI was lonely—and far too clever for her own good. The sooner I could take control of the technological situation on my planet, the better it would be for everyone.

Everyone except the Evans girls.

This night could change everything.

The thought pulsed through my mind with each beat of my conjured horse’s hooves as I followed Lara through the forest. The scent of her—that damning mixture of summer flowers and winter frost that marked her as more than human—drifted back to me on the bitter wind.

I had spent cycles studying every ancient text, every fragment of prophecy about the royal bloodline, memorizing their warnings until they haunted my dreams. Everything indicated Lara’s powers should have emerged at eighteen—just as every hybrid Caix’s abilities had manifested throughout our history.

But I’d never realized how maddening it would be to watch and wait, to see that power sleeping beneath her skin and be able to do nothing to call it into being.

I’d expected her powers to surface during our first journey to Starfrost Manor, but when they didn’t, I’d done what I could to suppress them by making her as comfortable as possible. A calculated risk—the more content she was, the less likely her powers would emerge from necessity.

The night she ran, I tracked her through the forest on my conjured horse, staying just far enough back that she wouldn’t detect mypresence. I knew her every movement, had memorized the way she carried herself, could recognize her silhouette even through the thick trees.

Even watching her stumble through the darkness stirred something in my blood that had nothing to do with my plans.

When she veered toward one of the many Caix cemeteries dotting my lands, my interest sharpened, sending ice crackling along my spine.

Was her heritage finally drawing her toward something significant? Or was this simply another cruel twist of fate, leading her into danger before her powers could protect her?

I hung back among the trees, watching through the branches as she approached the iron gate. My breath caught as she reached for it—but she passed through without reaction, the magic-dampening metal having no effect.

Another sign of what flowed in her veins, though not the definitive proof I needed. My fingers tightened on my horse’s reins, frost spreading from my grip.

She left the gate open behind her, which was fortunate. Though I could overcome iron’s effects through sheer force of will, it would drain power I might need later.

I settled into position to observe, anticipation thrumming through me. My entire body hummed with awareness of her, with the possibility that this might be the moment everything changed.

Surely any danger would trigger her dormant abilities. The thought brought both hope and dread—I needed her powers to manifest, but the cost might be higher than I was prepared to pay.

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