Page 96 of The Alien's Vicious Starflash Manor

Her feet carry her toward her sister’s call, her movements unsteady.

Away from me.

I say nothing, letting the wind carry away the words I can’t speak.

Because what I want to say is that none of this should be necessary. That I never wanted to put her in danger, to risk her life for my plans.

Then she’s gone, leaving only lingering warmth and the scent of snowfly honey in her wake, and it’s too late for any words I might have wanted to say, anyway.

I press my palm against the maze wall, watching frost spread from my fingers. The patterns mock me with their beauty, their perfection.

Their inevitable destruction.

I allow myself one more moment to remember the taste of starlight on my tongue.

And then I return to the manor.

Because our departure for the Ice Court looms, and time runs ever shorter.

CHAPTER 25

LARA

Ihurry through the maze passages, my heart still pounding from Ivrael’s kiss.

My fingers trail along the ice walls as I move, partly to help me navigate and partly to cool my flushed skin. The icy surface burns against my fingertips, but I welcome the sharp sting.

When I finally hear voices ahead, I pause to catch my breath. To collect myself.

My lips still tingle where Ivrael’s touched them, and I have to resist the urge to press my fingers there, to hold onto the sensation a little longer.

“Lara?” Izzy’s voice carries a note of worry that makes guilt twist in my stomach. “Where did you go?”

“Here!” I call out, rounding the corner to find them all staring at me. Izzy’s arms are crossed, her expression suspicious. Rhaela’s hand rests casually on her knife hilt while Harai looks merely curious.

“Where did you disappear to?” Izzy demands.

The lie tastes bitter on my tongue, especially mixed with the lingering sweetness of Ivrael’s kiss. “Thought I saw something interesting down one of the side passages.”

“Seriously?” Izzy’s eyes narrow.

“Yeah.” I wave my hand vaguely behind me. “Turned out to be just another trick of the light on the ice.”

“You shouldn’t wander off alone,” Rhaela says, her tone carrying that unexpected gentleness that seems reserved for moments of genuine concern. “This maze is designed to be deadly.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” I move to stand beside Izzy, avoiding her searching gaze. My sister knows me too well—she’ll see right through me if I meet her gaze right now. “Did I miss anything important?”

“Just Harai explaining how the patterns in the ice are supposed to guide us,” Izzy says, still studying my face. “Your cheeks are awfully red.”

“It’s cold,” I snap, then immediately regret my sharp tone when her eyebrows shoot up.

“The cold usually makes our human servants pale, not flushed,” Harai observes helpfully, and I want to groan.

“We should keep moving,” I say quickly, gesturing ahead. “Lots of maze to explore, right?”

As we continue forward, I catch Izzy mouthing “Later” at me with narrowed eyes. I nod, knowing I’ll have to come up with a better explanation by then. But for now, I focus on memorizing the path ahead, trying to ignore how every icy surface reminds me of Ivrael’s cool touch against my heated skin.

The maze might be designed to be deadly, but right now, these feelings burning through me feel far more dangerous than any trap Prince Jonyk could devise.

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