Page 29 of Savage Crown

The amusement in her eyes turns sharper. Colder.

"You mistake interest for affection," she purrs. "Rylan doesn’t care about people. He collects them. Uses them. He’s done it before—he’ll do it again."

I keep my expression unreadable. "You sound jealous."

Her lips part, her head tilting. "Jealous?"

She laughs.

Not soft. Not bitter. Dark. Delighted.

"Jealous of what?" she whispers, stepping closer. Too close. "You think you mean something to him?" Her voice dips, turning almost... gentle. "I loved him once, too."

Something inside me twists.

Not at the words. At the way she says them.

Not bitter. Not longing. Just... stating a fact.

I clench my fists. "Then why did he let you go?"

Her smile curves, slow and taunting. "Who said he let me go?"

The hallway feels smaller. The air, heavier.

I don’t like this. Don’t like her.

But I listen.

Because Lartina isn’t lying.

"Rylan is a man who plays games," she continues, voice softer now, like she’s letting me in on a secret. "He plays them well. You’re just his latest piece."

I hold my ground. "Then why warn me?"

Lartina exhales, her amusement dimming.

A pause.

She leans in, lowering her voice to something only for me.

"I don’t waste my time with the ones who don’t matter."

She steps back, straightening the delicate sleeves of her gown. The candlelight flickers against the jewels at her throat, her elegance unshaken, untouchable.

And I know—without a doubt—that Lartina is not just dangerous.

She is deadly.

I exhale slowly. "I appreciate the warning," I murmur, voice smooth, controlled. "But I don’t take orders from you."

Lartina smiles. Pleased. Expectant.

"Good," she murmurs. "I do love a fight."

She steps past me, the smell of amber and something sharp—something lethal— trailing in her wake.

But just before she disappears down the hall, she pauses.

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