Page 49 of Savage Crown

I smirk, but it feels hollow.

"Don’t flatter yourself, little thief."

The name should make her bristle, should pull that familiar fire from her.

It doesn’t.

She just watches me.

Waiting.

Testing.

I exhale, finally turning to face her.

And gods help me.

She’s standing in the center of the room, arms crossed, brow slightly furrowed. Her hair is still messy from whatever restless night she had, her tunic slightly wrinkled, like she had thrown it on in a hurry.

I force my expression into something unreadable. "What do you want, Seraphina?"

Her lips press together. "You tell me."

My jaw tightens. "Don’t play games with me."

She tilts her head slightly, searching my face.

And I hate that she notices the shift in me, the hesitation, the doubt.

Doubt is weakness.

And I have never been weak.

Finally, she exhales, rubbing a hand over her jaw.

"If this is about earlier?—"

"It isn’t."

I cut her off too fast, too sharp.

Her eyes narrow.

"Then what?"

I don’t answer.

The moment I do, the moment I say the words Lartina planted in my head, I won’t be able to take them back.

I step closer.

Her breath catches.

She doesn’t step away.

I don’t know why that makes something worse inside me.

"You trust too easily," I murmur.

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