Page 79 of Savage Crown

But Seraphina isn’t just any human.

There must be something here I’m missing.

Something dangerous.

And I intend to find out what.

I don’t take her to her quarters.

I don’t let her clean the blood from her skin or steady herself from the night’s terror.

Instead, I bring her to the dungeon beneath the Midnight Den.

She knows something is wrong the moment we descend the stone steps.

The air grows colder, heavier with the smell of rust and damp rot.

The torches lining the walls flicker dimly, casting long, jagged shadows.

She doesn’t speak.

But I feel her hesitation.

The way her breath slows.

The way her steps stiffen.

She isn’t afraid of me.

Not yet.

But she should be.

The dungeon is silent when we step inside.

At first.

Then—a wet, choked sound.

A whimper of agony.

Seraphina halts mid-step.

I smile. Slow. Merciless.

"Surprised?" I murmur.

She doesn’t answer.

Her hands twitch at her sides, her breathing controlled—but I see the way her pulse thrums wildly at her throat.

"Don’t look so tense, little thief," I say, circling her. "This isn’t for you."

Not yet.

A metal door creaks open.

The stench of fresh blood thickens.

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