A cold, quiet satisfaction settled deep in Rex's chest, a feeling so profound and absolute that it required no outward expression, no smirk, no triumphant declaration. It was simply the stillness that follows a successful conquest.
He looked down at her again, his gaze lingering on the pale column of her throat. This was Valentina Von Starlight.
For decades, she had been more than a woman; she had been an institution. She had sat atop the mage rankings for longer than most kingdoms had drawn breath, an immovable force of nature.
She had been untouchable not merely because others had failed to climb her peak, but because the world had lacked the audacity to even consider the attempt. She was a mountain, ancient and unyielding.
Now, that mountain had been hollowed out. Her silver hair was splayed across his pillow like spilled mercury, and her breathing once sharp and commanding was as soft and vulnerable as that of a sleeping child.
Rex felt a surge of dark amusement.
