Celeste led me away from the table with a grip on my elbow that looked gentle but felt like iron.
She's DRAGGING me.
She's literally DRAGGING me away.
GOOD.
I need to be dragged away.
I was about to do something STUPID.
I was about to—
FUCK.
We reached a quiet corner near one of the windows, away from the crowd, and Celeste turned to face me with that KNOWING smile.
"So," she said, and her voice was absolutely dripping with amusement. "You're smitten."
WHAT.
NO.
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
"I am NOT—"
"You absolutely are," Celeste said, her smile widening. "You've been blushing for the past twenty minutes. You can barely form coherent sentences. You were leaning so close to him I thought you were going to kiss him right there at the dinner table."
I WAS NOT—
Okay, I was ABSOLUTELY about to kiss him.
FUCK.
"This is a DISASTER," I hissed, keeping my voice low.
"This is HILARIOUS," Celeste corrected. "The terrifying dark mage who faced down the crown prince is completely undone by a foreign prince with nice eyes."
They're not just NICE.
They're—
STOP.
Don't make it WORSE.
Don't give her MORE ammunition.
"I'm not undone," I said defensively. "I'm just... strategically flustered."
Celeste laughed—actually LAUGHED out loud.
"Strategically flustered," she repeated. "That's a new one. I'm adding that to my collection of Isabel excuses."
I hate her.
I hate her SO MUCH.
"He's dangerous," I said, trying to sound rational instead of panicked. "He's intelligent, he understands dark magic, he's politically connected, and he's—"
"Devastatingly attractive?" Celeste supplied helpfully.
YES.
EXACTLY.
THAT.
"I was going to say 'a complication,'" I said through gritted teeth.
"He's both," Celeste said, her expression turning slightly more serious. "And you're absolutely smitten with him. Which is fine, Isabel. You're allowed to be attracted to someone."
I'm NOT—
Okay, I am.
I'm VERY attracted to him.
FUCK.
Before I could respond, another voice joined us.
"She's been blushing since he sat down," Elara said, appearing beside Celeste with a grin that was absolutely WICKED. "I've been watching from my table. It's adorable."
ELARA.
MY CORRUPTED LITTLE PET IS TEASING ME.
BETRAYAL.
ABSOLUTE BETRAYAL.
"You're supposed to be on MY side," I said.
"I am on your side," Elara said cheerfully. "Which is why I'm encouraging you to pursue the gorgeous foreign prince who clearly adores you."
He doesn't ADORE me.
He's just—
He's—
FUCK.
He might actually adore me.
That's TERRIFYING.
"I'm engaged to your brother," I pointed out.
"My brother is an idiot," Elara said bluntly. "And you hate him. And he hates you. That engagement is political theater. Everyone knows it."
She's not wrong.
She's absolutely not wrong.
But still.
Celeste's expression turned more serious. "She has a point, Isabel. But you need to decide what you actually want. Because that prince isn't just flirting for fun. He's genuinely interested. And you're engaged to Aldric, even if it's a political arrangement you both despise."
I know.
I KNOW.
That's the PROBLEM.
"I don't want to be called a cheater," I said quietly. "Even if the engagement is bullshit. Even if Aldric despises me. Even if I despise him. I don't want to be THAT person."
I don't want to give them that ammunition.
I don't want to be the villainess who cheated on her fiancé.
I want to be the villainess who's BETTER than that.
Celeste nodded, her expression understanding. "Then you need to be careful. Enjoy the attention, use it strategically if you want, but don't cross lines you can't uncross."
Strategic.
Careful.
Controlled.
I can do that.
Probably.
Maybe.
FUCK.
"But also," Elara added, her eyes gleaming, "you should know that Prince Riku has been watching you all evening. Even when you're not looking. He's completely focused on you."
STOP.
STOP TELLING ME THINGS THAT MAKE MY HEART DO STUPID THINGS.
"That's... strategic observation," I said weakly.
"That's infatuation," Celeste corrected. "He's smitten too. Which makes this whole situation both more interesting and more dangerous."
He's smitten.
With ME.
The foreign prince is smitten with the villainess.
This is—
This is COMPLICATED.
This is SO complicated.
We returned to the table, and I slid back into my seat beside Riku with what I hoped was composure.
Composed.
Controlled.
NOT like I just had a panic attack in the corner.
He looked up at me, and there was something almost... concerned in his expression.
He noticed I was flustered.
He KNOWS.
GREAT.
PERFECT.
"Everything alright?" he asked quietly.
"Perfectly fine," I said, reaching for my wine glass again.
This is FINE.
Everything is FINE.
I'm just going to get through this dinner.
And then I'm going to go home.
And NEVER think about his eyes again.
Or his smile.
Or the way he smells.
Or the way his hand felt on mine.
Or—
FUCK.
The rest of the dinner passed in a blur of conversation and barely-controlled panic.
Riku was charming, intelligent, and absolutely RELENTLESS in his attention.
Every time I thought I'd regained my composure, he'd say something that made me blush again.
Every time I tried to focus on my food, I'd catch him watching me with those dark, knowing eyes.
This is TORTURE.
This is actual TORTURE.
He's doing it on PURPOSE.
He KNOWS what he's doing to me.
His hand brushed mine three more times during the meal.
Deliberate.
All of them deliberate.
Sending electric surges through me every single time.
By the time the dinner finally ended, I was exhausted.
Emotionally exhausted.
Mentally exhausted.
Completely and utterly DONE.
Riku stood as I prepared to leave, and before I could escape, he caught my hand gently.
His hand is WARM.
Why is his hand so WARM.
Why does it feel so GOOD.
"Lady Raven," he said quietly, his voice low enough that only I could hear. "Thank you for a fascinating evening."
Fascinating.
He thinks I'm FASCINATING.
STOP.
"The pleasure was mine, Prince Riku," I managed, trying to pull my hand back.
He didn't let go.
Instead, he lifted my hand to his lips—a formal gesture, perfectly appropriate for a diplomatic dinner.
Except it doesn't FEEL appropriate.
It feels DANGEROUS.
It feels—
His lips brushed against my knuckles, warm and soft and sending an electric surge through my entire body.
FUCK.
FUCK FUCK FUCK.
I felt that touch all the way down to my toes.
Everywhere.
I felt it EVERYWHERE.
Like lightning.
Like magic igniting.
Like something DANGEROUS and INTOXICATING and PERFECT.
"Until next time," he said, releasing my hand with a smile that was absolutely devastating.
I fled.
Gracefully.
Strategically.
Definitely not FLEEING.
Okay, I was absolutely fleeing.
I was RUNNING.
I practically SPRINTED out of that dining hall.
Back in my room, I collapsed onto my bed and stared at the ceiling.
What just happened?
What the FUCK just happened?
Nyx slithered up beside me, his red eyes gleaming with malicious amusement.
"So," he said. "That was interesting."
"Shut up."
"You were blushing for THREE HOURS."
"SHUT UP."
"He's definitely courting you. That hand kiss at the end? That was a declaration."
I KNOW.
I KNOW HE'S COURTING ME.
THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
THAT'S THE ENTIRE PROBLEM.
I covered my face with my hands.
This is a disaster.
This is a COMPLETE disaster.
I'm supposed to be becoming LEGENDARY.
I'm supposed to be TERRIFYING.
I'm not supposed to be... whatever THIS is.
I'm not supposed to be blushing and flustered and SMITTEN.
"You like him," Nyx observed, his tone absolutely dripping with amusement.
I don't—
Okay, I do.
I REALLY do.
FUCK.
"He's dangerous," I said, my voice muffled by my hands. "He's intelligent. He understands dark magic. He's politically connected. And he's—"
"Devastatingly attractive?" Nyx supplied, echoing Celeste's words exactly.
Everyone is MOCKING me.
EVERYONE.
My familiar.
My allies.
My corrupted little pet princess.
EVERYONE.
"This complicates everything," I said, finally lowering my hands to glare at the ceiling.
"Or," Nyx said thoughtfully, "it makes everything more interesting. You're engaged to a prince who despises you. Now you have a different prince who's clearly interested. That's leverage. That's power."
Leverage.
Power.
Strategic advantage.
I should be thinking about this STRATEGICALLY.
Not... emotionally.
But I couldn't stop thinking about Riku's smile, his eyes, the way he'd looked at me like I was something fascinating instead of terrifying.
He sees me.
He actually SEES me.
Not the villainess.
Not the dark mage.
ME.
The person underneath all the chaos and darkness.
And that's...
That's dangerous.
That's SO dangerous.
Because if he sees me, really sees me, then he has power over me.
Power I didn't give him.
Power I can't control.
But also...
Maybe that's exactly what I need.
Maybe I need someone who sees me.
Someone who understands.
Someone who doesn't flinch.
I smiled—that sharp, dangerous smile.
Alright, Prince Riku.
You want to play this game?
Let's play.
But on MY terms.
Always on MY terms.
You think you understand me?
Let's see how deep that understanding goes.
Let's see if you can handle the REAL me.
The chaos.
The darkness.
The absolute MADNESS.
Nyx laughed—that soft, hissing laugh. "This is going to be entertaining."
"Shut up," I said, but I was smiling.
This is going to be LEGENDARY.
Or a complete DISASTER.
Probably both.
But mostly legendary.
Because I'm Isabel Nyx Raven.
And I don't do anything halfway.
Not villainy.
Not dark magic.
And apparently not... whatever THIS is.
FUCK.
I'm in SO much trouble.
But also...
I kind of love it.