Ash widened her stance like she was about to physically block me.
"Kael. I know what you're about to do. I know that look. Let me bring him out first. Don't cause a scene here. Please."
I was this close to shoving her aside. This close to cracking. But I pulled the reins. Barely.
My hand was already on the door handle.
"I'll give you one minute," I said coldly. "Then I'm going in."
She didn't argue. She slipped inside, shutting the door quietly.
Sixty fucking seconds.
I counted every one of them.
By the time I pushed that door open, I'd already imagined every way I'd kill Sylas if he dared breathe the same air as her again.
And he was exactly where I feared—sitting beside her bed like he belonged there.
Her hand was in his.
His hand.
Wrapped around hers, thumb brushing gently over her knuckles. His face was turned to her, soft. Adoring.
My blood pressure spiked so fast I thought the world tilted.
Aria.
