He let the silence stretch for a moment longer, savoring the look of hopeful pleading on their faces. Then, he let out a short, sharp laugh.
Pss.
It was a cold, ugly sound that shattered the quiet.
"Seraphina, Seraphina," he said, shaking his head slowly, a look of pity on his face. "You said you were stupid. But I was more stupid than you, because I actually fell for you."
He stood up from his desk, his movements slow and deliberate, like a predator uncoiling.
"Your love," he chuckled, the sound dripping with scorn. "Haha. You present your heart like a public trophy, something for any champion who happens to walk by. It has no value because it has no one guarding the gate."
Seraphina flinched as if he had slapped her. "Azrael, that's not..."
"You carry the name of a noble house," he continued, cutting her off, his voice getting louder, colder. "But your loyalties belong in the alleyways. They shift with every passing shadow of power."
