Queen Adelina stood against the carriage. Her royal gown hung in tatters. The silk barely clung to her shaking body. Her shoulders lay bare where Jax's sword had sliced through.
She clutched the torn edges tight. Her eyes burned red from tears. Her once-perfect hair fell wild and messy.
Jax circled her slow. Sword still in hand. His face stayed cold. Like he was studying a bug.
"Please..." Her voice came out weak. A whisper. "I can give you gold. Land. A title. I'm the Queen of Veldora—I have power, resources—"
"I don't need any of that." Jax's words fell flat. No heat. No mercy.
"Then what do you want? Why are you doing this?"
"Testing." He reached out. Tore another strip from her shoulder. She flinched hard. But she didn't run. No place to go. "I need to understand how this world works."
"I can tell you anything about Veldora—the kingdom, the treasury, the paths, the blueprints—"
"No." He stepped in close. Breath hot on her skin. "Not that kind of information."
