Her expression remained neutral, a mask of indifference. She raised an eyebrow, her gaze never leaving his, as if to say, "Is that all?"
Her voice was steady, devoid of emotion. "That makes it better!"
No flicker of surprise, no spark of fear. Just a calm, collected demeanor, as if she'd heard him say something mundane.
"How so?" he questioned with raised brows, a hint of disappointment contorting his face as he realized he couldn't get the reaction he wanted from Zara.
"Because I get to be little Miss Doom," she said, grinning from ear to ear. She had to stand on tiptoe to whisper in his ear, her feet barely touching the ground. Beside Zayden, she looked like a submissive little puppy, as he was much taller than her.
A burst of laughter escaped Zara's lips at the thought of Zayden's words. Her mouth ached from the sudden laughter, and she held her stomach.
Zayden stared at her with curiosity mixed with confusion, his hands still gripping Zara's waist. He didn't pull away, even with her excessive laughter.
"You're delusional," she managed to say between fits of loud laughter that echoed throughout the room, making the butler and maids wonder what had made their miss laugh so hard.
"You think that's a joke?" he asked, dumbfounded, his mouth agape. He was speechless that Zara would call him delusional. He was far from that.
"Of course not! I believe you," she teased with a smile. She tried to keep her expression sincere to convince Zayden she believed him, but her laughter betrayed her.
His eyes onces clouded in warmth, changed to danger. A thought struck Zayden, and then his lips curled into a teasing grin. His once confused gaze turned tantalizing, eyes gleaming with playful intrigue. They sparkled with an unknown light, like starlight on a moonless night.
He craned his head, his eyes locking onto hers before he leaned close to her ear and whispered in a low, husky voice, a warm sensation spreading through her body, "Do you want to witness my power? They do burn!"
Zara's smile froze, her body stiffening as her feet touched the ground. A chill coursed through her veins as she grew uneasy at Zayden's words.
She wanted to speak, but she found herself unable to, as if she had lost control of her tongue. She couldn't feel it anymore.
Her legs rooted to the ground. A chill ran through her veins, leaving her feeling confused and vulnerable. Fear's icy grip wrapped around her heart.
She felt uneasy from the fear creeping up inside her. Her heartbeat rose, pounding loudly in her ears.
She wanted to clutch her clothes to quell the unnecessary fear, but she couldn't. She remained stiff, like an immovable statue.
Her expression contorted with pain until she heard her name spoken softly by Zayden.
"Zane!" he whispered, his hand moving to her nape, pushing aside a lock of her hair before planting a kiss on her neck.
She closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of his lips. It felt different from the times she had kissed him... from the times she had stolen kisses from him.
She felt him nibble, and her legs grew weak from the sensation of his lips.
His warm breath caressed her skin, and she couldn't help but want to succumb to her desires.
Her mind was a jumble of confusion as if she was being controlled by an unseen force.
He skillfully used his lips to suck and nibble at her skin, tasting every bit of her.
She tilted her neck back, giving him more access to pleasure her.
She couldn't understand what was happening to her. It felt strange but also pleasurable.
But in a flicker, that pleasure soon turned to pain. She felt heat spreading through her body, not with desire but with fire.
The warmth of Zayden's lips turned to scorching flames, searing her skin. Her skin felt charred, crackling with an otherworldly heat.
Her body arched, straining against Zayden's grip and the burning sensation.
Her hands felt heavy and unresponsive. Her body felt engulfed in flames, spreading from her core to her fingertips, consuming her. Her vision blurred, flames dancing before her eyes as his touch seemed to set her skin ablaze.
What was happening to her? She thought.
"Fir..." she whispered, trying to form the word with great difficulty, but her mouth felt glued, refusing to part and release the anguish building inside her.
She opened her mouth again to speak, this time in a pleading tone.
"Zayden—" she cried out, her voice barely audible, but it was enough to affect him.
The moment she called his name, the fire within her dissipated, and his lips froze on her neck before he looked up to see her tear-blurred eyes.
He had never intended to hurt her like this. His only intention was to tease her, but he had ended up falling into his own trap.
He stared at her weak, dark eyes and held her tightly, as though she were a fragile doll, so she wouldn't collapse.
Zara was too weak to notice the regret written plainly on his face.
The fire within her had felt so real that if she hadn't called out to Zayden, she might have fainted.
Unable to keep her eyes open, she surrendered to the darkness, falling into Zayden's arms.
He immediately let her fall into his embrace, sensing that she could collapse at any moment. He couldn't help but blame himself for her condition, even though he knew the effects of the fire within him.
A mere taste of his fire could send someone to their deathbed, and he was grateful Zara had called out to him in time; otherwise, he would have been responsible for her death.
She didn't deserve that! Even if he wasn't on good terms with her father, she might be innocent. He tried to convince himself, though it was hard to believe.
He carried her gently, her head resting on his shoulder. Even in her deep slumber, she felt a warm, comforting embrace around her.
He placed her gently on the bed to avoid waking her. He was about to leave when she held his hand.
She furrowed her brows, her grip tightening on his clothing, and she murmured something that Zayden could make out: "Save me," she said, pain evident in her voice.
Zayden lowered himself to her level, regret filling his eyes. He gently patted her, watching her face, etched in pain.
He wondered how she had managed to resist him and call out to him. Who are you, Zane? he wondered.
He knew how weak human hearts could be but he went ahead to tease her with something... He blamed every bit of himself for hurting her.
Lost in thought, it dawned on him that she might not recover for days or even months.
A thought struck him, and he muttered while staring at Zara, "Forget."
Immediately, her once-pained expression softened, replaced by a peaceful, serene look.