The dimly lit alleyway was silent, save for the occasional rustle of wind through the broken shutters of nearby buildings. Seraphina moved quickly, her dark cloak flowing behind her like a shadow, the mask she wore concealing her features. She kept her head low, but her eyes were sharp, scanning the surroundings as she approached the entrance of the tavern.
The password she whispered barely made a sound, but it was enough to open the heavy wooden door. The tavern was a front, a place where the law didn't matter, and whispers of betrayal, crime, and dirty deeds filled the air. Behind the door, the dark passageway led to the lawless underground. Here, Seraphina felt a strange sense of purpose—this was the world where she had once thrived, a world she could return to when everything else felt out of her control.
She moved swiftly toward the information booth, her every step deliberate. It was here she would find what she needed: secrets, power, and the leverage to reclaim control over her shattered life.
But before she could make it further, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, lifting her off the ground in a sudden, swift motion.
Seraphina's heart skipped a beat as she struggled against the unexpected force. She didn't need to see his face to know who it was. The familiarity of the hold, the scent of him—it could only be Kael.
"Let me go," Seraphina hissed, twisting in his grip.
But Kael only laughed softly, the sound dark and full of amusement. "You think I'd let you slip away so easily?" His voice was smooth, and teasing, but there was a dangerous edge to it that sent a shiver down her spine. "I knew you'd come back to me eventually."
Before Seraphina could respond, Kael leaped into the air, carrying her effortlessly with him as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop. The city below blurred in the night as he moved with the ease of someone who had mastered the art of stealth and agility. She struggled at first, but there was no escape from him.
He wasn't just a man—he was a monarch of shadows, and this was his domain.
Eventually, they reached the headquarters, a towering, foreboding building in the heart of the underground world. Seraphina was carried inside, her feet barely touching the ground as Kael navigated the maze of corridors. The people inside the headquarters recognized her instantly, their gazes flickering between respect and fear. They knew who Kael was—his reputation as a cold-blooded ruler of the underworld had spread far and wide.
As they entered the main hall, Seraphina's eyes narrowed as she saw the familiar faces of Kael's right-hand man, William, and his left-hand, Hestia. They both looked troubled, their gazes flicking from her to Kael, as if unsure of how to approach the situation.
Kael settled into a large, ornate chair at the head of the room, pulling Seraphina onto his lap as if she were nothing more than a mere possession. She held her dagger tightly in her hand, the cold steel a reminder of who she was and the power she still wielded. But even as she sat there, tension rippling through her body, she couldn't help but feel the weight of her past decisions pressing down on her.
"You know, I always knew you'd come back," Kael said softly, his voice full of dark amusement as he ran his fingers through her hair. "You can't escape who you are, Seraphina."
She remained silent, her dagger still in her hand but her gaze unwavering. She wasn't the same girl she had been when she first ran from him—she was stronger, more hardened, and more dangerous. But a part of her still felt the pull of the shadows, the magnetic force that Kael exuded.
"I'm not your bird anymore," she replied coldly, her grip tightening on the dagger's hilt.
Kael's lips curled into a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "We'll see about that," he said, his tone laced with the confidence of a man who knew he could bend anyone to his will.
William and Hestia exchanged uneasy glances, both of them clearly uncomfortable with the situation. They had seen Seraphina's strength before, and they knew Kael's fascination with her could be both a blessing and a curse. But they were powerless to intervene.
Seraphina sat in silence for a moment, the weight of her decision to return to this world settling in her chest. She had come back, but not for Kael—at least, not entirely. She had come back for herself, to reclaim what was hers and to destroy the life that had held her captive.
But as she looked into Kael's cold eyes, she couldn't help but wonder if she had truly escaped his grasp at all.
*****
Kael's grip around her tightened as she sat on his lap, his arms wrapping around her in a possessive hold that bordered on childish. His laugh, low and self-satisfied, filled the room. "You know," he said, his tone smug, "I've missed you." His fingers brushed through her hair, each touch are slowed, as if savoring the moment of having her back within his grasp. "You've always been my little bird, Seraphina. You can't escape me, no matter how far you run."
Seraphina gritted her teeth, her fingers curling around the hilt of the dagger. She had no intention of letting him have the last word. But before she could retaliate, something heavy dropped in front of her, the sound of paper rustling as several rows of documents spilled onto the table.
She blinked in confusion, her gaze flicking to the papers before her. They were neatly arranged, each file containing information about the nobles she had been investigating, down to the smallest details—hidden wealth, secret alliances, forbidden deals, and the darkest secrets of the aristocracy. How did Kael know this?
Her heart skipped a beat. Kael had always been a shadow in the corners of her life, but she had never imagined he could be this well-informed. His network must have been far-reaching, his influence more extensive than even she had realized.
Kael leaned in, brushing his lips lightly against her cheek in a soft, almost tender kiss—a kiss that was filled with possessive warmth, an intimacy that had once been reserved for moments between them. Seraphina felt a jolt of surprise. How long had it been since anyone had touched her like that?
Her mind raced, and the memories flooded back: the touch of Kael's hands, the soft kisses they had once shared when they were both free to be whatever they wanted. It was a warmth she had lost—something her husband had never once given her.
But it was Kael who had stolen that warmth. It was Kael who had always treated her like a toy, something to be claimed and used. And yet, here she was again, within his clutches.
She forced herself to focus on the documents before her, flipping through them, one by one, as if the cold facts could ground her. But with each page, the truth sank deeper in her gut—Kael had anticipated everything she needed. Everything.
"Did you really think you could do this without me?" Kael's voice was close, teasing as if he already knew the answer. "You've always been mine, Seraphina. Every part of you. And I know everything about you—your plans, your needs, even your darkest secrets."
Seraphina's breath hitched in her throat, but she didn't flinch. She kept her eyes locked on the pages in front of her, pretending she wasn't affected. This man was both a blessing and a curse. And she hated him for it.
When she finished going through the last document, her hands trembled slightly. She had what she needed, but she had also realized something far more dangerous—Kael wasn't just a shadow of her past; he was a present threat, and there was no escaping him.
Her fingers curled into his hair, the action swift and unexpected. She yanked his head back, forcing him to look at her. His eyes glimmered with amusement, but there was something darker lurking in their depths.
"Let go of me, Kael," she hissed through clenched teeth, her voice low but filled with unspoken fury.
But Kael merely chuckled, a sound that sent shivers down her spine. His hands cupped her face, his grip possessive and firm. "You know you want this, Seraphina. You always have. You can fight it all you want, but deep down, you'll always come back to me."
Her hand tightened in his hair, but Kael's laugh only deepened, darker now, as if savoring her frustration. He allowed her the illusion of resistance, but he knew, as well as she did, that it wouldn't last.
Seraphina's jaw clenched, her heart racing with a mixture of anger and something far more complicated. She wanted to hurt him, to make him feel the same helplessness he'd made her feel for years. But as she looked into his eyes—eyes that had once held so much warmth, so much familiarity—she realized the painful truth.
No matter how much she fought him, she would always be tied to him. Whether she liked it or not, Kael owned her. And in some twisted way, a part of her had always known it.
Kael chuckled again, as if reading her thoughts. "That's my girl," he said softly, almost lovingly, before pulling her closer, his lips brushing against her ear. "You'll come around, Seraphina. I always get what I want."
As his words echoed in her ears, Seraphina felt her resolve weakening, but she clung to the last remnants of her dignity. She could fight him—she had to. Because if she didn't, she would lose herself entirely to Kael once more.
But Kael didn't let her go. He never did.