"I didn't think humans slept this much."
The voice was smooth, deep, and carried an authority that made the air heavier.
Ember's eyes fluttered open, her body feeling strangely light, her breath steady for the first time in weeks.
Then she realized where she was.
Not in her own room.
Not in Kaelith's.
The ceiling above her sparkled….deep obsidian laced with flecks of gold, reflecting the warm glow of hundreds of floating lanterns.
The bed she lay in was massive, softer than anything she had ever touched. The sheets were cool against her skin, the scent of night jasmine clinging to them.
This was not Kaelith's chamber.
Her body stiffened.
A presence.
She turned her head sharply.
And there he was.
The Demon King.
Sitting leisurely at the edge of the room, his gaze fixed on her with an expression so unreadable, so calculating, it sent a shiver down her spine.
He was completely still.
Like he had been watching her the entire time.
Ember shot up, sitting upright, heart pounding.
"You!" she accused, pointing at him.
The king did not blink. "Me," he acknowledged smoothly.
She gritted her teeth. "Did you…" she hesitated, gripping the sheets around her, her mind racing. "Did you bring me here?"
The Demon King stood.
Effortless. Graceful.
He walked toward her, his movements slow, controlled, far too calm for someone who had just saved a dying woman.
He lowered himself onto the edge of the bed, closer now, so close that she could feel the unnatural warmth radiating from him.
His fingers reached out….lightly pressing against her forehead, his other hand clasping her wrist. Checking her pulse.
Ember tensed.
She lowered her head, biting her lip. "Was it you?" she murmured.
The Demon King raised a brow. "You were dying," he said simply.
Her fists tightened.
"You're just like your son!" she snapped, lifting her head, glaring at him.
For the first time….he looked surprised.
His brows lifted, his head tilting ever so slightly.
Then….
A small smile.
It was so faint, so brief that Ember almost thought she imagined it.
But it was there.
She exhaled sharply.
"You both act like you care about someone, then throw them away like they're nothing!" she spat, voice rising.
The king's amusement deepened. "Do I?"
"Yes!" she scowled, pushing at his chest…but he didn't move an inch. "What's your story, huh?! I remind you of your past lover too?"
The king's smile vanished.
His gaze darkened, something dangerous flickering behind those silver-blue irises.
Ember saw it…the ghost of something old, buried.
But before she could process it, he exhaled through his nose, shaking his head.
"I see why my son is so drawn to you," he murmured.
Ember scoffed, shoving herself away from him.
She stood abruptly, wobbling slightly. "I don't care why you did it," she snapped. "I don't care why you saved me."
The Demon King watched her with mild amusement.
"Why did you bring me back here?!" she demanded, stepping toward him. "I can't stand any of you right now!"
The king didn't reply.
Instead….
His hand shot out, gripping her wrist.
Before she could react….
He pulled her onto his lap.
Ember let out a sharp gasp, her body going rigid.
"What the…."
She tried to move, but his grip was unyielding, his warmth seeping into her through the thin fabric of her robes.
Her heart hammered violently as she found herself seated on his lap, straddling his thighs, his strong arm locking her in place.
"Is this not where you belong now?" he mused, his voice infuriatingly calm.
Her breath caught.
Before she could process the absolute insanity of this situation….
The door slammed open.
A roaring wave of rage flooded the room.
Kaelith stood at the entrance, his entire being vibrating with raw fury.
His gaze locked onto her.
Seated on his father's lap.
Kaelith's breath hitched, his eyes darkening with something unreadable.
"What. The. Fuck."
The tension became suffocating.
Ember could only stare, her entire body frozen in second-hand embarrassment and disbelief.
Kaelith's breathing was heavy, sharp. His fists clenched so tight his claws dug into his own palms.
The Demon King's expression remained passive.
Kaelith's voice dripped with venom.
"Here I was, mad worried you were in danger…." his voice wavered slightly, but the rage masked it, "and here you are, so quick to move on to your next best option."
Ember snapped out of her daze.
"It's not what it looks like!" she blurted, scrambling off the king's lap.
Kaelith laughed bitterly, shaking his head.
"Right," he said, stepping forward. "Not what it looks like."
He tilted his head, mocking.
"Tell me, Ember," his eyes burned into hers, "did he comfort you with his arms too? Did you cry into his chest after running away from me?"
Ember's stomach twisted.
Kaelith scoffed. "How desperate are you?"
That broke her.
Her eyes burned with fresh tears.
The Demon King, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke.
"That's enough," he said.
Kaelith's jaw ticked.
"Is it?" he sneered. "I thought you liked watching me suffer, Father."
The Demon King's gaze sharpened. "You have no one to blame but yourself."
Kaelith let out a harsh, broken laugh.
"Congratulations," he spat, voice trembling with unspent rage.
He turned to Ember.
"You won yet another trophy," he said, his voice dripping with something raw, something painful.
Then….without another word….
He stormed out.
The door slammed shut.
Ember burst into tears.
Without thinking….
She turned, burying her face into the Demon King's chest.
His arms wrapped around her.
And he glared at the door where his son had left.
"You should run, Ember. Because if I catch you, I won't be gentle."
The warning came too late.
The moment Ember turned, she collided with a wall of solid heat.
Not a wall.
Kaelith.
His hands were on her before she could react, gripping her arms too tightly, his breathing uneven, sharp. The scent of smoke, ash, and something wild clung to him. His pupils were blown wide, his skin too warm, too volatile.
He had been burning something.
A lot of something.
Her chest tightened.
"Get out of my way." Her voice was low, warning.
Kaelith tilted his head. "Make me."
She glared up at him, trying to push past, but he blocked her path, his body refusing to move.
"I don't have time for this, Kaelith!"
His jaw ticked. "Neither do I."
His hands shot out, grabbing her waist.
Before she could scream, she was off the ground….
Thrown over his shoulder like a sack of flour.
"Kaelith, put me down!"
He ignored her.
He moved fast, controlled, his grip unbreakable.
The air around them smelled of fire, the distant trees still smoldering from his earlier rage.
Ember pounded against his back.
"I swear to all the gods….if you don't put me down, I will…."
"You'll what?" he mused, voice taunting.
"Rip your damn horns off!" she screeched.
Kaelith chuckled darkly. "I'd like to see you try."
They reached his chambers.
With one powerful kick, the door slammed open….then, with one sharp flick of his wrist, it closed behind them, sealing shut with magic.
Ember felt the shift.
The way the air thickened, how the room became warmer, heavier.
She was trapped.
Kaelith tossed her onto his massive bed.
She bounced, scrambling to sit up, face red with fury.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" she shouted.
Kaelith towered over her, eyes glowing, dangerous.
"You're not leaving."
Ember froze.
Her breath came fast, too fast.
"You can't keep me here," she whispered.
Kaelith's eyes darkened.
"Watch me."
Her stomach twisted.
His hands clenched at his sides, his body tense, coiled like a beast barely containing itself.
"You're angry," she hissed. "So you're punishing me by keeping me locked up? How very demon-like of you."
Kaelith's jaw tightened.
"Don't tempt me, Ember," he said, voice low, rough, warning.
Her hands trembled, but she forced herself to glare at him.
"Why do you even care?" she whispered. "You didn't care before. You didn't stop me before."
Kaelith's expression flickered.
She saw it….the conflict, the something deeper behind his fury.
Then, just as quickly, it was gone.
"You're not leaving," he repeated.
Ember stood, her legs wobbly but determined.
"Then stop me," she challenged.
Kaelith exhaled sharply.
And in the blink of an eye….
He was on her.
His hand slammed against the wall beside her, caging her in.
She sucked in a breath, the heat of him drowning her.
"Say it again, Ember," he murmured, voice silk and steel. "Tell me to stop you."
Her heart hammered violently.
Her throat went dry.
She didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Kaelith leaned in, his breath hot against her ear.
"Because I will," he whispered.
A warning.
A promise.
A trap.
And Ember had just walked right into it.