-HER-

I somehow snuck back into my old wing and locked myself into my bedroom, and didn't leave it until the next morning. I was still shaking from the whole incident, and it took me a whole night to wrap my head around what I had just done. I was restless the entire time, wondering if my brother was alright. But my biggest concern was what Krifaris and Herran had been doing to my brother all this time.

Was it because of some spell that they had put on my brother that was making him act so irrationally? I couldn't tell, but this further fed my worries that I was harbouring for my brother.

To make matters worse, I didn't know how my brother would react to the things that happened tonight. I knew that my involvement in the fire would make him more distant from me. Herran could also use this as a major reason to have me thrown out of here.

There were very high chances of things going downhill from here very quickly. I couldn't think what I would do then. My mind was too preoccupied with replaying the incident to think something other than that. It had shaken me from the core. I had never felt so deranged and disturbed in my life before.

Nonetheless, I needed to see my brother sooner than ever. He needed to know the truth as soon as possible. Though this time, it would be harder for me to meet him, and I was right.

I didn't sleep all night. At the break of dawn, I went to his wing to see him, but I couldn't get inside because it was so heavily guarded. I came back disappointed and then slept till the afternoon due to exhaustion. After I woke up, I started planning.

I needed to see my brother tonight, anyhow. It was still early, and if I could make him understand the situation, then he might act a bit wisely. I prepared to sneak into his wing tonight, even if it was heavily guarded. After everyone had gone to sleep, I left my room to see my brother.

I took immense caution as I hid in the shadows while moving through the wing. I needed to leave the wing without anyone seeing me, which was possible only through the garden. I was almost there when I took a sharp turn around a corner and instantly bumped into something.

At first, it felt like I had run into a wall, but as I slowly recovered from the blow, I noticed that the wall was a person.

"I will kill you," I couldn't help but growl as soon as I saw his face in the dim light. At first, I thought that I was mistaking someone else for him, but as soon as his eyes lit up at my threat, I knew that it was, in fact, him.

"I'll be honoured," He dared to speak.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded. He cocked an eyebrow at me.

"To see you," He answered curtly.

"If I scream, everyone will know that you're in the Emperor's Sister's wing and before you can say my name, you'll be getting executed!" I threatened, but he didn't look even slightly scared at this. Instead, he crossed his hands over his chest and gave me a heated look... the look that stirred some dark things inside me.

"Do it," He had the audacity to dare me. I opened my mouth to hurl insults at him when I heard some noises in the distance. I instantly knew that it was Selma.

Without thinking next, I grabbed his wrist and tugged him in the opposite direction before breaking into a run. I would be in huge trouble if someone saw him here at this hour. Nico silently followed me while I led him inside a secret passageway.

I pushed him inside first before I made sure that Selma or the other servants were nowhere to be seen anywhere. While I was doing this, he grabbed me from behind and pulled me inside. Before I could say anything, my back was pressed against the wall while my front was pressed against him.

His hot mouth crashed on mine before I felt flames erupt all over my body. I wanted to push him back and curse him, but instead of doing that, I found myself clutching his clothes and desperately pulling him down to deepen the kiss.

I felt him giving in to the kiss while demanding more and more at the same time. As he sucked hard at my bottom lip, I felt a moan starting to rise at the back of my throat, but still, he couldn't seem to have enough.

For a moment, I didn't know what I was doing to do or what I was supposed to do. All I could focus on was his hot mouth against mine, claiming everything repeatedly until it was etched into my brain.

I felt him pressing his body more against mine until I could feel every muscle, especially his erection digging into my stomach desperately. If anything, this didn't help me at all. It pushed me further into the haze of lust until my body was burning with need.

I was starting to get out of breath, yet he didn't seem to have any plans to let me go anytime soon. If I tried to push him even a little, he would further deepen the kiss, making me weaker in my legs.

Briefly, I managed to push him back to gasp for a breath. I glared at him, but it didn't help. The area between my legs was already pulsing with need. It got worse when I saw possessiveness in his eyes. As he dived for a second kiss, I knew I might have to change some of my plans for tonight.

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