VELIN

My royal black gown hit the floor of my chamber as I paced. The torches along the wall flickered hard, shadows stretching and bending with my anger.

"How the hell are you this incompetent?!" My voice cracked the air like a whip.

She didn’t move. She didn’t flinch. But I felt her anger crawl through the room like smoke, thick and hot, even though her lips stayed shut.

"I thought you really wanted revenge," I hissed. "I thought when I saw you standing there, I found someone like me. ...