Celindria’s descendant would know Nox was here. He wanted Rayne to feel him nearby. Wanted her quaking and terrified. She would soon surrender her entire race to him, and had no way of knowing, yet. Although she must know…

This was always meant to be.

The cloth across Nox’s back itched and pressed into him. He resented the heavy cloak, and his need to cover himself on this planet. He’d ruled Cinder as its King for thousands of years with no need to hide from their sun. But no matter. The cloak served for dramatic effect. This moment, eight thousand years in the making, called for some theatrics.

Colita’s warriors flanked Nox, where they stood at the mouth of North Hall in menacing dress. Frightened students ran into the nearest classroom. Some were too petrified to move or scream.

Until the first shriek sounded. It came not from a young student, but from an adult. A teacher. She walked out to investigate the commotion, took one look at Nox, and broke into a shrill fit before hurrying into her classroom.

The scream resonated to the opposite end of the school, where Colita was cutting the sprinkler lines and preparing the explosives. At present, Korac took care of a most inconvenient errand for Nox. Each of them had prepared for their own moment. Each of them were electric with anticipation.

Nox flexed his ringed fist around a nacre in his palm, and Colita’s soldiers deployed to cover the exits. Poised on the brink, the tension intensified as the aroma of amped-up human adrenaline enticed Nox’s predatory senses. Weak humans pressed their faces to the glass of a nearby classroom. He glared through the window, and the people stayed inside.

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Oh, how Nox wanted the buildup before the climax to last. For the shrieks to announce his presence. He knew Rayne’s heart pounded as if he’d held it in his hand. Tears would breach her lashes. Overcome, overwrought, and oh, just a tad bit…

Excited.

Nox flexed his fist again until the nails bit into his palm. The amber glass pearl refused to break in his grip, no matter how often he tried. Soon, he would convince Rayne to swallow it—Force her, if he must. Then afterward, passion would consume them. There was time enough for that in a few hours. An eternity waited for them after today.

Nox approached the first bank of lockers, and Colita’s men grunted on cue. He continued his stroll down North Hall, passing classrooms filled with intoxicating donors. He stopped at the end where cursed light beamed through the glass exit, drawing a line the Icari couldn’t cross.

For now.

Rayne was so close. Around the corner. Utterly frightened. Dread would drain her lovely fair skin, almost as pale as the most beautiful women on Cinder. Her wide, bright-blue eyes shedding tears from the delicious adrenaline spike. Her delicate mouth parted, allowing short, quivering breaths.

Nox desired to taste Rayne’s lips, splashed with salty tears, for the first time outside of one of her dreams. He wanted her to look exactly as she did now, underneath him on their pallet beside his fire. He imagined his fingers tangled in that beautiful midnight hair.

There would be time enough for that. Here and now , the security guard approached, and Nox flexed his fist one last time.

The invasion began.