Chapter 19: A Queen’s First Move
The black rose didn't just shake Kyler.
It shook me.
Because for the first time, I realized this war wasn't just about power.
It was personal.
Dimitri didn't just want to destroy Kyler.
He wanted to take what he loved.
Me.
Kyler doubled security.
The house became a fortress.
But I could see it in his face.
The guilt.
The fear.
The kind that eats at you from the inside, like rot under gold.
"I brought this to your doorstep," he said one night, fists clenched. "You should hate me."
"I should," I whispered. "But I don't. Because you also gave me something no one ever has."
"What?"
"A reason to fight."
The next day, Dimitri made his first move.
One of Kyler's warehouses exploded.
People died.
Innocent ones.
And I saw Kyler break.
He didn't speak for hours. Just stared at the smoke in the distance.
Until I placed my hand on his chest.
"Let me help you," I said.
"You are helping me," he replied quietly. "By just being here."
"No," I said. "That's not enough anymore."
So I made a call.
To someone from my past.
Someone I never thought I'd turn to again.
Zane.
Yes—him.
Because sometimes, to kill a devil, you need to use another one.
He picked up on the second ring.
"Well, well. Look who finally crawled back."
"I'm not crawling," I said. "I'm warning you."
He laughed.
But I cut him off.
"I know what you're doing with Dimitri."
Silence.
Then: "Careful, sweetheart."
"I don't need to be careful," I said. "I just need you to stay out of this."
"And if I don't?"
"I'll give Kyler your location."
Click.
When I told Kyler what I did, he didn't yell.
He just looked at me… different.
Like he was seeing me for the first time.
"You're not mine anymore," he said softly.
My heart stopped.
"What?"
"You're not mine," he repeated. "You're you. And you're stronger than I ever imagined."
He pulled me in.
"I don't want to protect you anymore, Ash. I want to fight beside you."
That night, we made our first move.
Together.
We burned Dimitri's front.
Sent a message.
"You want a war? You'll bleed for it."
And as we stood in the flames, he looked at me.
Eyes fierce. Hands trembling.
"I love you."
I froze.
He said it like it hurt to say.
Like it meant something dangerous.
But I said it back.
Not because I had to.
But because it was true.
"I love you too."