Crowned in Shadows.

Kael hated this.

She hated everything about this.

The tunnels of Ravaryn were not meant to be shared. They were hers—paths she had spent years memorizing, hidden routes she had bled for.

And now she was leading an outsider through them.

The warlords' men were already searching the city above, and if they found this safehouse, everyone inside would be dead before sunrise.

Which was why Kael was moving fast, forcing Riven and his companion through the narrowest, darkest parts of Ravaryn, deeper into the underground maze.

She didn't trust him.

And she sure as hell didn't trust herself around him.

Because there was something about him—something off.

Not just the way he moved, like someone who had been trained for war. Not just the way he spoke, full of arrogance and amusement, as if nothing in the world could touch him.

It was the way he watched.

Like he saw everything.

Like he was memorizing her.

And Kael hated being observed.

Riven followed her closely, his boots making almost no sound against the damp stone floor. For someone who had clearly never been here before, he wasn't nearly as disoriented as he should have been.

Jorrik, on the other hand, was struggling.

"Do you always walk this fast?" Jorrik muttered, ducking under a hanging root.

Kael didn't answer.

"She doesn't talk much," Riven said, voice full of mock wisdom. "She prefers to let her weapons do the talking."

Kael's fingers twitched near her dagger.

She didn't bother looking back. "If you don't shut up, I'll let them have a full conversation with you."

Jorrik coughed to hide a laugh.

Riven grinned.

Riven's Perspective

Riven was having the time of his life.

Which was ridiculous, considering the circumstances.

He was being hunted by the most dangerous men in Ravaryn, forced to navigate pitch-black tunnels with a woman who actively wanted to kill him, and was only one wrong move away from being fed to the rats.

And yet—

He was enjoying this.

Because Kael Veyne was fascinating.

Everything about her was calculated. The way she walked—silent and steady. The way she watched the shadows—never letting her guard drop, even for a second.

The way her storm-colored eyes never lingered on him for too long.

As if she refused to acknowledge him beyond what was necessary.

And gods, wasn't that refreshing?

People either bowed or schemed.

But Kael?

She despised him.

Not in a passionate, fiery way—no, that would have been too easy.

She despised him with a cold, patient intensity.

Like he was something she had already decided was beneath her.

Which only made Riven more determined to get under her skin.

"Are we there yet?" he asked lazily, voice echoing slightly in the tight space.

Kael didn't react.

Riven tried again. "You know, if you wanted to be alone with me, you could have just—"

Kael whirled so fast that Riven barely had time to react.

Her dagger was at his throat.

Not pressing—not quite.

But one movement, and she could slice him open.

The tunnels were silent, the distant sounds of water dripping the only thing breaking the stillness.

Jorrik froze.

Riven… smiled.

Kael's voice was quiet. Deadly.

"I don't like you," she murmured.

Riven arched an eyebrow. "You don't say."

Kael's dagger didn't move. "You think this is a game."

Riven studied her, noting the tightness in her grip, the way her breath was steady—not the breath of someone acting on impulse. No, she had control.

Which meant she wasn't going to kill him.

Not yet, anyway.

He tilted his head, letting the blade graze his skin just slightly, just enough to see if she'd react.

She didn't.

"You're right," he said finally, voice softer now. "I don't take things seriously. Not because I think it's a game, but because if I did… it'd be a whole lot harder to survive."

For the first time, something flickered in Kael's eyes.

Not understanding.

Not sympathy.

But recognition.

Like she had heard those words before.

But then—just as quickly as it had come—it was gone.

Kael stepped back, slipping the dagger back into her belt.

"Keep moving," she said coldly.

Riven exhaled, rubbing his neck where the blade had been. "See, now I'm starting to think you don't actually want me dead."

Kael didn't answer.

She just walked deeper into the tunnels, disappearing into the shadows.

And for the first time since coming this world, Riven wondered if maybe—just maybe—he had finally met his match.