The court was still reeling from what had just happened. The murmurs had grown louder, the whispers stretching through the grand hall like wildfire. Some were shocked, others impressed, and a few were clearly unhappy with how the duel had ended.
Celine stood in the middle of it all, her breath still uneven, her body still humming with the remnants of the fight. She was aware of everything. The stunned faces of the nobles. The tension in the air. The way Damian's golden eyes hadn't left her since she won.
Selene hadn't moved from where she had fallen. Her hands were still clenched into fists, nails digging into her skin so hard they might draw blood. Her hair, which had been perfectly styled before the fight, now hung in tangled strands around her face. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her pride clearly wounded beyond repair.
Celine would have felt bad… if she weren't so busy enjoying the moment.
