Sitting at touching distance from him made me realise how much closer danger was getting. Kai knew my whereabouts which would mean Xerxes wasn’t far. The thought itself was frightening in a soul-shuddering way. My heart was barely at ease. I couldn’t even hear Augustus and Kai conversing. Future alliance. Alliance where Augustus would suffer for my runaway. What was I ought to do now? I couldn’t face Xerxes for I couldn’t handle his wrath. He brought pain and suffering and the fact that Kai had witnessed the proximity of Augustus and me, was going to bring hell on Earth. The hell that would burn me.

My body shivered. Kai’s...