Liv’s POV

I stopped a few feet from his desk, close enough to make my presence clear but still near the door. My spine was rigid, every muscle taut, like a bowstring pulled tight. I refused to let him see the nerves rattling inside me.

Kaelon motioned to the chair opposite him. "Sit," he said, his voice smooth, confident.

“I’ll stand,” I replied sharply. The slight upward twitch of his eyebrow made me stick with my decision the more. I wasn’t here to play his game.

I crossed my arms, glaring at him. That calm smile on his face only fueled my irritation. Did nothing rattle this man? The answer...