The night was warm, heavy with the scent of jasmine. The estate gardens stretched wide and quiet, lit only by soft golden lanterns hanging from the pavilion beams. Beyond the iron gates, the city existed. But here, this world belonged to her.
She walked barefoot on the stone path, silk robe whispering around her legs. The cool air kissed her skin, slipping beneath the fabric. Her hair was loose tonight, spilling down her back in a dark wave.
They were waiting for her already. Four men, standing in a straight line beneath the pavilion arch, dressed in black. Their muscles caught the lantern light, shadows rippling over their skin.
“Good,” she whispered as she reached them. “You’re learning.”
Their eyes followed her every movement, silent and burning.
She circled them slowly, the way a
