Mathias fixed the Duke of Tharron, In that volatile instant, noble etiquette and imperial laws were nothing more than dust scattered by a gale. He required no formal accusation, no trial, and no warrant; the mere knowledge that this man had laid hands on Olivia—that he dared to inhale the very air breathed by the woman he had shattered—was provocation enough. Mathias did not merely wish to fight him; he craved his total annihilation. He wanted to tear the life from his throat and erase every trace of his existence from the earth.
Roland took a sharp, arrogant step toward the door, his intent unmistakable. Mathias did not flinch. He mirrored the movement, his massive frame baring the way like an unyielding monolith.
"I have come to see my daughter," Roland stated, his voice a glacial rasp, his eyes fixed on the wooden barrier.
