Cyra PoV
I growled as my mind's eye captured the scene of Saffron and that insufferable prince pressing my father despite absorbing the curse. My father had been so confident, so sure of his strength and the power he had gained. Yet here he was, faltering against their combined might.
Those gnats were gonna win again! It wasn't fair! I knew my father's power, the depths of his experience and cunning. But I also understood the strength of Saffron's resolve. It was one of the reasons I had fallen for that stupid man.
His strength was not just physical; it was a strength of character, of purpose. And it was that very resolve that now threatened everything my father and I had worked for.
I couldn't deny the small part of me that felt a pang of admiration for him, even as he fought against us. It was a part of myself I had tried to suppress, one that recognized the purity of his intentions even when they clashed with my own.
