Alistair POV

I stayed by the fireplace long after the sound of Elish's retreating footsteps had faded into the silence of the east wing. The scent of her--that intoxicating mix of clinical jasmine and raw defiance lingered in the air, mocking the cold, empty space she had occupied only moments before. I looked down at my hands; they were steady, as they always were, but inside, my blood was a riot of heat and static. She had pushed me. She had looked into the eyes of a monster and dared to spit in his face.