Love And Betrayal | ✔️

54. Operation Trojan Horse (I)

"The path to victory is to find your opponent's weakness and make him suffer for it."

—Master Shifu, Kung Fu Panda

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K I A R A

WE WAIT, DUSTING the snow off our combat suits.

The portal swirls, hissing louder. It's mouth flares. There's a flash of black, a mumble of curses and..

BAAAM! Ashton lands face first. His mouth twists into a grimace before he spits out a mouthful of gravel and snow.

"That," He raises his head. "That was the most disgusting thing I ever tasted. I think I swallowed a stone."

Tessa chuckles. "Don't fret. You'll get it back in five to six hours."

Ashton grunts but doesn't get a chance to respond. Before he can, the tornado swivels on its axis and releases a roar as it hurls out someone else.

Tousled brown hair, wobbly limbs—she soars through the air before landing with a thud. She rolls a little distance away before coming to a stop. At first, she's still as death.

Then, she moves. Coughs, sits up, and draws in deep lungfuls of air.

I stride over. "Need help?" I ask.

Stella doesn't answer as she stares at the ground.

Crouching down, I extend my hand towards her. "Don't look so glum. You did well. Keep this up and you'll give the Hollywood hotshots a run for their money."

An indecipherable look crosses her face before she places her hand in mine. I pull her up, steadying her as she gets back on her feet. A misstep and she stumbles. I catch her arm before she slams into the ground again.

"Easy, you seem a little pale." I murmur, feeling her pulse racing beneath their skin—after effects of being puked out of a portal. "Maybe you should sit down for a bit. Let me take a look."

I press my palm into her back. Power travels through the tip of my fingers and penetrates her skin. Warmth courses through her veins. Gentle and soothing. She stiffens at first, then relaxes. Her pulse slows until it's normal again.

"Better?"

She buries her head in her hands. "No."

I wait. Minutes pass until—

"I saw his face when the portal threw you out." She finally speaks. "It doesn't matter he didn't see you, but I swear he felt it. He suspected it at once. Something changed the moment you stepped inside the castle, Kiara."

"Is that why you kissed him?" I ask gently. "Because you knew that would distract him?"

She nods, still hiding her face in her hands. "Yes."

I merely smile. "You betrayed him with a kiss."

How poetic.

"Betrayed him with a kiss." She repeats. A tear rolls down her cheek. "I—I was just trying to save my brother. But his feelings.. that was real. I played him and fuck...I'm a terrible person."

I place my hands on her shoulders. "Look at me, Stella. Sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. Don't feel bad for what you did today. Thanks to you, our plan is a success. We've saved ourselves from another five years of war."