"It is not strength," Kiara continued evenly. "It is not wealth. It is not authority. It is luck. A man can lose a coin and find another. He can lose status and claw his way back. But if he loses his luck at the wrong moment… even the heavens won't step in. I hope you don't run out of it today."
The adventurer's face darkened instantly.
"Are you cursing me, lady?" His voice rose, sharp and loud.
The floor supervisor finally stepped in. "Mr. Jareth," he said sternly, "please lower your voice. You're disturbing business."
Jareth ignored him. In one smooth motion, he unsheathed the heavy sword from his back and pointed it toward Kiara.
"Don't think that just because you're a beautiful woman, I'll let you speak to me like that." His tone turned cold. "You should be thankful we're inside the store. If you'd said those words outside, you would've paid for it dearly."
Zion moved instantly, stepping in front of Kiara, body taut and ready.
She lightly touched his shoulder. "It's fine."
