Her smile widens as she nods in his direction. “Him,Talen... the guy you're drooling over... we call him the Nightrose.”
I snort, eyes still locked on him. “What, like after the flower found in the Southern Peaks? Because he’s so delicate?” My brows furrow.
“No,” she huffs. “Because he’s sodeadly. The Nightrose looks so beautiful on the outside sweet little moths can’t help but be drawn in. The scent, the colour, everything about it screamssafe. But the second they get close enough?Boom.” The clapsof her hands makes me jump. “It’s petals snap shut. And then it slowly digests them alive over the course of a few days. It’s actually pretty horrific...” She pauses for a second, then adds, “He’s Air Realm too, a senior officer here. Most of the upper ranks already treat him like one of their own. Even the professors seem careful around him... He’s one of the strongest in our cohort, well within the whole Citadel to be honest. His speciality issoundmanipulation.”
There’s something in the way she says it, like the words are supposed to impress or intimidate me. I blink, managing to finally drag my gaze back to her.
“Sound? That’s it?” I arch a brow. Sure, it was impressive how Professor Merrin just silenced me mid-sentence—cut off my voice like flipping a switch—but I wouldn’t call itthescariest thing I’ve ever encountered.
Ezzy picks up on the look on my face, flat, sceptical, unimpressed. Her smile fades, shoulders straighten slightly.
“No, Lyra, It’sterrifying.” She takes a breath, eyes flicking toward the pillar where he leans. “Think about it... You’dneverhear him coming. No footsteps. No breath. Just... nothing. And then he’sthere. He could silence a whole army, or blanket entire battalions in stillness. No commands. No warning cries. No one would notice until their throats were already cut.” She wraps her arms around herself, like the chill of her own words is settling in. My throat tightens. “He can strip every sound from your body—your voice, your footsteps, your heartbeat. No point screaming for help, you wouldn't even be able to.”
The hairs rise on the back of my neck as I swallow. “Okay,” I whisper. “Yeah.... That’s... actually pretty terrifying.”
I glance back toward the pillar?—
And freeze, lungs forgetting how to move.
Talen is staring straight at me. Not casually. Not like he just happened to look my way. Locked. Direct. Like he’s beenlistening to us this whole time. I try to look away, Ineedto look away, but I don’t,can’t. My muscles forget how to move, my throat forgets how to swallow. The air around us, loud and busy a second ago, feels like it’s pressing in, every inch of me feels too warm, too aware of him.
God. This Nightrose shit isn’tjusta nickname.
I already feel like a fucking moth...
He tilts his head, just slightly, like he’s trying to place something. Then he smiles, slow. Left side first, like he knows something I don’t, then wider, creasing at the corners of his eyes. It seems more charming than calculated. It’s the kind of smile that gets girls like me in trouble, the kind I should want no part of.
My heart kicks up but I lock my jaw, pushing it down.
What am I doing? What is wrong with me? He’s everything I hate, and here I am—wanting?Fuck, he’s not even my usual type. Too clean, too composed. Especially next to Bren. Bren’s the kind of man I always told myself Ishouldwant. Rough edges and calloused hands. A working man through and through, solid and familiar.
But now, god, now I’m not sure. Because standing here, looking athim, it’s so clear. Bren’s always felt a bit... predictable, safe. But this one? This one’s dangerous, I feel it in the way my pulse kicks hard against my chest. Everything about him screams curated, controlled. Probably vain, definitely an ego.
He runs his tongue over his bottom lip, then briefly catches it between his teeth before pushing off the pillar with slow, fluid ease, slipping the talisman back into his pocket.
Ezzy stiffens beside me, and my breath catches, but I lock it down fast and drag the heat off my face until it’s blank, unreadable.
I can’t look rattled. Can’t look interested. Because every second I hold his stare feels like handing over something I didn’t mean to give. And I can’t afford that. Not now. Not here.
Keep my head down, that was the plan. Not get caught eyeing up danger gift-wrapped in a fucking Citadel officer’s uniform.
For a second, I’m sure he’s coming straight toward me. His gaze locked on mine like a dare, like he’s already made a decision I don’t get to vote on.
But then a shadow cuts across his path as another officer steps between us. Dark skin, close-cropped hair. Tall, broad, and solid with muscle, built like a goddamn wall. He leans in, not hurried, but respectful and murmurs something low against Talen’s ear.
A chill slithers down my spine. The subtle tilt of Talen’s head, the way the other officer’s gaze flicks my way—They’re talking about me, I know it.
Talen’s eyes hold mine, but something shifts. The easy, flirtatious smile falters, like something just caught him off guard. Then his gaze sweeps the room, quick and controlled, before snapping back to mine. The smile doesn’t return, what’s left is colder,hungrier.
The courtyard’s still crowded, still moving, but as he walks toward me, the sound shifts. Voices dull, footsteps blur. Like someone threw a blanket over the world and smothered the edges.
My chest goes tight the second he stops in front of me, close. Too close. Close enough for the warmth of him to roll over me in slow waves, to see the faint shadow of stubble along his jaw, the angular cut of his cheekbone. He’s taller than I expected, built like someone who belongs on a battlefield, not in a courtyard.
And then there’s the scent, not cologne, not soap. Something deeper, earthy and warm. Leather, smoke and clean sweat, like heat clinging to skin after a hard workout. It hits low and sharp,my fists tighten at my side, nails biting into skin, holding my reaction down.
God, he’s even more devastating up close.
No. Get a grip. Focus. One month. No drama, no detours, just get the journals and out clean.
