Kael.
He moves toward me with an effortless grace, his steps silent on the marble floor. Before I can speak, his hand is extended, palm up, like he’s offering me a choice.
The music begins—a soft, haunting melody that seems to come from nowhere, as if it’s always been here, waiting for someone to listen.
Without thinking, I place my hand in his. His skin is warm, but there’s something else about it. His touch is bare, and I feel it all the way down to my core—raw and unguarded, unlike anything I’ve felt before. Magic hums between us, a soft vibration that settles into my chest.
The moment his hand touches mine, the world spins—just for a moment—and suddenly, we’re moving together, dancing. The steps are fluid, like we’ve done this a thousand times before, like I was meant to be here with him in this moment.
We glide across the floor, the music surrounding us, drawing me closer into the rhythm of it, into the pull of him. I can feel the magic wrapping around us, pulling me deeper into the dream. His eyes never leave mine, and I can’t look away. The intensity of his gaze is magnetic, powerful.
“You’re not what they think,” Kael whispers, his voice low and laced with a strange, ancient pull. His words feel like they come from deep within me.
I try to focus, to make sense of what he’s saying, but it’s hard to think with him so close, with his body moving against mine. The way his touch feels like fire and ice at the same time.
“What do you mean?” I ask, barely above a breath. His grip tightens around my waist, pulling me even closer.
“You’re tangled up in this world, in a way no one expects. But you’re not like the others,” he says cryptically, his words tinged with something darker, something knowing.
I try to pull away, confusion flooding me. “What are you talking about?”
He steps closer, his lips brushing my ear as he whispers, “You’re more than just a human in this place, Lindsay. And you’re not just the Veil’s chosen. You’re something else. You always have been.”
His thumb brushes gently across my cheek, his touch soft but lingering, like he’s debating something. I feel it, the warmth of his fingers as they trace the curve of my skin, a question hanging in the air between us. I realize at that moment, he’s close enough to kiss me, and I can almost feel it in the air, a magnetic tension pulling us together.
Before I can respond, he leans back, his eyes searching mine with a flicker of something unreadable in his gaze. The room seems to shift, the music slowing, as if time itself is stretching between us.
“I can’t tell you everything now,” he says, voice barely more than a whisper. “But this world, this place—it’s not what it seems. And neither are you.”
I try to speak, to ask more, but before the words come out, he vanishes. Not like before—this time, he melts into the shadows, leaving me standing alone in the center of the ballroom.
I blink, my heart pounding, the dream slipping away like sand through my fingers. The magic, the music, the feeling of him…all of it starts to fade.
I jerk awake with a gasp, my heart pounding in my chest, the remnants of the dream still clinging to me like a shroud. The grand ballroom, the soft glow of magic, Kael’s pale eyes, and the feel of his bare hand in mine, everything from the dream lingers like an echo. I reach up, fingers brushing my cheek, still warm from his touch.
But the warmth doesn’t last. Reality seeps back in, cold and real. I’m not in a ballroom anymore. I’m in the sterile confines of the infirmary, the soft glow of the magical lights overhead grounding me back into the present.
My breath slows as I try to shake off the remnants of the dream. It felt too real, and I can’t ignore the magnetic pull I still feel in my chest. Kael’s words swirl in my mind:You’re not what they think. What did he mean? I still don’t understand, but a part of me is afraid to.
I push myself up into a sitting position, the room spinning slightly. The feeling of being caught between worlds sinks into me.
"You can go, but no magic for the next twenty four hours." Matron Cray’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts, her form appearing at the door. She’s standing there, watching me with a quiet, knowing expression. "And rest, you’ll need your strength for the storm that's coming."
I nod, trying to collect myself, but the dream lingers.
"Thanks," I mutter, the words not quite feeling real, like everything around me is shifting too fast for me to keep up.
Matron Cray gives me one last look before she turns and leaves, her presence like a shadow in the quiet room. I sit there for a moment, staring at the walls, and try to steady my breathing.
FIFTEEN
LINDSAY
The library isa refuge I find myself gravitating toward after the chaos of the last few days. The stone walls feel like a place of stability, their quiet weight a small comfort. I walk through the rows of bookshelves, the faint scent of leather and parchment welcoming me like an old friend. The rhythm of my steps echoes in the otherwise still room, and I breathe in the peace.
Nolan's already there, deeply absorbed in one of his many books. The quiet scratch of his quill against parchment is the only sound in the library, and for a moment, I almost forget everything that’s happened. I want to just…be. To escape the tension that’s been hanging over me ever since I woke up.
I drop into the chair next to him. “Sorry I missed Runic Arts.”
