Lindsay blinks, caught off guard. “Why?”
“Because I’d rather be the monster standing beside you than the one who finds your body after.”
She doesn’t answer. But the flicker behind her eyes says she hears me.
Every damn word.
TWENTY-FIVE
LINDSAY
Raiden’s handbrushes mine as I steady the spell, and my breath catches, not because of the heat it sends racing up my arm, but because he doesn’t pull away.
“Focus,” he says, though there’s a faint curve to his mouth. “I can feel your magic start to slip.”
“I’m focusing,” I mutter, trying to ignore the way his voice rumbles low and warm through me.
The air between us shimmers faintly as the tether reacts—his power and mine still tangled from the binding. It’s steadier now. Calmer. Less volatile than it was when we first linked. But the need for him still simmers underneath my skin. Always there.
He steps closer behind me, correcting my stance with a light touch to my waist. I feel it everywhere. My thoughts scatter like ash.
“Better,” he says, and I try not to lean back into him.
We’ve been training like this every morning for a few weeks. Early, quiet, before the rest of the school stirs. Raiden is patient in a way I didn’t expect. Calm and encouraging. He doesn’t treat me like I’m dangerous or unstable. He just…shows up. And waits for me to believe I can do this. The council has put a hold on theirdecision, and there haven’t been any more incidents. Both are great. I hope it stays that way.
He steps around to face me now, dark auburn hair falling over one brow as he watches me. His eyes sparkling with approval.
“You’re getting stronger,” he says.
I shrug one shoulder, trying for casual. “Or you’re getting better at faking praise.”
His mouth quirks. “If I wanted to fake praise, I’d tell you your fire walls didn’t nearly incinerate my jacket yesterday.”
I smirk. “Youdiddodge pretty fast.”
“That’s what happens when someone tries to set the person holding the target ring on fire instead of the target.”
“Semantics.”
His laugh is low and rare, and it does stupid things to my pulse. He sobers a little, then tilts his head.
“You going to the Harvest Moon Revel tomorrow?”
I blink. “Uh, Tamsin says it’s basically required, so… yeah.”
He nods, thoughtful. “Good.”
“Good?” I arch a brow. “You planning on hiding in the shadows and judging everyone’s outfits?”
That earns me a flash of teeth. “Tempting. But no.”
Then he steps just a little closer, gaze flicking to my lips before meeting my eyes again.
“Save a dance for me,” he says. “I promise I won’t curse you.”
My heart does something completely inconvenient in my chest. And I inhale a slow, steadying breath.
“I’ll think about it,” I say, but the grin I’m fighting probably gives me away.
