I nearly slice my hand. “Lyra!”
“No, listen. You two have been staring at each other like you’re seconds away from tearing clothes off—for days.Days,Amara.” She leans in, eyes wide with genuine concern. “What’s the hold-up, woman? Please tell me he’s capable—because all that warlord energy has to be worthsomething.”
I groan and press my hand to my forehead.
“He’s been leaving every afternoon. Doesn’t get back until after midnight.”
Lyra blinks. “What?”
I exhale, setting my blade down. “He has to go back to the capital. Council meetings. The attacks on the borders are getting worse.”
She stares at me. “Are you telling me the only reason you two haven’t thrown yourselves at each other is because ofcouncil meetings?”
I gesture vaguely. “War. Strategy. Border attacks. Duty. That kind of thing.”
She gives me a deeply unimpressed look. “Fine. I’ll be patient. But just so we’re clear—if you two don’t handle this soon, I’m staging an intervention.”
The pattern has been the same for days.
Train until we can’t stand.
Thane leaves.
I stew in frustration.
Repeat.
Later, that afternoon, I’m sitting on the stone ledge just outside the outpost, rolling the stiffness from my shoulders, trying not to think about how badly I want a moment alone with him.
I sense him before I see him.
I turn—he’s already there.
Not dusted with exhaustion. Not distracted by duty.
Just here. Early.
He meets my gaze and says just three words: “Come with me.”
I blink. “What?”
His gaze flicks to the dragons’ clearing on the mountainside, where I know Calryx stays now that she’s at the outpost with me. “Call your dragon. Let’s fly.”
I straighten slightly, pulse kicking up. “Where?”
Thane tilts his head, his smirk slow, easy. “Do you always ask this many questions?”
I narrow my eyes. “Do you always appear out of nowhere and demand I follow you?”
His lips twitch. “I didn’t demand.”
I cross my arms. “You kind of did.”
He steps in close, then looks down like he already knows I’m going to say yes.
“Come with me, Amara.”
A pause.
