I stepped forward, all heads turning. Michlael stared with intensity as well, as if he was expecting a spectacular show. My heels rang softly against the marble. I hoped to be able to summon my flames at the very least. The silence that fell was electric. I breathed in, and the fire rose with me, warm, eager, alive. A spark ignited in my palm, spinning into a sphere that glowed brighter than any chandelier. Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Good.
I let the fire swirl up my arms, trying to mimic the way they had made ribbons, but failed. The flame danced around me without singeing, forming a circle of light thatpulsated with my heartbeat. Then, I spun as I tried calling back the flames, making them burst into sparks around me instead.
The applause was deafening.
I smiled, my heart hammering. Malakai was still watching, but the amusement was gone. His expression was something sharper, darker, admiration wrapped in challenge. It sent heat crawling up my neck.
Before he could say anything, before I read whatever was in his eyes, Lionel stepped forward and offered me his hand. “Dance with me?”
I hesitated, but refused to let anyone see me falter. “Sure,” I nodded, slipping my hand into his. His grip was warm, steady, familiar.
The music swelled again as he led me to the center of the floor. His movements were perfect, too perfect. Every step was precise, every turn calculated, but there was no softness, no smile. I might as well have been dancing with a ghost and it crushed me. Where had Lionel learned how to dance in the first place? My steps were a total mess, I even trampled his foot once, but he didn’t even flinch.
“Still mad at me?” I whispered, as he spun me under his arm.
His jaw flexed.
“You kept it a secret fromme,” he said simply, voice quiet but sharp.
“I didn’t ask for this,” I reassured. “It’s not like I was able to control whether I was a mage or not.”
The dance forced us closer, his hand at my waist, his breath brushing my forehead, things that would’ve normally turned my mind rigid, but he felt miles away and I felt lonelier than ever. I searched his face for some signof the boy who used to watch my back, who used to make me laugh, but all I saw was distance, hesitation andfear.
When the music ended, he released me almost too quickly and bowed. Polite. Cold.
The mere sight made tears burn at the corner of my eyes, but I managed to keep them hidden.
I wanted to reach for him, I wanted to grab hold of him. My hand lifted briefly, fire sparking around it, and his eyes narrowed on it.
He didn’t seeme,anymore, only my magic.
The applause for the dance barely faded before a shadow fell over us. Malakai was there, closer than I realised, looming over me intentionally.
“Lieutenant,” Lionel’s voice was flat, cold.
Malakai didn’t even glance at him, his eyes were fixed on me.
“You’re wasted on him tonight.” His voice was low, smooth, meant only for me.
My breath caught. “Excuse me?”
“You’re excused.” He extended his hand, the gesture deliberate, patient. Not a command, an invitation. “Dance with me.”
For a moment, I only stared at him, baffled. The air felt too warm, the fire under my skin threatening to rise again. My head was a storm and my flames fed from it, my uncertainty, my fear of how to act around Lionel… Out of the corner of my eye, Lionel stiffened, his hand tightening into a fist at his side, but he said nothing.
I should’ve said no. I should’ve…
But something in Malakai’s expression, that glint of challenge, the rare seriousness under all his usual teasing, hooked me. Slowly, I placed my hand in his.
No fear.
Malakai’s smile was small but sharp, and he tugged me onto the dance floor with a confidence that made my heart stumble. His hand settled at the small of my back, guiding me through the steps like we had done this a hundred times before.
“You burn so brightly,” he murmured, head dipping closer until I felt the brush of his breath at the top of my hair. “Tell me, do you even realise what you do to people when you walk into a room?”
My pulse raced. “If you’re trying to flatter me—”
