He gestures to the surrounding room with a sweep of his arm. “Advanced elemental integration. Or at least, that’s what your official training record will show.”
“And unofficially?” I cross my arms, hyperaware of how my shadows are already stirring restlessly around my feet.
A smile touches his lips, transforming his usually serious expression. “Let’s call it mutual curiosity.”
My shadows stir restlessly, already reaching toward him despite my attempts to control them. It’s like trying to hold back gravity—they want to seek him out, to touch that fire energy that calls to them like a siren song. His amber eyes track their movement with scientific interest that makes me feel like a specimen under a microscope.
“Your shadows seek my fire,” he observes, taking a step closer. I can smell his cologne now—something woodsy and warm that reminds me of campfires and autumn nights. “Even when you’re trying to restrainthem.”
“It’s not intentional,” I say defensively, heat flooding my cheeks with embarrassment.
“I know.” He takes another step closer, and I can feel the warmth radiating from his body. “That’s what makes it fascinating. True Vessel connections are rare enough. But a Shadow Vessel connecting to fire? Nearly unprecedented.”
I stiffen, every muscle in my body going taut. “I never said I was a Vessel.”
“You didn’t have to.” Constantine extends his hand, a small flame dancing above his palm like a living jewel. The fire casts a warm light across his features, making his eyes look like molten gold. “Shall we test our compatibility? Properly this time, without the audience.”
Every instinct screams that this is a trap, but my shadows have their own ideas. They reach eagerly toward his flame, thin tendrils extending across the space between us like curious fingers seeking warmth. The pull is so strong it’s almost painful to resist.
Against my better judgment, I nod. “What do I do?”
“Nothing. Just allow your shadows to respond naturally.” He steps closer, bringing his flame within reach of my shadows. I can feel the heat from his fire on my skin, warm and inviting. “I’ll control my fire to ensure it doesn’t harm you.”
The moment my shadow touches his flame, electricity shoots up my spine like lightning. The shadows don’t burn as they should—instead; they seem to absorb the fire energy, taking on a faint reddish glow where they connect that reminds me of coals in a dying fire. Constantine inhales sharply, his pupils dilating as his eyes widen.
“Do you feel that?” he asks, voice hushed with wonder and something deeper.
I nod, unable to form words past the sensation overwhelming my senses. It’s like every nerve ending in my body has suddenlycome alive. The feeling is unlike anything I’ve experienced—a rush of power flowing between us, neither shadow nor fire but something new altogether, something that makes my blood sing and my heart race.
Constantine gradually increases the size of his flame, and my shadows respond in kind, more tendrils reaching to connect with the expanded energy. The surrounding room seems to fade, colors becoming muted and distant as my awareness narrows to the pulsing connection between his fire and my darkness.
“Now,” he says softly, his voice rough with concentration, “try to channel it back.”
“What?” The word comes out as barely a whisper.
“The energy. Take what my fire offers and reflect it back. That’s how Vessel bonds work—reciprocal enhancement.”
I have no idea how to do what he’s asking, but my shadows seem to understand instinctively. They pulse with a rhythm that matches my heartbeat, drawing in the fire energy and transforming it into something that’s neither light nor shadow before sending it back to Constantine through the connection.
His flame suddenly flares, doubling in size and intensity. The heat washes over my face, and he gasps, nearly dropping the connection before regaining control with visible effort.
“Extraordinary,” he breathes, sweat beading on his forehead. “The legends don’t do it justice.”
Sweat beads on my forehead too from the effort of maintaining the connection. It feels like using muscles I didn’t know I had — a pleasant burn that speaks of power being stretched and strengthened. “What legends?”
“The histories of Ascendants. They described the Vessel bond as transformative for both parties, but...” He shakes his head in amazement, his hair catching the firelight. “The experience is beyonddescription.”
Alarm bells ring in my head, cutting through the intoxicating rush of power. “I never said?—”
“Please,” he interrupts gently, his amber eyes meeting mine with startling intensity. “We’re past that, aren’t we? Your secret remains safe with me, but honesty between us will make these sessions more productive.”
The energy connection between us intensifies as he speaks, creating a strange intimacy that makes lying seem not just pointless but physically uncomfortable. My shadows have already revealed the truth anyway, writhing and pulsing with his fire in ways no normal Dark Nephilim shadows would.
“Fine,” I concede, tasting defeat and relief in equal measure. “Yes, I’m an Ascendant. Happy now?”
Instead of triumph, his expression shows only fascination mixed with something that looks like vindication. “When did you ascend?”
“The night of my twentieth birthday. Three weeks before transferring here.” The connection makes it easy to speak the truth, like the words want to spill out of me. “I did not know what was happening to me.”
