“I’m afraid we’re in the middle of a post-demonstration assessment,” Constantine replies smoothly, his voice carrying just enough authority to make refusing sound reasonable. “Perhaps another time.”
Seraphina’s perfect features show a flicker of annoyance, a crack in her composed mask. “Of course. Another time.” She turns to leave, then pauses at the door. “Your shadows keep fire essence effectively, Miss Dawn. An unusual trait for a Dark Nephilim.”
After she’s gone, the door clicking shut behind her like ajudge’s gavel; I collapse back onto the bench. “She knows. Or at least suspects.”
“Yes,” Constantine agrees, his expression troubled. “But her approach differs from her sister’s. Elara would have gone straight to the authorities. Seraphina seems... curious.”
“Curious is still dangerous.” I examine my shadows, watching the fire glow gradually fade as Constantine’s energy dissipates like embers cooling to ash. “How long will they stay like this?”
“Not long. By evening, they should return to normal.”
Small comfort, given how many people witnessed the demonstration. I stand, gathering my things and trying to appear calmer than I feel. “I should go. Being seen alone with you right now probably isn’t helping my case.”
Constantine catches my arm gently, his touch sending a spark of fire energy through my skin. “Wait. There’s something else we discovered today—something important.”
“What?” My voice comes out smaller than intended.
“The shadow-fire constructs you created,” he says, voice low with excitement that makes his eyes shine. “They shouldn’t be possible. Shadow and fire are elemental opposites, yet you merged them seamlessly. That’s beyond Vessel capability—it’s true elemental integration.”
I think back to the brief moments when my shadows seemed to dance with invisible flames, creating patterns of impossible beauty that felt more natural than breathing. “What does that mean?”
“I don’t know yet,” he admits, frustration and fascination warring in his expression. “But I intend to find out. Meet me in our usual training room tomorrow night.”
As I leave the preparation chamber, my shadows finally returning to their normal darkness, I can’t shake the feeling that today’s demonstration has set something irrevocable in motion.The careful balance I’ve maintained since arriving at Greyson has been disrupted, the illusion of normalcy cracked open like an egg.
And I do not know what’s going to hatch from the pieces.
What scares me most isn't the Lightbringers' suspicion or even potential exposure as an Ascendant. It's the growing realization that I have no idea what I'm truly capable of—or what my emerging abilities might mean for the fragile peace between light and shadow.
Chapter Thirteen
The astronomy toweris the highest point in Greyson Academy, its ancient spiral staircase winding so far upward that my legs burn like fire by the time I reach the top. Each stone step is worn smooth by centuries of students seeking solitude, and the air grows thinner as I climb, carrying the scent of old stone and something indefinably ancient. The circular chamber feels suspended between worlds—its glass dome offering an unobstructed view of the stars above, like scattered diamonds on black velvet, while the academy sprawls like a glittering shadow far below. Wind whistles through the metal framework of the dome, creating a haunting melody that matches my mood perfectly.
I’ve been hiding up here for hours, seeking solitude after the disaster at the power demonstrations earlier today. The cold stone floor numbs my ass through my jeans, but I can’t bring myself to care. My shadows still carry the faintest hint of Constantine’s fire, glowing subtly along the edges whenever they pass through moonlight like they’re lit from within by dying embers. The Lightbringers’ suspicious faces haunt me every time I close my eyes—Seraphina’s analytical stare and Elara’s vindicated smirk burnedinto my memory.
My shadow scouts alert me to a presence on the stairs, their whispered warnings running through my consciousness like icy fingers down my spine. Seconds later, Bael emerges from the darkness as if the shadows themselves gave birth to him. Of course, he found me. He always fucking does.
“I wondered how long it would take you to track me down,” I say without turning from the window, my breath fogging the glass.
“I gave you space,” he replies, keeping a careful distance. I can feel his presence like a warm current in the cold air. “But after what happened today...”
“You mean my very public display of abnormal shadow behavior?” I turn to face him, anger suddenly bubbling to the surface like lava breaking through stone. “Where were you anyway? Constantine had to step in because you were nowhere to be found.”
A muscle tightens in his jaw, visible even in the dim starlight. “I was meeting with contacts outside the academy. Gathering information about Hunter movements.”
“Convenient timing.” The words taste bitter on my tongue.
His eyes narrow at my tone, shadows darkening around his feet in response to his mood. “I don’t answer to you, Ashley.”
“No, but apparently I answer to you.” The stress of the day breaks through my usual caution like a dam bursting. “You control where I go, who I talk to, how I use my abilities. You appear and disappear without explanation, watching from the shadows like some supernatural stalker.”
“I’m protecting you,” he says, shadows gathering around him like storm clouds.
“Are you?” I step closer, my own shadows swirling with agitation and reaching toward him despite my anger. “Or are you just protecting your investment? The culmination of centurieswatching my family, waiting for another Ascendant to manipulate?”
His expression hardens, turning his beautiful features into something carved from marble. “You do not know what you’re talking about.”
“Then explain it to me!” I gesture wildly, my shadows mimicking the movement in jagged patterns that slash through the moonlight. “You’ve been cryptic from day one. Guardian, protector, whatever the fuck you want to call it—I deserve to know why my life is suddenly in your hands.”
