“I see it,” Kyron says tightly.
We’re far enough from the building that my body stops pretending. My knees buckle and Kyron catches me before I hit the ground.
“Whoa—” His hands are on me immediately helping me stand, both of them now, pulling heat as fast as he can. But it’s not enough. I can feel it building again already.
“Okay, seriously.” Rane moves up beside us. “What the hell is going on with you two?”
He’s not angry. Just confused. Trying to make sense of why Kyron hasn’t stopped touching me since we left that room.
He starts to add something—probably something light, something Rane—and then he sees me shaking. His mouth closes.
“She’s burning up,” Kyron says. “I’ve been trying to cool her down but I can’t pull the heat fast enough.”
“Pull the heat?” Trey frowns. “What does that mean?”
“It means I run cold.” Kyron’s voice is tight. “Always have. When I touch her, it seems to absorb some of it. But this—” He shakes his head. “This is different. It’s too much.”
“Let me try.” Vaelor reaches for my forehead—and yanks his hand back with a hiss. “Shit.”
“What?” Locke’s there instantly.
“She’s—” Vaelor stares at his palm, then at me. “She’s actually on fire. It’s not a fever.Fire.”
“Not helping,” I manage.
“No, I mean—” He looksat Kyron. “How are you even holding her?”
“Barely.”
The air around us shimmers. I can see it now—heat waves rising off my skin like pavement in the summer. A leaf drifts down from a tree we pass and curls into ash before it touches my shoulder.
My knees buckle again.
Locke catches me before I hit the ground. The sound he makes—a sharp, pained hiss—tells me his hands are burning too. But he doesn’t let go.
“We need to cool her down,” Trey says. “Ice? Cold water? Something—”
“The lake.” Beckett’s voice cuts through. Calm. Certain. “It’s close. North boundary.”
“Will that even work?” Rane asks.
“Worth a shot,” Kyron says. “It’s the only shot we’ve got.”
They start moving. I try to keep up but my legs aren’t working right anymore. Every step is agony—fire racing up my calves, my thighs, pooling in my chest like molten metal.
“I can’t—” I stumble again. “I can’t walk.”
Kyron scoops me up without hesitation. One arm under my knees, one behind my back, pulling me against his chest.
He grunts. I feel his arms trembling.
“Kyron—”
“I’ve got you.”
“You’re hurting—”
“I’ve got you.”
