Cassia’s magic surged with a violence that stole her breath. It reached for him with a hunger she didn’t understand and couldn’t control, straining against her skin, desperate to close the distance between them. Every nerve in her body lit up. Her heart slammed against her ribs hard enough to hurt. Heat rushed through her—not the comfortable warmth of attraction, but something deeper. Something primal that lived in her bones and demanded she?—
What the hell?—
The dragon didn’t move. But something shifted in his posture, subtle and sudden, like a predator catching an unexpected scent. His nostrils flared. His hands curled into fists at his sides, knuckles going white beneath tanned skin. And those storm-dark eyes?—
Theyflashed. Actually flashed, with a flicker of lightning that mirrored her own. For one endless moment, something raw and shocked broke through his composure.
Then it was gone, locked down behind centuries of control.
Gust launched himself from her shoulder with an indignant shriek that echoed off the stone walls. He dove between Cassia and the dragon in a protective arc, his tiny wings beating frantically, before landing on a nearby windowsill. His feathers stood on end, his small body puffed to twice its normal size, and through their bond he screamed?—
THREAT. DANGER. PREDATOR. NOT SAFE.
“Well. That’s certainlypromising.” Elder Sue’s delighted cackle cut through the chaos.
Cassia dragged her gaze away from the dragon—gods, that was harder than it should have been—and fixed Sue with her best glare. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing, dear. Nothing at all.” The ancient witch’s smile stretched too wide. “Cassia Gale, allow me to introduce Aero Tau, Elder of the Pacific Enclave and the Continental Council’s lead researcher on the mating surge phenomenon.”
The dragon—Aero—inclined his head the barest fraction. An acknowledgment rather than a greeting. “Miss Gale. I’m told you’re the most powerful weather witch in the region.” His voice was deep and cold and completely devoid of warmth.
“I’m told you need a babysitter for your research.”
The words came out before she could stop them. Classic Cassia—defensive, sharp, hiding the fact that her pulse was still racing and her magic was still reaching for him despite every attempt to rein it in.
Something flickered in those thundercloud eyes. Surprise, maybe. Or annoyance. His jaw tightened, almost imperceptibly. “I need a local expert to assist with atmospheric measurements and ward analysis. Elder Tidewell suggested you.”
“I’ll bet she did.”
“Cassia is our most talented weather worker. The third generation of the Gale family to serve Haven Shores. She’s been monitoring surge effects on the coastal wards for months now. No one understands the local atmospheric patterns better.” Sue beamed, utterly unrepentant.
“And apparently causing half of them,” Cassia muttered under her breath.
“I require someone who can interpret anomalous weather patterns and identify surge-related fluctuations in real-time. Are you capable of that, or should I request a different assistant?”
The challenge in his voice scraped every defensive instinct she possessed. Ancient dragon elder, and he wastestingher. Seeing if she’d fold.
Oh, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
“I can interpret weather patterns you’ve never dreamed of.” She met his gaze head-on, ignoring the static that crackled between them, the way her magic strained toward him. “I’ve been reading storms since before I could walk. The question is whether you can keep up with me.”
A slight pause. His nostrils flared again, like he was catching a scent he couldn’t identify. “I’ve been studying magical phenomena since before your ancestors built this town.”
“Then you should be good at it by now. Guess we’ll see.”
“Wonderful. I’ll leave you two to work out the details. Cassia, you’ll report to the weather station at nine tomorrow morning. Mr. Tau has already set up his equipment there.” Elder Sue looked like she might actually levitate from sheer delight.
“You could have asked me first,” Cassia said flatly.
“I could have.” Sue’s smile widened until it showed teeth. “But where’s the fun in that?”
She swept out of the chambers with an energy that belied her centuries, leaving Cassia alone with an ancient dragon who made her magic go haywire and her pulse pound for reasons she absolutely refused to examine.
The silence stretched. Thick. Charged.
Gust maintained his aggressive position on the windowsill, still puffed and furious, sending a constant stream ofdanger-predator-don’t-trust-him-we-should-leavethrough their bond.
Aero hadn’t moved. He stood there, watching her with that unreadable gaze, and Cassia became acutely aware of every inch of space between them. Six feet. Maybe seven. Far enough to be proper. Close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from him.
