Page 261 of Axis of Fire

Closing my eyes, I took a slow breath.

Trying to enjoy the silence.

Trying to convince myself I liked it.

The sound of the door opening.

I didn’t open my eyes when I heard it close again almost immediately.

“Forget something?” I asked.

“Yes,” Airis replied.

“Apparently I forgot my stubborn little apprentice who suddenly doesn’t want to see me anymore.”

My eyes flew open instantly.

But looking at him suddenly felt far too dangerous.

Chapter 27

“Your apprentice is currently incapable of using magic,” I said, lazily raising the hand wearing the bracelet without even trying to sit up.

In reality, I was pretending not to care.

Pretending my heart wasn’t pounding like crazy.

Mentally, though, I was already bracing myself for another blow from Airis.

“I’ve noticed you’ve become quite fond of new accessories lately,” he replied.

I couldn’t see him yet, but I could hear his smooth, unhurried footsteps as he moved toward the shelves.

“Did you want something?” I asked, finally propping myself up on my elbows to look at him.

“You.”

Silence.

But my mind reacted faster than my heart.

“Do you know what this bracelet means?”

“I don’t know what your behavior means,” he said, turning to face me.

His gaze felt like invisible arrows—

Sharp and unwavering enough to pin me in place.

I genuinely didn’t understand what he meant.

That I refused to come see him?

That I was trying to bruise his ego?

Or that I’d earned this bracelet after nearly starting a fight with Joelle—

Becoming exactly the kind of threat he’d warned me about from the very beginning?