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“The bonfire.”

I think back to the beginning of the night. Before the blood. Before the roots. Before any of us knew what was coming.

“You were watching me?”

“Yes.”

“That’s creepy.”

“I know.”

Despite everything, my mouth curves.

His doesn’t.

His gaze drops to my lips.

And my smile slowly disappears.

There it is.

That tension that’s been pulling tighter between us all night.

Except there’s no Ezra here to interrupt it. No Rhett laughing from somewhere behind us. No crowd pressing around us. No Mariah or Ali watching.

Only corn.

Dirt.

Moonlight.

And him.

I take another step.

Malakai draws a slow breath. Barely a reaction.

But I notice.

His eyes lift back to mine.

“You said the Tiller prepares the Earth.”

His voice is lower when he answers. “Yes.”

“What does the Bride do?”

Something flickers across his face. “We never found out.”

“Maybe that’s what it wants.”

“Maybe.”

I glance toward the hollow before looking back at him. “Does that scare you?”

“Yes.”

The answer catches me off guard. “You don’t act scared.”