It was supposed to be a quiet ceremony.
A diplomatic reception, small and contained — just a few nobles from the bordering regions, some local officials, and the royal house. I wasn't even expected to attend, but Leira had asked me to accompany Elion, and he'd begged.
And I couldn't say no to him.
But the moment I stepped into the east wing ballroom, something shifted.
Too many voices. Too much light.
Magic shimmered on the edges of everyone's skin — enchantments, charms, scent-casters, subtle illusions to hide blemishes and nervous energy. It felt like standing in a room made of lies.
I stayed close to Elion, nodding, smiling, letting him tug me around like a tether.
But inside, my chest was tight.
Every echo bounced off the stone louder than it should have. Every movement left a trace in the air that I could feel. My senses weren't built for this — not anymore. Not now that everything inside me was waking.
My fingertips began to tingle.
My pendant pulsed once.
No.
Not here.
Not in front of them.
I made it halfway to the refreshment table before it hit.
A sharp crack in the center of my chest — panic, sudden and hard, like something inside me snapped.
The lights blurred. The sound of crystal clinking against crystal turned to white noise. I felt heat rise up my spine, my hands trembling.
Magic sparked along my fingertips.
Faint, but real.
I ducked into the hallway, gasping, trying to breathe — my back to the wall, fingers clenched, eyes closed.
Breathe. Breathe. You can't lose control here.
But it was too late.
The heat burned through my skin like threads of gold breaking the surface.
I could feel it beginning to slip.
And then—
A hand wrapped around my wrist.
Firm. Grounded.
Not harsh.
His voice was lower than I'd ever heard it.
"Sera."
Kael.
His hand was warm. His touch steady.
"I'm fine," I whispered. A lie. Again.
"No, you're not." His voice was quiet. "But I'm here."
That broke something in me.
I didn't want him to be here.
Because he was the only person I couldn't lie to when he looked at me like that.
The magic flickered again, like static between us, and this time I knew he felt it too.
His gaze dropped to my hands.
They were glowing.
Not bright. Just faint gold along the veins — like sunlight trapped under skin.
He didn't flinch.
He didn't step back.
He reached out slowly and placed his other hand over mine, covering it completely.
The glow dimmed.
My breath slowed.
And the fire retreated.
"What are you?" he asked quietly.
I looked up into silver eyes full of something I didn't expect.
Not suspicion.
Not fear.
Wonder.
"I don't know anymore," I said.
He didn't speak.
But he didn't let go.
And my heart was a storm inside my chest.
Later that night, I stood in my room, staring at my hands.
No glow.
But I could still feel it.
Kael had felt it too — and not just the magic.
He'd felt me.
And I had felt something in return.
Something pulling.
I pressed my palm to the windowpane, watching stars form above the cliffs.
"We're all born with starlight in our bones," my mother had once whispered. "But some of us shine louder."
I think Kael was starting to see my shine.
And I didn't know whether I wanted him to — or if it would be the thing that finally undid me.