Nernia
The water danced at my fingertips—twisting, curling, obeying.
I still couldn't quite believe it. It had started during morning training. Thorne had told me to "focus," and when I did, the water around the pool had risen like a ribbon and wrapped itself around my wrist, gentle yet powerful.
I'd gasped. So had he.
"You're getting the hang of it," he said, stepping closer, his voice lower than before. "It responds to your emotions. You're strong, Nernia."
His eyes lingered. Too long.
My pulse picked up—not because of him, but because I felt it. Again. That quiet heat at the back of my neck.
Kaelen was watching.
"Let's try again," Thorne said, placing his hands gently on my shoulders to guide my posture.
The second his fingers touched my skin, the air around us shifted.
"Thorne," a deep voice cut in.
I didn't even have time to turn. Kaelen was already beside me, eyes like a rising storm. He grabbed my hand—not roughly, but firm enough that it made my heart jolt.
"The Queen wants to see you," he said.
Thorne blinked. "She didn't say anything to me."
"She said it's urgent," Kaelen replied curtly, already leading me away.
I stumbled beside him, breath caught between confusion and disbelief. I twisted my hand in his, trying to pull away. "This is a lie again, isn't it?"
Kaelen didn't deny it. "Yes," he admitted. "But I couldn't stand there watching you with him again."
My jaw clenched. "He's not a bad person."
"You don't know him."
"And you don't own me."
Kaelen stopped walking. Slowly, he turned to face me fully. "Maybe not," he said, voice low, raw. "But what if I want to?"
My breath hitched. "What if I don't want to be anyone's?"
His jaw tensed. "Then why does it drive me insane every time someone else touches you?"
I didn't answer.
Because I didn't know.
His hand cupped my jaw before I realized I'd leaned closer. His forehead touched mine, and for a moment, there was only our shared breath, our pounding hearts.
Then he whispered, "So what if I make you mine?"
And kissed me.
His lips were fire and salt and every crashing wave I'd ever heard. My fingers curled into his shirt as he deepened it—gentle, then demanding. My knees almost buckled, but his arms held me like I belonged there.
Like he wasn't letting go.
Kaelen
I'd never lost control like that.
Not when she was training. Not when Thorne touched her.
And especially not when she kissed me back like I was the only one who could anchor her to this realm.
But what scared me more than anything… was that for the first time, I didn't care about the prophecy. About the Queen. About consequences.
I only cared about her.
And that was dangerous.
Deadly, even.
Because if I couldn't protect her from others… how the hell was I going to protect her from myself?
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