Lying back-to-back with Raiden, I could feel his warmth like a second fire beside me. Even through the blanket, his heat seeped into my skin, steady and unrelenting. It was oddly comforting—confusing even. Because I shouldn't be comforted by him.
And yet my body leaned into it, traitorous, as if it wanted his closeness even while my head screamed to move away.
I wasn't sure if he was asleep, but the quiet stretched long enough that my thoughts refused to settle. The night forest was too still, ash drifting down like gray snowflakes. I turned the words over in my head until I couldn't hold them in any longer.
"Where are we going?" I whispered, keeping my voice low, unsure if I even expected him to respond.
For a moment, nothing. Then—
"To the Ashen Caves."
I blinked. "The what now?"
"The resting place of the Fire Relic." His voice was even, but there was something beneath it—something deeper. "You need to absorb it to unlock the elemental fire magic within you."
I stared up at the black sky, the veil of drifting ash turning the stars into a dull haze. "Absorb it?" I frowned. "And how exactly am I supposed to do that when I can't even shift properly?"
"We'll train."
"When?"
"In the morning." His voice carried quiet finality. "That's why the journey will take about a couple of weeks. We'll need to stop along the way so you can be ready."
A thrill ran through me. I wasn't sure if it was excitement or nerves. Maybe both. Finally, though—I'd have some control over whatever was locked inside me. "We start tomorrow?"
"Yes."
Without thinking, I rolled over—
And found myself inches from Raiden.
My breath caught. He had turned onto his side at some point, and now we were close—too close. My nose brushed against his, the lightest touch, but it sent a jolt through me like a live current.
My skin prickled. My stomach flipped. Why? Why did he have to affect me like this?
His breath was warm against my lips. My pulse slammed into my throat.
He didn't move. He didn't pull away.
His eyes locked onto mine in the dim glow of the dying fire, unreadable and sharp. He was so still, so controlled, but I wasn't blind to the way his chest rose just a little too quickly. His gaze flicked to my mouth for the briefest second before snapping back to my eyes, as if he'd cursed himself for even thinking it.
And just like that, my whole body betrayed me again, leaning toward him when I should've recoiled. What was wrong with me? I wasn't supposed to want this—not from him.
I should have shifted back. I should have put distance between us. But I didn't.
Neither did he.
For a long moment, we hovered in that charged stillness. The space between us barely existed, and yet it felt heavy, thick, humming with unspoken things.
I swallowed hard, my voice a whisper. "Do you always keep this close of an eye on your prisoners, or am I just special?"
The corner of Raiden's mouth twitched, but he didn't smirk. His voice was lower, rougher, like gravel. "You are a lot of things, Lyra. Special wouldn't begin to cover it."
Something strange twisted in my chest at his words, a heat that had nothing to do with the fire. Gods above, my heart shouldn't be racing because of him. But it was.
Then, with a sharp exhale, he shifted back just enough to put space between us. The charged air between us snapped like a frayed thread. I ignored the ridiculous pang of disappointment that came with it.
"You should sleep," he muttered, rolling onto his back.
Right. Sleep.
As if sleep were possible with my veins buzzing and my traitorous body still aching from the almost of it all.
I turned onto my side again, facing away from him. "Goodnight, Sparky."
A pause. Then—
"Goodnight, little thief."
His voice was softer this time.
And for some reason, that made sleep come easier.
—
Warmth. That was the first thing I noticed as I drifted toward wakefulness. A deep, steady heat that wrapped around me, far too solid and comforting to be my blanket.
The second thing I noticed was the slow rise and fall beneath my cheek.
My eyes shot open.
Oh. Oh no.
My hand rested against firm muscle, my legs tangled with something equally warm and solid. My entire body was half-sprawled over Raiden's chest, our limbs twisted together in a way that was far too… intimate.
I froze, every nerve in my body screaming. How in the hells did this happen?
His heartbeat thudded steadily beneath my ear, far too calm compared to the chaos rushing through me. Carefully, I started to pull away, but before I could escape, a low, amused voice rumbled beneath me.
"Well, good morning, little thief. Took you long enough to wake up. I was starting to lose feeling in my arm."
Heat flared up my neck. I shot upright so fast I nearly lost my balance. "You—! I—! This wasn't—!"
Raiden smirked, stretching his arms above his head like he hadn't just spent the night as my personal pillow. "If you wanted to cuddle, you could've just asked."
"I did not cuddle you," I snapped, brushing ash off my clothes to avoid looking at him. My face was burning. Why was it burning? Why was I still remember the feel of his body against mine? "If I recall, you were the one who said you're always warm. I was just… stealing some heat."
"Ah," he said smoothly, one brow arching. "So now you're a heat thief too? Your talents know no bounds."
I scowled, crossing my arms. There it was again, that damn smirk.
Across the camp, Revik groaned, rolling onto his side. "Can you two either be quiet or kill each other already?" he muttered. "Some of us are still trying to sleep."
I glared at Raiden, but he only rolled his eyes and rose fluidly to his feet, dusting ash from his coat. "Well, if the princess is done using me as a mattress, we should get moving."
"Princess?" I echoed, bristling. "That's a new one."
He smirked, unbothered. "Figured it fit. You're so high-maintenance and all."
I opened my mouth to argue, but he cut me off. "Come on. Do you want to eat first, or get straight to training?"
At the mention of training, the irritation simmering in my chest flickered into something else—something dangerously close to excitement. Damn it. Why did the thought of his attention focused fully on me make my pulse race?
I glanced at the fire, then back at him. "Training first."
His smirk widened, sharp and infuriating. "Good. Try to keep up, little thief."
I tried to roll my eyes, tried to brush off the strange current still running through me. But as I bent to gather my cloak, I could still feel the imprint of his chest beneath my cheek, the memory of his eyes holding mine in the dark.
I hated it. I hated him. And I hated myself most of all for wanting more.
Focus lyra. Today you're going to master your power.
No matter what it takes.
I took a deep breath, rolling my shoulders as I faced Raiden. "Alright, so what exactly are we doing first?"
"The first and most important thing," he said, crossing his arms, "is learning how to shift on demand."
I frowned, unease curling in my gut. "I've only ever shifted once."
He nodded. "Yeah. When you thought you were going to die."
I swallowed hard, remembering that moment all too well—the heat, the terror, the raw power ripping through me like wildfire. It hadn't felt controlled. It had felt like survival.
Raiden stepped closer, his shadow cutting against the pale ash that blanketed the ground. His eyes held mine, steady, sharp. "We need to change that. If you can't control your shifts, you won't be able to use them when you need to."
I exhaled slowly, then nodded. "Alright. How do I do it?"
"We'll start small," he said. "Your hands. Your talons are a weapon. They'll be useful in a fight, and focusing on just one part of your body will make it easier."
I flexed my fingers, imagining the sharp, deadly claws I'd glimpsed before. "Okay. What now?"
His voice softened, coaxing. "Close your eyes. Focus. Feel the dragon blood in your veins. It's part of you, Lyra. Let it wake up."
I did as he said, inhaling deeply as I shut my eyes.
"Now," he continued, his voice steady, lower now—closer. "Focus on your hands. Feel the shift."
I concentrated, willing it to happen. I imagined my skin hardening, my nails sharpening, my fingers lengthening into curved talons. I could almost taste metal on my tongue, hear my heartbeat pounding in my fingertips. My skin prickled, hot, like fire under my flesh—
Nothing.
I cracked an eye open, wiggling my still very human fingers. "Gods, I feel so stupid."
Raiden exhaled, but he didn't look disappointed. "Hardly anyone gets it the first time."
I tilted my head at him. "Did you?"
His lips twitched, but he looked away. "That's not important."
I smirked. "So that's a no."
His gaze cut back to me, sharp. "That's a you will never know."
I snorted. "Definitely a no, then."
"Just keep trying, Lyra." He smirked faintly, but his eyes stayed on me longer than they should have, like he was memorizing every twitch of my fingers.
I sighed but nodded, closing my eyes again. Over and over, I tried, frustration mounting with each failed attempt. The heat would spark and fade, leaving me restless, aching. Sweat slid down my temple. My shoulders burned from the tension.
"You're too stiff," Raiden said quietly, moving nearer until his voice was just behind my ear. "Don't force it. Focus on letting it happen."
Easier said than done. My heart tripped over itself just from hearing his voice that close.
Then, just as I was about to give up and complain, footsteps crunched against the ashy ground.
Revik.
I didn't even open my eyes—I could feel the grin he was probably wearing. But at that exact moment, something inside me cracked open. A familiar heat surged in my veins, molten and alive.
"I think I feel it," I breathed.
Raiden's voice was calm, grounding. "Good. Focus on it. Let the heat take over."
I did. I poured everything into it, clinging to the ember sparking inside me. I pictured my hands as claws, deadly and sure. The heat rose higher, coursing through my body until my skin tingled like it might split.
A burning sensation shot down my spine—
And then—
"OW! Watch it with that thing!"
My eyes flew open.
Revik was sprawled in the dirt, looking personally offended. Draped across his back was a long, sleek, white tail, shimmering with an iridescent sheen.
A tail.
My tail.
A sharp thrill shot through me. "I have a tail!" I squealed with delight, spinning halfway in a circle to admire it.
Revik groaned. "Yeah, congratulations. You also just whipped me with it."
Raiden pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering under his breath. Then, flatly: "That's great, Lyra. Really. But you were supposed to shift your hands. Not your ass."
My grin faltered. "…Details."
"Details," he repeated dryly.
Revik wheezed out a laugh. "Honestly, I like this version better. Tail's got personality."
"Do you want to see it closer?" I shot back. Swinging it closer to him.
"Pass." He dusted himself off. "Once was enough."
Raiden's sigh was long, frayed at the edges. But when his eyes flicked back to me, there was the faintest spark of amusement buried deep there. "Again. Hands this time."
I groaned, flexing my fingers. "Fine. But if I accidentally sprout wings next, don't blame me when you get smacked in the face."
Revik coughed out a laugh. "Please let that happen."
"Focus," Raiden cut in, though the corner of his mouth betrayed a twitch.
Training went on for hours. My body ached from the repeated attempts, my nails tearing, my palms raw. Once, my entire arm scaled over, gleaming white and clawed before snapping painfully back to human.
Revik made commentary every time. "Nice arm. Shame about the rest of you."
"Is your tail supposed to twitch like that?"
"At this rate, you'll be a whole dragon by nightfall. Sort of."
I wanted to smack him.
But finally—finally—I felt the shift click.
The heat surged from my chest down into my arms, gathering sharp in my fingertips. My nails hardened, lengthened, curving into black claws. My skin shimmered faintly, lined with fine, pale scales.
I stared at my hands, chest heaving, exhilaration bursting through me. "I did it," I whispered. "I actually did it."
For the first time, I felt in control of the change instead of dragged helplessly by it.
Raiden's eyes swept over my claws, and something flickered in them—approval, maybe even pride—but it was gone so quickly I almost doubted I saw it. He only gave me a small nod. "Not bad, little thief."
It shouldn't have meant so much. But it did.
We stopped briefly for food, my stomach growling in protest the moment I sat down. My muscles screamed with exhaustion, but it was drowned out by the thrill of progress humming in my veins.
Revik sprawled against a rock, still rubbing his shoulder where my tail had hit him earlier. "Well," he said, smirking, "at least you're less likely to accidentally kill me now. Probably."
I threw a pebble at him.
Raiden tossed me a strip of dried meat. His face was as unreadable as always, but his tone softened by a fraction. "Eat. You'll need it. Training's only just begun."
I sank back against the rock, turning my claws over in the light before letting them fade. My body ached, my chest burned, but my lips curved anyway.
For the first time, I felt a small flicker of pride in myself.
…but even as the pride warmed me, I couldn't shake the feeling that I wanted more. More power. More control. And—dangerously—maybe even more of him.