38. Malrik
From my position near the window, I watch Finn spin Kaia across the dance floor. Her shadows trail after them like excited puppies—a sight that would be amusing if I wasn't so focused on the way Thorne keeps glancing at the enchanted constellations overhead.
"You're brooding again," Aspen says quietly, appearing beside me with two glasses of something that sparkles suspiciously. "Here. You look like you need this."
I accept the drink but don't take my eyes off the dance floor. "The alignment's wrong."
"What?"
"The constellations." I gesture upward with my glass. "They're not just decorative. Someone's using them to channel energy."
Aspen's expression sharpens. "Thorne?"
"Him and someone else. The patterns are too complex for one person." Across the room, Darian's movements are deliberate, his every step calculated. He's weaving through the crowd like he's part of the dance, but his focus never strays far from Kaia. My jaw tightens as I catch the faintest smirk playing on his lips. "We need to—"
"Already on it," Aspen cuts in smoothly, nodding to where Torric has intercepted Darian's path. My lip twitches despite myself. The twins might be opposites in temperament, but their coordination is impressive.
Across the room, Finn finally releases Kaia. Her shadows seem reluctant to let him go, and I catch myself almost smiling at their antics.
"You could ask her to dance, you know," Aspen suggests mildly.
I shoot him a look. "That's not—"
"Part of the plan?" His tone is dry. "When are you going to admit this is about more than just protecting her?"
Before I can respond, a shift in the magical current makes my skin prickle. Above us, the constellations pulse with an unnatural light. Kaia's shadows react instantly, coiling around her legs like agitated snakes.
"Time to move," I mutter, already striding toward her.
Kaia
I'm still trying to process what happened with Finn when a familiar voice cuts through my thoughts.
"May I?"
I turn to find Malrik standing beside me, his hand extended with casual grace. His silver eyes seem to glow in the shifting light, and something about his intensity makes my heart skip.
"I don't really—" I start to protest, but my shadows are already reaching for him, rippling eagerly around his polished shoes.
His face serious, "Please, Kaia."
"Fine," I say reluctantly. I want to be mad at him, but the look in his eyes, the vulnerability in his voice, makes me reconsider.
Malrik moves with fluid precision, each step perfectly timed to the haunting melody. Unlike Darian's practiced charm or Finn's playful energy, Malrik's touch feels... grounding. Like gravity given form.
"Are you okay?" he observes quietly.
I tense. "I’m fine."
"Are you?" His gaze is too knowing. "Can you feel something is wrong?"
"What are you talking about?" I challenge, even as unease crawls up my spine because I can feel something’s wrong. I’m just not sure what.
Instead of answering, he spins me into a turn that brings us closer together. "Look up," he murmurs, his breath warm against my ear. "But don't make it obvious."
I glance at the enchanted constellations, trying to see what has him concerned. At first, they look normal—just swirling patterns of magical light. But then I notice how they're shifting, forming intricate geometries that seem to pulse in time with...
"My necklace," I breathe, The constellations aren't just moving—they're building something. The lines pulse, sharper with each beat, and I feel it echo in my chest, like a spell tightening its grip around me.
Malrik's hand tightens slightly at my waist. "Someone's channeling power through the alignment. Using the ball as cover."
"Thorne?"
"Among others I believe." His tone is grim.
A chill runs down my spine as I remember Darian's words about freedom and potential. "What do they want?"
"You tell me." Malrik's silver eyes lock with mine. "What has Darian been promising you?"
I start to pull away, but he keeps us moving smoothly through the dance. "He's just been helping me train. He understands what it's like to—"
"To feel different?" Malrik's voice is soft but intent. "To have power others fear?"
"You don't know what it's like," I snap, even as my shadows curl around his ankles almost apologetically.
"Don't I?" For a moment, his careful control slips, and I catch a glimpse of something ancient and dark in his eyes. Then he blinks, and his mask is back in place. "Just... be careful who you trust with your shadows, Kaia. Not everyone sees them for what they are. Some would twist them into something unrecognizable. Something dangerous."
Before I can process that cryptic warning, the music changes and Torric appears beside us.
"Time to switch," he says gruffly, though his eyes are alert. "Assuming little miss sunshine doesn't mind dancing with someone less broody?"
Malrik releases me with a slight bow that somehow manages to look both elegant and sarcastic. As Torric pulls me into the new dance, I glance back, but Malrik has already melted into the crowd.