Chapter 25 Lindsay
TWENTY-FIVE
LINDSAY
Raiden’s hand brushes mine as I steady the spell, and my breath catches, not because of the heat it sends racing up my arm, but because he doesn’t pull away.
“Focus,” he says, though there’s a faint curve to his mouth. “I can feel your magic start to slip.”
“I’m focusing,” I mutter, trying to ignore the way his voice rumbles low and warm through me.
The air between us shimmers faintly as the tether reacts—his power and mine still tangled from the binding. It’s steadier now. Calmer. Less volatile than it was when we first linked. But the need for him still simmers underneath my skin. Always there.
He steps closer behind me, correcting my stance with a light touch to my waist. I feel it everywhere. My thoughts scatter like ash.
“Better,” he says, and I try not to lean back into him.
We’ve been training like this every morning for a few weeks.
Early, quiet, before the rest of the school stirs.
Raiden is patient in a way I didn’t expect.
Calm and encouraging. He doesn’t treat me like I’m dangerous or unstable.
He just…shows up. And waits for me to believe I can do this.
The council has put a hold on their decision, and there haven’t been any more incidents.
Both are great. I hope it stays that way.
He steps around to face me now, dark auburn hair falling over one brow as he watches me. His eyes sparkling with approval.
“You’re getting stronger,” he says.
I shrug one shoulder, trying for casual. “Or you’re getting better at faking praise.”
His mouth quirks. “If I wanted to fake praise, I’d tell you your fire walls didn’t nearly incinerate my jacket yesterday.”
I smirk. “You did dodge pretty fast.”
“That’s what happens when someone tries to set the person holding the target ring on fire instead of the target.”
“Semantics.”
His laugh is low and rare, and it does stupid things to my pulse. He sobers a little, then tilts his head.
“You going to the Harvest Moon Revel tomorrow?”
I blink. “Uh, Tamsin says it’s basically required, so… yeah.”
He nods, thoughtful. “Good.”
“Good?” I arch a brow. “You planning on hiding in the shadows and judging everyone’s outfits?”
That earns me a flash of teeth. “Tempting. But no.”
Then he steps just a little closer, gaze flicking to my lips before meeting my eyes again.
“Save a dance for me,” he says. “I promise I won’t curse you.”
My heart does something completely inconvenient in my chest. And I inhale a slow, steadying breath.
“I’ll think about it,” I say, but the grin I’m fighting probably gives me away.
He takes a slow step back, and the space he leaves behind feels too empty.
“Try not to melt anything until then or open any rifts in the Veil.”
“No promises.”
The hallway outside the training room is quiet, cool air brushing my skin as I try to walk off the adrenaline—and the other thing that lingers after sparring with Raiden. I round the corner and nearly run right into someone solid and familiar.
“Whoa—hey.” Nolan catches my arm before I can stumble. “You okay?”
I blink up at him, startled. “Nolan. Yeah, I’m fine.”
He doesn’t let go right away. Just studies me for a second, a small smile tugging at the edge of his mouth. “You look like you fought a dragon.”
“Close. Raiden.”
“Ah.” He lets go but stays close, walking in step beside me without being asked. “I figured. You’ve got that ‘I just survived something intense and might set something on fire if provoked’ look, that you get after training.”
I huff a laugh. “Is that a compliment?”
“With you?” He nudges my shoulder, eyes warm behind his crooked glasses. “Always.”
There’s still a slight flush on his cheeks, but he’s standing a little taller today, his usual anxious energy folded neatly under something steadier. As though he’s found his footing around me.
It’s…kind of hot.
I nudge him back. “Well, I survived. Mostly. You should see the scorch marks.”
He grins, quick and crooked. “Should I be concerned or impressed?”
“Both,” I say, bumping my shoulder into his again. “I left Raiden smirking, which is basically a win.”
“That’s practically a standing ovation,” Nolan says, then pretends to look me over critically. “Scorch marks aside, you don’t look too worse for wear.”
“Oh? That your professional opinion?”
His lips twitch. “As your magically bonded almost-boyfriend?” He pauses, then winces. “Too far?”
I stop walking just long enough to blink at him. “Almost?”
The tips of his ears go pink. “I mean, I didn’t want to assume—”
I bite back a smile and keep walking. “You didn’t assume. You hinted. Bold move.”
He exhales like he’s been holding his breath for the last five seconds. “So…not a bad move?”
I glance sideways at him, letting my grin bloom. “Maybe I like bold.”
He shoves his hands in his pockets but can’t stop the way his smile spreads. “Good to know.”
We fall into step again, the space between us charged in that quiet, electric way it always seems to be lately.
“So,” he says after a beat, “speaking of bold moves… you going to the Revel?”
I groan. “Unfortunately, yes. Tamsin says it’s mandatory. But, like, fun-mandatory. Her exact words were something about unleashing glorious chaos under moonlight. So. That sounds safe.”
He laughs, the sound warm and real. “Ah, the classic Blackthorn version of a school dance. Mild threat of magical disaster included.”
I glance at him. “You going?”
“I wasn’t planning to,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck.
I stop walking. “Wait, really? You? Nolan Porter, the Rule-Follower, wasn’t planning to go to a mandatory event? Did I hit my head during training? Is this a fever dream?”
His ears go pink. “I just figured no one would miss me. And public gatherings aren’t exactly my thing.”
“Not even for mandatory chaos?”
He shrugs, but there’s a smile tugging at his lips. “Well, now I’m reconsidering. You know…for the snacks.”
“Right. Snacks.” I arch a brow. “Totally not for the magical mark-bound girl you’ve been low-key pining after.”
He coughs. “I wouldn’t say pining—I mean, that feels dramatic.”
“Really?” I hum. “You sure? Because you’ve got a pretty strong ‘boy-next-door yearning through the curtains’ vibe.”
He stumbles over his own feet, just barely catching himself. “Okay, wow. That is unfairly accurate.”
I smirk, delighted. “So you’ll be there?”
He straightens his glasses, then faces me—just a little too quickly. “Yeah. If you’re going…I’ll be there.”
I let the silence stretch just enough to watch him squirm. Then say, “Save me a dance?”
He blinks. “Like…an actual one?”
“No, a metaphorical one,” I say dryly, then soften the words with a smile. “Yes, an actual one.”
His entire face lights up, like I’ve just offered him magic and stars and possibly a puppy. “I promise I won’t accidentally curse you.”
I grin. “That’s the bare minimum, Nolan .”
He nudges my arm again. “It’s a low bar, but I like to exceed expectations.”
Nolan's hand brushes mine as we start walking again, not quite holding it, just close enough that I feel the warmth.
I glance up, and across the courtyard, Kael stands in the shadow of the archway leading toward the eastern wing. His arms are crossed, posture carved from stone, but his eyes—those unreadable moonlight eyes—are on me.
Nolan follows my gaze and sighs softly. “Has he let you read more of the book?”
My shoulders stiffen. “I haven’t even seen him the last few days.”
He blinks. “Seriously?”
“Yeah.” I glance back toward Kael, but he’s already gone. As if he was never there. “It’s like he’s avoiding or hiding from me.”
Nolan frowns but doesn’t say anything right away. Maybe because we both know Kael doesn’t hide. If he wanted to be around me, he’d make himself known.
Nolan clears his throat. “For what it’s worth…I think whatever that book has in it? You’re better off not facing it alone. It will be good to have someone strong with you.”
My stomach twists. Not because I disagree. But because part of me wonders if Kael is keeping me from something—or for something.
“I don’t plan to,” I say finally, forcing a small smile as I look back at Nolan. “That’s what I’ve got you for, right?”
His answering grin is sheepish but sure. “Hey, I may not have horns or a tragic backstory, but I’ve got decent reflexes and killer research skills.”
My laugh bubbles up before I can stop it. “You forgot your humble charm and devastating wit.”
Nolan adjusts his glasses, a smile tugging at his mouth. “Right, right. Add those to the list. Honestly, I should come with a warning label.”
“Caution: may cause excessive blushing, stomach butterflies, and dangerous levels of bookish banter?”
He chuckles, and for a second, everything feels lighter.
“Thank you for always being there,” I say, and the words aren’t just polite. They’re true. Nolan’s been a steady heartbeat in all this chaos.
He shrugs, trying to downplay it, but the pink in his cheeks gives him away. “You’re kind of hard to walk away from.”
I’m about to make a joke, something flirty and dumb, when a shadow brushes against the edge of my awareness. He doesn’t make a sound, but the air shifts around him—Auron.
He materializes with all the theatrical grace of someone who knows he’s being watched.
Or wants to be. The sharp lines of his coat, the pristine shine of his boots, the way his crystal eyes lock onto me like I’m gravity—all of it calculated.
Meant to dazzle. And it does, in a way that makes my spine straighten on instinct.
He doesn’t even glance at Nolan.
“Lindsay,” he says, smiling like the word is something he owns. “I assume you’re attending the Revel.”
I blink, caught off guard by the bluntness. “I am.”
“Perfect.” He steps in a little closer. “Then you’ll come with me.”
It’s not a question. Of course it’s not.
I lift my chin, unwilling to flinch. “Actually, I’m going solo.”
That does it. Just for a beat, something flashes in his eyes, something hard and cold and not at all charming. His jaw tics. His hands stay relaxed, but I can tell it’s a choice. A breath later, the mask slides back into place.
“Solo,” he repeats. “A bold choice.”
I smile, all teeth. “Well, you know me. I break all the rules.”
Auron tilts his head like he’s trying to read a cipher. “I thought I did.” He recovers quickly, gaze sweeping over me like he’s recalculating. “If you’re determined to make a scene without me on your arm, the least you could do is save me a dance.”
I pause just long enough to let it sting. “I could do that.”
He smirks. “I’ll hold you to it.”
Then he steps back, nods at me with court-perfect polish, and finally—finally—his eyes flick to Nolan like he’s just now noticed him. It’s not a greeting. It’s a warning.
Then he’s gone, boots silent against the stone path.
Nolan lets out a low breath. “So…that wasn’t at all terrifying.”
“I think that was his polite setting.”
“And he’s still terrifying.”
I exhale, the tension in my shoulders loosening just a fraction. “Yeah.”
I can’t get a clear read on Auron. Part of me doesn’t want to trust him; he treats Nolan like he’s not worth the dirt on his boots, and when I first arrived, he was pretty dismissive of me, too. But is this him trying to make things right? Am I just being too guarded?
Nolan doesn’t say anything at first, just stands quietly beside me as if he’s buffering the chaos of the last few minutes with his calm.
I glance up, catching the way his eyes are still watching the path Auron disappeared down. “Hey,” I say, nudging him with my elbow. “What if we skipped the Revel?”
His head tilts, a slow blink behind his glasses. “Skipped?” he repeats like he’s making sure he heard right.
I grin. “Yeah. You and me. Steal some snacks, hide in your dorm, maybe convince your books to tell me their secrets.”
He huffs a quiet laugh. “Tempting. Extremely tempting.” A beat. “But Tamsin would find us. And probably drag us back in glitter chains.”
I sigh dramatically. “Stupid magical mandatory fun.”
He bumps my shoulder gently. “Next time we’re not under magical obligation to dance with half the Academy, I’m all in. Snacks, secrets, hiding out with you—definitely my kind of chaos.”
I smile up at him. “Hold you to that.”
“You better,” he says, a little more sure this time, like the space between us is shrinking by choice and not by accident. “And hey…”
“Yeah?”
“If we’re going anyway,” he says, “maybe we can find a way to make it ours. Just for a little while.”
I bite back the flutter in my chest. “I’d like that.”