Chapter 13 #2
For a terrifying moment, I swore it would consume me whole.
Professor Deylin appeared in front of me, eyes narrowing at the golden fire crawling up my arms. His hand flicked once, and a shimmering ward snapped into place around me, a translucent dome of protective runes.
The flames hit the inside of it and hissed; the barrier bending but not breaking.
The class went silent. “Breathe,” Deylin commanded, his voice steady but firm.
He didn’t look afraid, but his gaze carried a weight I hadn’t seen before.
“Feel it. Don’t fight it. The flame isn’t your enemy, cadet Yarrows.
It is you. Do not fear it.” The words cut through the panic like a rope tossed into raging waters.
My chest heaved once, twice, then I forced myself to slow, dragging each breath deeper, longer.
The fire recoiled, sliding back into my palms before flickering out altogether.
My veins still glowed faintly gold, but the light softened until it finally dimmed.
The ward dissolved, leaving me trembling, sweat slicking my skin.
I staggered, clutching my ribs. Gia was there instantly, gripping my wrist to steady me.
“You scared the shit out of me,” Gia muttered, dark eyes wide.
I nodded, but my throat was too tight to answer.
The heat was still there, alive beneath my skin.
Hemera’s gift. Powerful. Volatile. Part of me was afraid of what it could do.
The other part… wanted to understand it.
I drew in a slow breath, forcing the flames to settle, then lifted my gaze back to her.
“I’m okay,” I said softly, managing a faint smile.
“It was just… a lot.” That’s when I caught the movement at the edge of the training grounds.
Erebus. He stood slightly beyond the circle, a small sphere of fog hovering effortlessly above his palm.
He wasn’t even straining, merely shaping it with casual precision, as if it were the easiest thing in the world.
But it wasn’t the magic that made my stomach turn.
It was his smile. His gaze locked on me, his lips curling into a slow, knowing smirk.
He’d seen my flames spiral out of control.
And he liked it. My skin crawled. Then I noticed something worse.
His shadow. While the rest of us had golden silhouettes that bent and shifted with the afternoon sun, his stayed perfectly still.
Unmoving. Unnatural. Almost as if the light refused to touch him.
And then it twitched. Just slightly. A ripple against the ground, as though it had a will of its own. My pulse kicked. I blinked, half-convinced I’d imagined it. But when my eyes snapped back to him, Erebus was still smiling. Like he knew I’d seen. Like he wanted me to.
“Alright, good job today, class. Now return to the sparring matches,” Deylin called out, his voice cutting through the air like a whip.
Gia linked her arm through mine before I could question what I’d seen. “Come on, Ryn,” she said, tugging me gently away. But I couldn’t help glancing back one last time. Erebus was still staring at me. Something about him wasn’t right; something deep inside my bones told me he was wrong.
We were heading to our sparring session when Luna fell into step beside us.
Her brown hair was pulled into a high ponytail, cheeks still flushed from training.
She gave me a knowing glance; lips already curled into a smirk.
“So…” she started, her voice singsong, “did you find anything on how to break the mate bond with Aiden?” Before I could answer, my gaze landed on something below her left cheekbone: a thin, pink scar. My brow furrowed, and I pointed to it.
“What happened there?”
Gia followed my line of sight and frowned, concern flickering across her face. “Yeah, what the hell?”
“Oh,” Luna said with a casual shrug, brushing her fingers over it, “got it during the Trifecta. Some guy came at me like he was possessed.” Her tone was light, but I caught the flicker of memory in her eyes.
Whatever happened hadn’t been nothing. “Forget about that, though,” she added quickly, waving it off with a forced grin.
“Back to the juicy stuff, did the library give up any secrets?” I sighed, dragging a hand down my face.
“Unfortunately, no. Just a bunch of overly romantic lore about the sun and moon’s eternal love.”
“You’re trying to break the mate bond?” Gia asked, her brows lifting as she looked at me. I nodded.
Luna groaned dramatically. “So basically, you’re stuck with the hottest guy in the academy. Poor you.”
I shot her a glare. “It actually fucking sucks, okay? And to make it worse, I kissed Alaric the other night and now everything between us seems… weird.”
Luna stopped mid-step, her mouth falling open. “Wait…you what? You kissed Alaric!”
“Keep your voice down!” I hissed, eyes darting around. “And yes. Why do you look like I just confessed to murder?” Gia burst into laughter beside me, covering her mouth.
“I just…wow,” Luna blinked, catching up to us again. “I didn’t think you’d go there. Not after finding out about the mate bond.”
“I’m not some shy little girl, Luna,” I snapped, brushing my hair off my shoulder with more force than necessary. “I just needed to do it. One last time. Before everything changed.”
She softened, her voice gentler now. “And?”
“And… nothing. That’s the problem.” I exhaled, my gaze dropping to the worn stone path beneath our boots. “There was no spark. No passion. only… emptiness.” Gia gave my arm a gentle squeeze; her presence grounding me.
Luna raised a brow. “Well, I do know someone who’d probably light a fire in you.” She smirked and wiggled her eyebrows.
“Don’t even say it,” I warned, eyes narrowing.
She raised her hands in mock surrender, laughing.
“Fine, fine. But deep down, you know I’m right.
” With a flick of her ponytail, she turned and slipped into the sparring room ahead of us, leaving her words hanging like a taunt in the air.
And damn it, I did know. The bond wasn’t just some magical thread.
It was a pull, raw, undeniable, and terrifying.
But how the hell was I supposed to fall for someone I’d spent my whole life hating?
Today, we were paired with Athena’s group. Aiden called out names, assigning matches, and I found myself standing across from a girl with red hair and sharp blue eyes.
She didn’t hesitate. She charged. I ducked, driving my fist into her side.
She spun with surprising speed, her boot slamming into my thigh and knocking me off balance.
Pain flared, but I stayed upright. Then I felt it.
Aiden’s attention. His gaze burned against my skin, heavy and distracting, the bond humming under my ribs.
It made it hard to breathe. Harder to focus.
I glanced toward him and saw Jasmine lean in, press a quick kiss to his cheek.
Aiden smiled. Something ugly twisted inside me.
The jealousy hit fast and hot, lightning through my veins.
My fire surged instinctively heat spilling beneath my skin until even my leathers warmed against me.
The girl lunged again and yelped when her hand brushed my leathers.
I looked down. Her palm was burned. I didn’t care.
All I could think about was Jasmine touching what was mine.
I was already moving, fury driving me forward, intent, sharp and reckless, eyes locked on Jasmine. When suddenly I was airborne.
“What—hey! Put me down!” I shouted as Aiden hoisted me over his shoulder like I weighed nothing.
I kicked and struggled, but he ignored me, carrying me straight out of the sparring room.
He didn’t set me down until we were in the corridor, and even then, it was anything but gentle.
My boots hit the floor hard, and I stumbled, barely catching myself in a crouch before I could fall. I shot back up, glaring at him.
“What the hell are you doing, Ruin?” he snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. For a moment, I forgot to answer. The movement pulled his leathers tighter across his shoulders, and I caught myself staring before I could stop.
“Are you still with Jasmine?” I shot back.
His brow furrowed. “Yeah. Why the hell wouldn’t I be?”
“Because we’re supposed to be working together,” I fired back. “Trying to—”
“I am working with you,” he cut in sharply. “Not fucking dating, you. There’s a difference.”
I scoffed. “You’re not working with me, either.
If you were, I wouldn’t still be failing the obstacle course.
” His jaw tightened. “But fine,” I continued coldly.
“If you want to keep dating Jasmine, then I’ll date someone else, too.
” The bond flared violently between us. Aiden narrowed his gaze, dragging a hand over the stubble on his sharp jaw.
“Fine. I don’t give a fuck what you do, as long as it doesn’t get in my way,” he said flatly.
But through the bond, I felt it. Jealousy.
Sharp. Sudden. Good. “Now get your ass back in there,” he added roughly.
I did. But one thing was clear as I stepped back onto the mat, heart pounding and fire simmering under my skin, I wasn’t going to stop myself from dating Alaric.
If Aiden wanted to be with someone else, then fine. So would I.
As the sun began to dip behind the academy walls, I made my way to the greenhouse.
I needed something grounding, familiar. The scent of warm soil and blooming herbs greeted me the moment I stepped inside, already soothing the chaos simmering in my chest. Firebeard was there, bent over a flame blossom, its bright orange petals pulsing softly in the dimming light.
I moved to his side and began tending to another bloom, my fingers brushing over the warm petals.