Kael’s lips lingered against mine like he wasn’t ready to let go, and neither was I.

His hands remained at my waist, thumbs stroking slow circles into my hips, grounding me even as the world felt like it was slipping sideways. My heart beat wildly against my ribs, but his was very steady. His control was akin to someone used to resisting instinct.

And that was what this was now, wasn’t it? The mate bond was an unquenchable instinct that pulled and demanded.

Drawing me closer, whispering of promises sealed in skin and blood. My body ached for him, not just with desire but with a need so primal it frightened me. It clawed at every inch of me, urging me to give in, to open myself fully, to let him mark me.

But Kael didn’t even attempt to claim me. He simply pressed his forehead to mine and closed his eyes.

“Not tonight,” he said quietly. “Not like this.”

I didn’t ask what he meant. Maybe it was the bond flaring too fast or he thought that I wasn’t ready. Or maybe it was that we both knew once we crossed that line, there’d be no stepping back. And I knew Kael well enough to know he would want to make sure I was sure about this first.

So instead of giving in, we stayed there. Locked in that moment. Breathing each other in like prayer.

Eventually, he guided us to the low bench near the fire, and I let him hold me. I curled against his side with my legs tucked under me, and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders like he had every right to. My head rested just over his heartbeat.

We didn’t speak. His scent wrapped around me, and I memorised it without meaning to. Inhaled it like it was mine.

Well, it was and a small part of me couldn’t wait to taunt Selene about this.

But for tonight, in this small pocket of borrowed time, we didn’t belong to the world or the war or what was coming. We belonged to the fire.

Morning came gently, with the pale hush of first light creeping through the shutters, painting soft gold across the stone floor. I lay still under the thin covers, half-curled and still caught in the fog of dreams.

Kael was gone. The space beside me on the bench had long since cooled, but his scent lingered like a promise that hadn’t been broken, only paused.

I hadn’t expected him to stay. I suppose Kael had always known how to want something without taking it. How to choose restraint when instinct begged for surrender.

Still, I reached for the spot where he’d sat with me, my fingers brushing cool wood like it might whisper something back.

Our bond was quieter now. No longer clawing or consuming. Just” present. A thread pulled tight inside my chest, humming softly.

I pulled myself up slowly, not ready for the day to begin. Not ready for anything to begin, really. I could still feel his hand at my waist. His mouth on mine. The way we hadn’t spoken after, but had said everything anyway.

A knock came at the door, and I stiffened.

A beat later, Fabian’s voice filtered through, cheerful in that infuriating way only he could manage.

“Rise and shine, death girl. We’re late.”

“For what?” I called back, already knowing.

Caelum’s quieter voice answered next. “Training.”

I sighed and swung my legs off the bed. Right. Training. I dressed in silence, pulling on the soft tunic and leggings that had been laid out for me, the Pale Grove’s subtle embroidery tracing the cuffs. My fingers lingered on the hem before I forced myself to move.

There wasn’t time to grieve what hadn’t happened; there never was.

I opened the door to find both of them waiting. Caelum as unreadable as ever, and Fabian with his arms crossed, a smirk barely restrained. His sleeves rolled to the elbows like he’d come prepared for combat and breakfast in the same breath.

But both of them paused when they saw me, and their expressions shifted like I had something on my face.

Caelum tilted his head slightly, like he was trying to figure something out. Then he gave me a once-over and said, “You look” different.”

“Do I?”

“Mm.” He leaned closer. “Like someone who finally let herself want something.”

I didn’t answer, I just stared at him because his face was suddenly right in mine. He had such beautiful amber eyes with those golden flecks. I swallowed and backed away, and he smiled a little before turning away.

No one said anything else as we began the walk.

The Grove was quieter this morning. The light breaking through the canopy dappled the stone paths like scattered gold, but even that felt subdued. Less like morning, more like aftermath.

I moved between them—Fabian to my left, Caelum to my right—and I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to feel stronger, now that I had opened the door to one bond, or just heavier. Like I’d traded one kind of restraint for another.

I could still feel Kael. Not his presence exactly, but the echo of last night. A part of me wanted to turn back, just to see if he was somewhere around. But I didn’t.

Fabian whistled low beside me. “You know, if this is how you show up for training, I might start taking it seriously.”

I didn’t respond, mostly because I had no idea what he meant.

Caelum glanced at me sideways, reading more than I liked. “You don’t have to pretend to be fine.”

“I’m not pretending,” I said.

“Then you’re doing it badly.”

He didn’t say it with cruelty, just like he already understood the knots I was struggling to untangled.

We followed a narrow path branching off the main circle. Vines curled along the trunks, and small blue blossoms opened as we passed—alive, curious.

The clearing opened like the Grove had been saving it just for this.

Circular, secluded, and quiet in a way that felt intentional. The trees curved inward like an amphitheatre, their roots forming natural ridges and lines in the ground. Soft moss padded the earth under my boots, and in the centre stood a shallow pool of still water. It was so clear it mirrored the sky overhead without rippling.

Magic hung in the air like mist. Barely visible, but heavy enough to taste.

Caelum walked ahead, boots silent against the stone as he approached the edge of the pool. He turned and faced me, hands clasped behind his back. Fabian stayed behind, arms folded, leaning casually against a thick trunk as if this was just another morning.

But I knew better. This was initiation.

Caelum’s eyes met mine. “Step forward.”

I did, and the moment I crossed the outer ring, I felt the wobble in the space like there was an invincible shield surrounding the grove.

“Your magic is reactive,” he said, looking at me. “It’s tied to emotion, instinct, bond, and belief. It cannot be commanded. It must be understood.”

“In short: don’t get too angry, too horny, or too afraid unless you’re ready to set the walls on fire,” Fabian added.

Caelum shot him a look, then turned back to me. “We’ll start simple. I want you to summon the current.”

“The what?”

“The pulse beneath your ribs,” he said. “That place where the magic hums low but doesn’t surface. Find it. Pull it forward.”

“You need to start from the basics with me, Caelum. I haven’t the faintest idea what you mean.” I huffed.

He stared at me for some time. “Your power responds to instinct,” Caelum said. “And right now, it’s coiled inside you, trying to figure out if it’s allowed to be free.”

I swallowed. “Is it?”

“That depends. Are you ready to let it be?”

I didn’t answer right away. Because the truth was, I didn’t know. The kiss with Kael had cracked something open in me. A door had been unlatched, and the magic inside me—this hybrid, fractured thing—had begun to stir with more than usual. It wanted use.

Caelum nodded, like he saw the truth on my face even before I could answer. “Good.” He extended his hand. “Touch the water.”

I hesitated, glancing at the pool. It wasn’t deep. A few inches, maybe, but it felt vast and looked like touching it meant crossing into a realm I couldn’t come back from.

Still, I stepped to the edge and knelt. My reflection stared back at me: tired eyes, wind-ruffled hair, and shadows under my cheekbones.

I dipped my fingertips into the surface, and the water accepted me instantly. There was no ripple. I only got a cold, sharp pulse. I gasped, pulling back, but it was too late.

The pool began to glow. Light swirled across its surface; thin, silver, smoke-like smoke spun into thread. It coiled up my fingers and up my arms, and I stumbled back onto the moss, breath catching in my throat.

“What’s happening?” I whispered.

Fabian pushed off the tree, but Caelum didn’t move; he just watched.

“You’ve opened the gate,” Caelum said. “Now it’s time to see what’s behind it.”

I felt the power rush through me. It was wild, raw, and unshaped like a river that had forgotten its banks. My vision started to blur as the air distorted. I staggered to my feet, hands shaking and chest burning.

Caelum stepped forward. “Say it.”

“Say what?” I rasped.

He met my gaze. “The command to awaken your powers. It doesn’t have to mean anything. It just has to be yours.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, reaching for something that could anchor me. A word. A thought. A name. Kael’s face flashed behind my eyes. Then Caelum’s.

“Unleash.” I whispered.

The power obeyed. It tore from my chest in a burst of blinding light, rippling across the clearing like a shock wave. Leaves exploded from branches, the water in the pool surged and collapsed, and the roots shuddered as the Grove answered.

Then utter silence.

I dropped to my knees and heard Fabian curse under his breath.

Caelum crouched beside me, and his voice was low with awe when he said, “She’s waking up.”