Total pages in book: 214
Estimated words: 195876 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 979(@200wpm)___ 784(@250wpm)___ 653(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 195876 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 979(@200wpm)___ 784(@250wpm)___ 653(@300wpm)
Gratitude and appreciation swells within me. "Thank you. And... thank them for me, too."
"And I also meant what I said about you being a distraction." His eyes soften, just for a moment. "A fucking beautiful distraction, Nessa."
My heart swells at the words, at the tenderness in his voice that so few ever get to hear.
"You don't have to protect me, you know," I tell him. "I'm stronger than I look."
"Trust me, I know exactly how strong you are." His hand reaches up, thumb brushing across my cheek in a touch so gentle it makes my breath catch. "That doesn't mean I don't want to keep you safe anyway."
For a moment, we're suspended in perfect stillness, the world narrowing to just the two of us. His eyes drop to my lips again, and I feel myself leaning in, drawn by that invisible current that always seems to pull us together.
"This place changes people," Raith says. "Hardens them. Strips away the things that make us human and only leaves hard, sharp edges. But not you. You're still in there. Still alive. Still you. And that... that's fucking worth protecting."
I feel myself leaning closer to him, eyes falling to his lips as my heart feels like it’s flipping over itself.
"Raith..."
He steps back suddenly, the moment broken. "I should go."
Before I can respond, he turns and walks away, back straight, posture alert. Even now, he's scanning for threats, always the protector.
I watch until he disappears into the growing darkness, trying to ignore the ache in my chest that has nothing to do with fear and everything to do with wanting something I'm not sure I can have.
"You could have had it just now," Typhon observes. "If you had claimed his lips with yours, he would not have resisted. Pyrin agrees that you two are making an elaborate dance out of what could be done in a few simple thrusts."
"First of all, I'd appreciate it if you and Pyrin stopped gossiping behind our backs."
"We are elementals. We do not gossip. We simply share observations."
"You're just a big, ancient, powerful gossip and I won't be convinced otherwise. And it's not as simple as you make it out to be. Raith is hiding something big and he's warning me not to get involved. He thinks I'll be in even more danger if I do, and more danger is probably the last thing I need right now."
"Blah, blah, as you humans say. It is only you humans who insist on making it complicated."
Maybe he's right. Maybe I'm overthinking everything. But as I climb the tower stairs toward my room, I can't shake the feeling of cold, hungry eyes watching from the shadows. Waiting. Patient. Inevitable.
26
I'm on my way to channeling class when I see something that slows my pace. A group of second-year fires passes with their elementals on full display. Though I haven't heard anything direct, it seems clear that the older students are preparing for some kind of test as well. The Crucible might only be for first-years, but it seems like the challenges don't stop if we survive this year.
One of the upper-year fires bumps me and doesn't apologize as his huge fire lion glares down at me. They both appear oblivious to Typhon's threats.
"I could suck the marrow from their bones if you'd permit it," Typhon growls.
“Not worth it, Typhon.”
Another fire catches my attention, but this one is a first year. I’ve seen him practicing with Raith several times. I’m pretty sure his name is Cade. He’s more narrow in the shoulders and shorter than the average first year, and there’s an innocence in his expression that feels out of place on campus. It’s as if, somehow, the cruelty here hasn’t touched him yet.
Cade spares a glance over his shoulder before pausing with his hand on the door of a random classroom. Something about his furtive movements triggers an alarm in my mind—his shoulders hunched, his steps too careful, like he's afraid of making noise.
The corridor is quickly emptying as students head to afternoon classes after lunch. I've been wandering the halls, taking what Ambrose calls "the scenic route" to channeling class, trying to clear my head of the thousands of thoughts swirling through it. The Crucible. My new healing abilities. Raith's hot-and-cold behavior.
And I’ve come to enjoy watching the flow of students across campus. Noticing the differences in older students compared to ourselves. Paying attention to the way the lines between affinities seem to have blurred ever-so-slightly with each year of survival here at Confluence. In a way, it’s encouraging. It makes me think that things could get better with time.
I know I should hurry to class, but something tugs at me as Cade pulls open the door. He's slender with close-cropped dark hair and the red-gold eyes common among fire affinities, probably around my age but with a smaller build that makes him appear younger.