Alistair's POV
The hunter's pulse beat erratically beneath my palm.
Not from the pressure on his throat.
From fear.
He should be afraid.
Every instinct in me screamed to end him right there—to remove the threat, to snap his neck before he could even think of reaching for her again.
But Sarafina stood behind me.
Close enough that I could hear the unsteady rhythm of her breathing.
Close enough that if I lost control—
No.
I forced the storm down.
Pressed it into the cage inside me where it belonged. The shadows around my fingers receded, slipping back under my skin like smoke reluctantly obeying.
The hunter wheezed. "You can't protect her. Not from them."
My jaw locked. "Watch me."
He coughed out a laugh. "You're already unraveling."
I slammed him harder against the stone pillar. The crack spread wider. He winced, but his eyes gleamed with something like triumph.
"And she doesn't even know what you are."
Behind me, Sarafina whispered, "Alistair…"
Her voice.
Her voice was the anchor I didn't know I needed.
I released the hunter abruptly, letting him crumple to the ground. He scrambled back like a kicked animal.
"Get up," I said coldly. "Run back to whoever sent you. Tell them I'll tear out the spine of the next one who touches her."
He hesitated, glancing at Sarafina again—as if trying to memorize her, as if calculating how much she was worth.
My fist clenched.
The shadows quivered.
The hunter bolted.
I watched him disappear into the maze of stalls, making sure he wasn't foolish enough to double back.
Only then—
Only when he was fully gone—
Did I allow myself to turn toward her.
Sarafina wasn't shaking.
She wasn't crying.
She was staring straight at me… like she was trying to solve a puzzle she wasn't ready for.
The orb in her pocket hummed. I felt it from across the space between us.
She stepped closer. "Alistair… what was that?"
I swallowed hard.
How could I explain?
How could I tell her there were pieces of me that weren't human enough to control when she was near?
That the storm inside me didn't just react to danger—
It reacted to her.
I kept my voice calm. Measured. "He was after you."
"I know that," she said softly. "I mean you. What did I just see?"
I should have lied.
I almost did.
But lying to her felt wrong in a way I couldn't name.
So instead, I said nothing.
And silence is its own kind of confession.
Her eyes softened—not with fear, but with something worse. Something dangerous.
Concern.
She lifted a hand as if to touch my arm… and I panicked.
I stepped back too fast.
Her fingers dropped.
"Don't," I said quietly.
She frowned. "Don't what? Try to understand what's happening? Try to understand you?"
She didn't know what she was asking. What understanding me would cost her.
"You shouldn't have come here alone," I said instead.
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one I can give."
She exhaled a shaky breath. "Alistair… talk to me. Please."
Those two words.
Please talk—
My control slipped for a heartbeat.
The storm surged, shadows rising up my arms, heat burning beneath my skin like molten metal.
Her eyes widened—not in fear, but in awe.
And that terrified me more than the hunters ever could.
I forced the darkness back, pushing it down until my vision stopped flickering.
"I can't," I said, voice hoarse. "If I tell you the truth, I won't be able to stop everything else that comes with it."
"Everything else?"
The Market lights flickered.
My pulse roared in my ears.
I took one step toward her.
Close enough to see the glow beneath her skin react to mine.
Close enough to feel her breath catch.
Close enough to ruin everything.
I steadied myself with the last thread of restraint I had left.
"You need to leave," I said quietly. "I'll get you home."
"I'm not afraid of you."
"You should be."
She lifted her chin. "Then tell me why."
I closed my eyes.
Because you're the only thing that wakes the monster in me.
Because you're the prophecy I've spent half my life trying to prevent.
Because you're the one person I cannot lose again.
Because when the seal breaks, you'll either save the world… or end it. But instead, I forced out the safest lie I could find.
"I'm dangerous."
She smiled—soft, stubborn, infuriating.
"And I'm not leaving without answers."
Gods help me.
I almost smiled back.
But the storm inside me wasn't done.
And neither were the hunters.
I glanced toward the exit of the Market. "We need to move. Now. More will come."
Sarafina stepped beside me—matching my pace, refusing to fall behind.
Refusing to be afraid.
And as we walked out of the Market's shadows, her shoulder brushed mine—
A small touch.
A spark.
A quiet disaster.
The storm inside me cracked open again.
This time, I wasn't sure I could put it back.