The moonlight spilled into the courtyard, silver and sharp, painting Seraphina's shadow long and trembling. Kael stood across from her, cloak brushing the stone floor, eyes dark as midnight.
"Tonight," he said, voice low, "we train with more than skill."
She raised an eyebrow. "More than skill?"
His smirk was slow, predatory. "Focus, control… and desire."
Seraphina's pulse stuttered. His words weren't threats. They were promises.
They began, circling each other in silence, swords raised but unused. Every movement Kael made was deliberate, teasing. He mirrored her stance perfectly, a predator testing her reflexes, while his eyes drank in every line of her body.
"Too hesitant," he whispered suddenly, stepping closer, so close she felt the heat radiating off him. "Fear is natural. Desire… is not. Control both, or you die."
Her chest tightened—not from fear, but from the closeness, the sharp electric tension of his words against her skin. Every instinct screamed to move away, yet another screamed to lean in.
"Then teach me," she murmured.
Kael's lips curved dangerously. "I already am."
Without warning, he closed the distance, brushing against her side, just a touch—but enough to make her shiver. His hand hovered near her waist, testing, teasing. "Control," he breathed.
"I… I…" She faltered, heart racing, heat spreading from her chest to everywhere.
"Breathe," he said, voice low and rough. "Focus on me."
Her hands trembled as they raised the sword again. But her eyes didn't leave his. Every flick of his gaze, every step, every breath was a challenge—and a promise.
"You feel it," he whispered. "That pull inside you? That spark?"
"Yes," she admitted. "It's… terrifying."
"And thrilling," he said, voice dropping even lower, so close it vibrated against her ear. "That spark makes you dangerous… irresistible."
Seraphina's knees weakened, not from exertion but from him. She could feel the heat of his body, the weight of his presence, and the undeniable magnetic pull between them.
Kael stepped back suddenly, breaking the spell. "Enough for tonight," he said, though his eyes glinted with unsaid things—desire, warning, obsession.
She exhaled, hands still trembling. "I can't tell if I'm alive… or burning."
He smirked faintly. "Both," he murmured. "And that's exactly how it should feel."
Before she could say more, a shadow fell across the courtyard. Lady Mirella emerged, eyes sharp, lips curved in a poisonous smile.
"Training late at night?" she hissed. "How… intimate."
Kael's jaw tightened. "Step away from her."
Mirella laughed softly. "Or what?"
Kael's hand brushed Seraphina's briefly—a touch that was possessive, protective, and warning all at once. "Or you'll regret it."
Seraphina met Mirella's gaze, unafraid. "She won't control me," she said softly.
Kael's hand lingered near her waist, warm and grounding. "And no one will," he growled.
Mirella's eyes narrowed. "This isn't over."
With that, she disappeared into the shadows.
Kael turned to Seraphina, lips brushing near her ear. "She's dangerous… and so are you."
Seraphina swallowed, pulse pounding. "Then let's be dangerous together."
Kael's dark laugh was low, thrilling. "Yes," he whispered. "Together."
The courtyard felt smaller. The night hotter. The tension between them more lethal than any blade.