The palace slept—but not them.
Seraphina slipped silently through the corridors, shadows wrapping around her like a cloak. The moonlight kissed the marble floor, illuminating her path to the private training chamber where Kael waited.
He was already there, leaning against the stone wall, arms crossed, eyes dark and unreadable. The air around him shimmered with quiet danger—and desire.
"You're late," he said softly, voice low, almost a growl.
"I had to ensure no one followed," she replied, stepping closer. Every step felt like a heartbeat, every glance between them a spark.
Kael pushed off the wall and closed the distance, his presence overwhelming. "Do you understand what you're doing?" he asked, eyes locked on hers.
"I'm learning," she said. Her lips curved into a faint smile, daring him.
"Learning what?" he pressed, taking another step closer. She could feel the heat radiating from him. His dark aura wrapped around her, tethering her heartbeat to his.
She tilted her head, challenging. "To survive you?"
His laugh was low, rumbling, intoxicating. "Partly. But mostly… to survive yourself."
Before she could respond, he was upon her, hand brushing her waist, guiding her through a series of movements she barely noticed. The air around them pulsed with every touch, every whispered word, every breath that mingled between them.
"You're too close," she murmured, though her voice betrayed excitement.
"I'm exactly where I need to be," he said, lips dangerously near her ear. "Control is illusion, Seraphina. Desire is real. And you… you make it impossible to resist."
Her pulse thundered. She wanted to pull away—she needed to—but she couldn't. Not when the magnetic pull of him wrapped around her like fire.
Kael stepped back just slightly, letting his hand linger on her waist. "Do you feel it?" he asked, voice rough. "That power inside you? That spark? That's not just magic—it's us. Together, unstoppable. Alone… deadly."
Seraphina's breath caught. "I feel it. And I trust it… with you."
"Good," he murmured, voice low, dangerous. "Because soon… you'll need every ounce of it."
A shadow moved across the doorway. Lady Mirella.
Her smirk was poisonous. "Practicing… closeness, are we?" she hissed.
Kael's eyes darkened instantly. He didn't even step forward—just the heat in his gaze was enough. "Leave," he said, voice deadly calm.
Mirella faltered for a second, realizing she had underestimated him. Then she vanished into the darkness.
Kael turned back to Seraphina, brushing a strand of hair from her face, fingers lingering along her jaw. "No one touches what's mine," he whispered.
Seraphina tilted her head, lips brushing his fingers. "And I… wouldn't have it any other way."
The moment stretched, heavy with desire, tension, and unspoken promises. Shadows flickered, runes pulsed faintly, and the night seemed to bend around them.
Kael lowered his forehead to hers. "One day soon," he murmured, "I'll stop holding back."
She smiled faintly, daring. "Then I'll be ready."
For the first time, the chamber wasn't about training or survival. It was about the fire they ignited in each other—untamed, dangerous, irresistible.