Page 63 of Laid Bare

Zane immediately lets go, the inflamed basket hitting the floor.

In my head, I think of how we need water to put it out, and my magic responds, a zip of pink burning the back of my left thigh. A watery mass collects in my hand, and I fling it in the direction of the flames. Only my aim is way fucking off. The water shooting from my palm, kind of how Peter Parker expels webs from his wrists, douses Zane, completely missing the mark.

“Holy hellfire, pinky! That shit’s cold!” Zane whines, the water creating steam as it sizzles against his burning flesh.

Bane is on the floor, dying of laughter and completely losing his marbles, as I scramble to redirect my flow toward the actual fire. A moment later, the flames die out with a fizzle, along with the burning on the back of my thigh.

I’m left gaping at the absolute disaster left in its wake.

There’s water flooding the floor of my kitchen. Scorch marks on the cabinet above where Zane was working. And a burnt to a crisp piece of plastic that was supposed to help feed us for the week.

My eyes dart toward my coffee machine, worried it didn’t survive against the hurricane I’m now dubbing as Zane. Fortunately, it looks unscathed, the flames missing the appliance by mere inches.

I breathe a sigh of relief.

“Lucifer, that was hilarious.” Bane wipes his face, ridding himself of the tears still clinging to his cheeks. “I’ll run down to the dining hall and get us something.”

He quickly flees the dorm, leaving Zane and I with the aftermath.

“Fuck, pinky. I’m so sorry,” Zane mutters, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. “I just wanted to make sure you were fed when you woke up. I didn’t mean to destroy it.”

Be still my heart.

“Hey,” I call, carefully making my way across the wet floor, trying not to slip. My palm finds his thumping heart when I place my hand on his chest. “It’s the thought that counts, right? It was very sweet of you to want to do that for me.” I smile up at him.

“But I ruined it.” He clutches my hand like a lifeline.

“It’s fine. We can always get a new one, and I can teach you how to use it. Plus, I can survive off Mr. Tall, Dark, and Steamy until Bane gets back.”

A boyish grin transforms Zane’s face into something child-like. “I’m tall, dark, and steamy.”

He’s right. On all three counts, especially since there’s still steam curling off his shoulders.

But like Thaddeus, he’s completely wrong.

“I meant coffee, ya big lug,” I chuckle, swatting his chest with my free hand.

“Of course you were, pinky,” he murmurs with a wink.

“Come on, we have a mess to clean.”

He wrinkles his nose. “Do we have to?”

“Yes, but I’ll make it easy. Watch.”

Not removing my gaze from him, I send my magic to the air rune on my belly, relishing in the burn it gives. The wind starts almost instantly, whipping around the kitchen. All the standing water quickly evaporates, leaving not only the floor but also Zane bone dry.

The wind and burn taper off, taking the heavy burnt smell in the air with it.

“Now that was fucking cool,” Zane says in awe, but his onyx eyes never move from mine.

“It was…” I trail off, lost in the moment.

Like a tractor beam pulling us together, Zane lowers his head as I start to press up on my toes, bringing our faces within inches of each other. His breath is warm against my face, bringing the scent of roasted marshmallows and dark chocolate to my nose.

The door being thrown open rips us apart, startling the two of us out of what was about to happen.

“Food’s here!”

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