Page 20 of Too Dangerous To Die

Themagic responds.

Not just hers.Mine.

A sharp inhale from her lips, too soft, too unsure.

I should stop.

I should push herfurther.

I do neither.

Instead, I let the moment hang between us, let her feel theweight of the bond, the truth of it.

"You are not the same," I murmur.

Neither of us are.

Her lips part, but she does notspeak.

We have stepped into something neither of usfully understand.

And we are past the point of turning back.

9

NORA

Pain is a cruel teacher.

Rhaegar is crueler.

The worldnarrowsto nothing but movement, heat, and the cold, unrelenting presence of him as Idodge, pivot, strike.My muscles scream, my magic hums beneath my skin, still raw anduntamedafter what he did to me.

After what Ilet him do.

Hisgolden eyes burn, watching me withunforgiving patience. He doesn’t speak as I throw another strike, doesn’t react when I miss my mark, again.

Only when Istumbledoes he move.

He strikesfast, one moment, he’s standing in front of me, the next, I ampinned beneath him, my back pressed to the damp earth. A growlrumbles low in his chest, a dark sound ofdisapproval.

"Again," he orders, his voice likecrushed obsidian and fire.

I shove him off, chest heaving, my palms burning with the energy I’m struggling to control.

Rhaegarwants me to fight.

But this is not fighting.This is something else.

I glare at him, but he onlysmirks, tilting his head, considering. "Your hesitation will get you killed," he says, circling me now, the way a predator does when it’s deciding whether to kill or play with its food.

Something hot andtwistedstirs inside me.

I shake it off.This is not attraction.

This isanger.

I launch myself at him again.Magic sparks, too wild, too unfocused.He dodges easily.

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