Page 20 of Kael

It’s not graceful. There’s a very unflattering thump as my backside hits the floor, and across the room, Dawson chuckles. “You all right over there?” he calls.

Kael’s hand hovers like he’s considering helping me. But before I can process it, his fingers curl into a fist, and he pulls back.

Something tightens in my chest. I swallow it down, pretending it doesn’t bother me. I push myself up, dusting offimaginary dirt, then fix Kael with a suspicious look. “You want to train me?”

His expression flickers—uncertainty, hesitation—but then he straightens, shoulders squaring. “Yes.”

I wait for more, but he doesn’t elaborate. I arch a brow. “Why?”

His jaw clenches. “I am here with the prince anyway. Aelith has no plans to leave—not with the increased risks to Riftborn. As long as he is safe, I may as well make myself useful.”

I glance towards Aelith, a little surprised. He looks attentive, letting Dawson dominate the conversation. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but the fact that Dawson has his full focus is… unexpected.

Kael’s voice pulls my attention back. “When I do leave with the prince and his fated, at least I will know you are safe.”

Something about the way he says it—something in the intensity of his gaze—makes my stomach clench. Then, just as quickly, he looks away. The unease in my gut settles deeper. It must be the thought of Dawson being out there, alone with royalty.

Nothing to do with Kael. Nothing to do with the shitload of mixed signals he’s sending me.

I take a breath, still studying Kael. He’s hard to read, but there’s something in the way he said it—at least I will know you are safe—that lingers. I don’t know what to do with it, so I shove it aside. Instead, I roll my shoulders and cross my arms. “Fine.”

His head tilts slightly. “Fine?”

I nod. “I’ll take you up on your offer. You’ve got to be good at what you do, right? Considering who you protect.”

His expression doesn’t change, but I swear there’s something different about the way he looks at me—something charged, like he’s testing the weight of my words before deciding how to respond.

Finally, he inclines his head, as if my decision was inevitable. “We will start tomorrow.”

I smirk. “Oh, so now you’re making decisions for me?”

His eyes narrow slightly, but there’s no irritation in them. “I assumed you would want to be prepared as soon as possible. Unless you are not as serious as you claim.”

I bristle but bite my tongue. No way am I giving him the satisfaction of seeing me flustered. “Tomorrow, then,” I say, lifting my chin slightly.

Something unreadable flickers across his face, but before I can even begin to pick it apart?—

Aelith calls out.

There’s a sharp edge of distress in his voice that sends a jolt through me. Kael is already moving before I fully register what’s happening, his entire body snapping into action.

I twist towards the sound, and worry slams into my gut.

Dawson.

He’s collapsed.

Aelith is holding him carefully, his expression carved with something close to panic.

I lurch forwards, my chair scraping against the floor as I shove past it, but Kael is already there, kneeling beside them. His bioluminescent markings pulse brighter, his sharp gaze raking over Dawson’s unmoving form.

“What happened?” His voice is clipped, controlled.

Aelith shakes his head. “I don’t know. He just—he was talking, and then suddenly?—”

I don’t hear the rest.

Dawson istoostill. His face is pale, his lips almost blue.

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