Page 2 of Mane Squeeze
Dominic barely had time to drop his latte.
The spell surged. He tried to back out, but his feet locked in place like someone had rooted him to the damn floor. Lillith swore—something in fae this time—and lunged for a grounding crystal, but the energy flared before she could grab it.
A searing light hit him square in the chest.
He gasped as pain—cold and hot at the same time—rippled through his bones. His lion roared, claws dragging against his skin from the inside out, tail whipping with primal rage.
Lillith’s scream echoed his. Then, silence.
Dominic blinked up at the ceiling of The Spellbound Sip, his back flat against the warm wooden floor, a bitter metallic taste on his tongue. The air smelled like burnt rosemary and old magic.
Above him, Lillith loomed—chest rising fast, curls wild, and magic crackling off her like she’d walked out of a lightning storm. Her foot landed square on his sternum with all the grace of a pissed-off goddess.
“You absolute idiot,” she snapped, voice edged with panic. “Who the hell walks into a live ritual?”
Dominic blinked up at her, still dazed. “I was lookin’ for a refill,” he said hoarsely, lips twitching despite the ache in his chest. “Didn’t realize the special came with rune detonation.”
Lillith's eyes narrowed to slits. “Of course it’syou.Kane, I had that warding matrix balanced to the atom. You blew a hole in it just by breathing near it.”
“Don’t flatter me,” he muttered, trying to sit up. A sharp thrum rippled down his spine. Not pain, exactly—but like someone had yanked on a string tied to his ribs. “You gonna stand there monologuing, or help me up?”
“I should hex you into a frog,” she snapped, but grudgingly pulled her foot back.
Dominic pushed himself upright with a groan. “What the hell were you even doing back there? That circle looked like it was humming in ancient fae.”
“That’s because it was ancient fae,” she said, brushing ash from her hands. “It wascontrolled.Untilyoustrolled in like a lion on a buffet line.”
He squinted at her. “You’re dodging the question.”
“I was working,” she bit back.
“In a public coffee shop?”
“Irentedthe space, if you must know.”
Dominic leaned back against the nearby wall, still catching his breath. The magical blast had left a soft, blue shimmer lingering over his skin. His shirt smelled faintly scorched, and his lion was still growling inside his ribs, unsettled.
Lillith paced across the room, muttering in fae. Her fingers twitched with residual energy, and the sigils etched in chalk on the floor fizzled out one by one, like snuffed candles. For all her sharp edges, she moved with intent—every step calculated, every flick of her wrist purposeful.
She was chaos wrapped in control. Dangerous, brilliant, and way too pretty when she was mad.
Dominic watched her as she bent to examine a fractured rune near the circle’s edge. Sweat beaded along her collarbone, catching the low enchantment lights, and for a second, he forgot about the burning in his back.
“You’re staring,” she said without turning around.
“Wouldn’t be, if you weren’t glowing like that,” he said, voice low.
Lillith straightened slowly and turned to face him. Her cheeks were pink—whether from magic or something else, he couldn’t tell.
“Save your charm for the girls who swoon when you flex,” she said, arms crossing defensively.
He gave her a lazy grin. “Sweetheart, I don’t flex. I justam.”
She rolled her eyes so hard it was a wonder they didn’t fall out. “Great. You’re injured and insufferable.”
“Not injured,” he said, though his body still thrummed with something not entirely normal. “Just... singed.”
“You absorbed ancient binding energy. There could be side effects.”
