Page 70 of Tempest Blazing
He stepped back, running a hand through his disheveled hair, and I could see the internal war playing out across his features. Want battling duty, desire fighting whatever invisible chains held him back.
"Why?" The question slipped out before I could stop it.
His eyes met mine, and the intensity there—conflict and longing and something that looked almost like pain—left me breathless.
"Because everything I touch gets complicated," he said simply. "And you have enough complications already."
I wanted to argue, to tell him I didn't care about complications, that whatever was building between us felt worth the risk. But something in his expression stopped me.
"I need to go," he said, already backing toward the door.
"Kane, wait—"
He paused, hand on the doorframe. For a moment, I thought he might change his mind, might come back and finish what we'd started. Instead, he turned to face me one last time.
"There's something you should know," he said, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "My father—Silvius. You should watch out for him."
The sudden shift in topic made my head spin. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know what he has planned," Kane said carefully. "But he's... he has very strong opinions about humans. About their place in our world. And you're challenging everything he believes simply by being here."
A chill ran down my spine that had nothing to do with the cool night air. "Are you saying he might try to sabotage me?"
"I'm saying he views you as a threat to the natural order." Kane's jaw tightened. "And he doesn't handle threats well."
"Thank you," I said quietly. "For the warning."
He nodded, then seemed to struggle with something else. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, more vulnerable than I'd ever heard it.
"You don't have to do this alone, Tess."
The words hung in the air between us, a promise and a question all at once. But even as warmth bloomed in my chest, doubt crept in around the edges. How could I trust that offer when he'd just pulled away from me? When he'd made it clear that whatever was between us was too complicated to pursue?
"I appreciate that," I said carefully. "But I still need to prove myself. On my own terms."
Something flickered in his eyes—disappointment, maybe, or understanding. "I know you do."
He turned to go, then paused one more time. "Tess?"
"Yeah?"
"Be careful."
Chapter 30
Tess
The amphitheater stretched before me like a colosseum carved from living stone, dragons perched along the upper edges with wings folded and eyes fixed on the arena below.
My stomach clenched as familiar dread crept up my spine—the suffocating weight of being watched, evaluated, judged. It was too much like the fighting ring, where spectators had leered down at me while I bled for their entertainment. This wasn't just training anymore—this was a performance that could determine my entire future.
On the observation balcony, Silvius Ellesar cut an imposing figure in his dark robes, radiating authority and barely contained disdain. His voice carried across the amphitheater with practiced authority. "Today marks your pre-trial assessment," he announced, each word sharp and deliberate. "You will officially meet and interact with the dragons. This is your opportunity to demonstrate worthiness—or reveal your inadequacies."
His gaze felt like a brand against my skin, marking me as weak, as lesser. The same way the crowd had watched me stumble and fall, waiting for me to break.
Don't think about him.I forced my breathing to steady.Focus on what you can control.I wasn't that helpless girl anymore. I'd survived. I'd grown stronger. Today, I would prove it.
Mason's steady presence at my right anchored me, his dark eyes meeting mine with quiet confidence. Draven flanked my other side, hazel eyes shifting colors as he assessed the situation.
