Page 20 of Shadows Rising

He glances down then, his gaze flickering with something unreadable. “I didn’t think you would.”

We stand there for a while, side by side, watching the writhing sky above us. The silence between us isn’t uncomfortable, it’s charged.

“You knew about berserkers,” I say finally. “What else do you know about this place?”

Malrik exhales, rubbing a hand down his face. “More than I’d like.”

“Tell me.”

His lips twitch, but there’s no humor in it. “The thing about Absentia is… it doesn’t just corrupt. It adapts. It remembers. And if it knows you don’t belong, it makes you belong.”

I shiver. “That’s what this ache is, isn’t it?” I press a hand to my chest. “Like it’s trying to change us.”

Malrik watches me, his gaze dipping briefly to where my fingers press against my skin. Then, slowly, deliberately, he reaches out and rests his palm over my hand.

The moment he touches me, the ache shifts. It’s still there, but different, like my magic is stretching toward him, trying to align itself with his.

I inhale sharply. His fingers are warm against mine. His presence steadies me, like an anchor against whatever’s happening in this realm.

“Kaia,” he murmurs, voice rougher than before.

When I look up at him, I see it—the hesitation, the war between logic and something deeper. Something undeniable.

I don’t think. I don’t second-guess. I just rise onto my toes, closing the distance between us.

He meets me halfway.

The kiss is slow, not hesitant, just careful. Like he’s testing the feel of me in this realm, the shape of this moment. His fingers tighten over mine, then shift, trailing up my arm as he cups my face.

I press closer. His breath hitches. Something in his magic, something deep and ancient, pulls at mine, like a thread being drawn between us.

Then the air around us shudders.

The moment breaks.

Malrik pulls back first, his expression unreadable. But I can feel it, the change in the air, the watching presence pressing closer.

I turn my head, pulse thundering. The fire is still burning, but it feels smaller. The silence around us isn’t normal anymore. It’s waiting.

I swallow hard.

“Malrik…”

He’s already staring into the darkness beyond our camp, every muscle in his body tensed.

“I know.”

The darkness beyond our camp writhes, moving in ways shadow shouldn’t.

Something is here.

Chapter 10

Finn

I'm pretty sure watching the person you're falling for kiss someone else you're also falling for isn't covered in any self-help books. Then again, maybe I just haven't found the right section: "So You're In Love With A Shadow Queen And A Brooding Prince - Now What?"

From my poorly chosen vantage of fake-sleeping, I watch Malrik kiss Kaia through barely open eyes. Something sharp twists beneath my ribs, not quite pain and not quite longing—more like hunger with teeth. My usual jokes feel stuck somewhere between my lungs and throat, which is probably for the best. Even I can read a room. Usually. Sometimes.