Page 39 of Avidian (The Demon and the Savior #1)

“I’m not slow. You’re a cheat,” I fire back, collapsing into the chair next to him. My pulse races, not from the sprint here but from the way he looks at me—like I’m the only person who exists. “I thought you wanted to run away.”

He leans toward me, his gaze locking with mine, steady and sure.

“I do,” he says softly, his voice carrying the weight of unspoken dreams, “but not without you.”

I blink, and suddenly we’re somewhere else—on the beach, our hands clasped together. His jacket is draped over my shoulders, shielding me from the cool evening air. The horizon glows in shades of orange and pink, the waves rolling in a steady rhythm that matches my heartbeat.

“You’re the only person who makes me feel like this, Kat,” he says, his voice low, intimate.

“Like what?” I whisper, my throat tightening with emotion.

“Like I could stay,” he murmurs, his green eyes dropping to my lips. “Like home isn’t a place but a person. And you’ll always be my person.”

He leans in, brushing his lips against mine. The touch is fleeting, but it sends a jolt through me, grounding me in the moment.

“Cade,” I say, my voice trembling, “wait until we graduate. Then we can leave together, save the world, right?” I try to keep it light, but the heaviness in his gaze stops me.

“Come stay with my family for a while,” I urge. “Get away from that house.”

He cups my face, his fingers tangling in my windblown hair. “I love you, Kat Sinclair. I’ll always go where you go.”

My heart swells, and the words spill out of me like they’ve been waiting for this moment. “I love you more.”

I climb into his lap, my lips finding his, the world falling away until there’s nothing but us. His weight shifts, and I fall back onto the sand, his body pressing against mine. It feels endless, timeless—perfect.

In an instant, it’s gone. I wake with a gasp, my chest heaving as I shoot up in bed. The room is dim, lit only by the dying glow of the fire through the doorway, and reality rushes back to me.

“What’s wrong? Bad dream?” Malachi’s voice cuts through the haze as he sits up beside me, his hand finding my back to steady me.

I shake my head, unable to speak, the remnants of Cade’s voice still echoing in my mind. “No,” I whisper. “A good dream.”

He gently coaxes me back down, his hand guiding me with a soft yet firm touch. I turn into him, burying my face in his chest, letting his touch comfort me. His arms wrap around me, strong and protective, his fingers tracing slow, soothing circles on my back.

As the warmth of his embrace settles over me, I feel the weight of the dream linger—bittersweet and heavy. A single tear slips down my cheek, disappearing into his skin, but he doesn’t say anything. He holds me closer, like he knows I need this moment.

The tension in my body ebbs away, piece by piece, until sleep finds me again.

“Alright, I think I’m ready. Is this going to hurt?

Should I be doing anything specific? Like, what should I do with my hands?

” My mouth runs faster than my nerves, and Malachi chuckles from where he’s seated in one of the armchairs, his legs crossed and arms folded like he’s trying not to intervene.

Bash grins, bemused. “Come sit here,” he says, patting the couch beside him.

I plop down, trying to ignore the way my heart is racing. He scooches closer, his usual cocky energy tempered by focus. “Okay, first step, close your eyes and relax. Think about your gift—how it feels when you use it. I’ll find your frequency and amplify it.”

My brows furrow. “Frequency? That sounds...technical.”

“It is. Sort of,” Bash replies with a devious smile. “It’ll make sense.”

It all still sounds crazy, but my entire life is crazy, so who am I to judge? I close my eyes, trying to focus on the sensation of the veil—the strange pull I feel when I cross over, the faint whispers that brush against my mind like a forgotten melody.

Bash’s hands settle on my shoulders, his touch warm and grounding. “This will only last for a couple of hours,” he says, his expression softening. “So be careful. Don’t overdo it.”

That immediately yanks me out of my calm. My eyes snap open, and I catch Malachi’s sharp glare cutting through the room. “What the fuck does that mean? How can she overdo seeing spirits?”

Bash shrugs, his fingers flexing lightly on my shoulders. “Look, I’ve never amplified a gift like hers before. If you try projecting and things feel...off, get out of there. Don’t push it.”

Malachi looks ready to call the whole thing off. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea.”

Bash sighs, exasperated. “Relax, Dad. Kat’s a big girl.”

I giggle despite myself, but Malachi’s glare remains locked on Bash, his jaw clenched. “I’ll be fine,” I say, winking at Malachi before closing my eyes again.

“Yeah, famous last words,” Malachi mutters, but he doesn’t stop us.

I focus, willing my body to relax, and Bash’s hands settle more firmly on my shoulders. The room falls silent except for the faint hum of electricity building in the air. At first, nothing happens, and I’m about to open my mouth to say it’s not working when it hits me.

A vibration stirs beneath my skin, soft at first then stronger, until it feels like every nerve in my body is waking up all at once.

It’s like my entire being is resonating with something ancient and vast, something out of reach.

A brilliant light flares behind my closed lids, so bright it forces my eyes open—and that’s when I realize everything has changed.