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I sat up, glaring daggers at him. “Don’t you have anything better to do? Or can you just not tell when you’re not wanted?”

But my traitorous eyes betrayed me, lingering over him.

The setting sun caught his red hair, making it gleam like molten copper, every strand perfectly unruly.

His broad chest was barely contained by the tight black shirt he wore, the fabric stretching over muscles that seemed carved out of stone.

And his eyes burned with that same unrelenting intensity, mesmerizing even as they narrowed in challenge.

How dare he look like that—like he was carved to haunt my bad decisions.

“What can I say?” he drawled, his voice infuriatingly calm. “I like to keep an eye on things. Someone’s got to, considering how little progress you’re making. You’re a real inspiration, princess.”

“Wasn’t breaking your nose the first time warning enough to stay away from me?”

His eyes narrowed, his smile disappearing into a scowl behind his beard. “You didn’t break my nose. And if you think of touching me again, I’ll put you in the fucking ground.”

I laughed sharply, rising to my feet. If Ragnar wanted to spar, then game on. “You act like a warrior, but all you do is watch. You never do anything.”

“You don’t know a damn thing,” he snapped. “But keep talking, princess. I’m dying to hear more of your expert opinion.”

I clenched my fists, ignoring the warning tone in his voice. “Oh, I know plenty. You stomp around like you’re better than everyone else, like the weight of the world is on your broad, oh-so-perfect shoulders. But all you do is sit there and glare at everyone who actually tries.”

“Maybe I’m just waiting for you to do something worthy of my attention,” he shot back. “But you can’t even manage a single flame, can you?”

I could feel the anger growing inside of me, even if I couldn’t directly deny his words.

My breathing grew shallow as I tried to steady myself, but he was striking a nerve, and I had no comeback.

I was furious, but not with Ragnar—with myself for not getting the hang of this quickly enough.

Ragnar was simply pouring salt in the wound.

“That’s what I thought. Maybe Orion was wrong about you this whole time, and you’re nothing more than a fluke.”

I inhaled sharply, feeling the heat building. Before I could stop it, a sharp burst of heat radiated from my core, tingling down my trembling arms. Sparks flew from my clenched palms, showering the ground in tiny, glowing embers that fizzled out on the grass.

I jumped backwards, staring at my hands like they belonged to someone else. After hours—no, days —of feeling nothing but emptiness where the fire had been, the sudden surge of magic jolted through me like an electric shock. My chest tightened, equal parts relief and dread crashing over me.

Ragnar tilted his head back and laughed, a low, rumbling sound that sent heat rushing to my face.

“Well, as impressive as your little firework show was,” he drawled, his tone thick with condescension, “the grown-ups have real work to do. You two—get ready.”

“Wait—you have a lead?” I asked, temporarily forgetting the argument. Ragnar was already making his way back to the cabin, and I couldn’t help but follow. “Can I come?”

“Fuck no.”

“And why the hell not?”

“Because you’re a liability, princess,” he said bluntly, not even bothering to look at me.

Orion stepped in front of his brother, causing us both to halt. “You didn’t see what she did to that daema, Ragnar. She survived. She fought back. I think she’s proven herself pretty resilient.”

“At what? Lighting shit on fire because she’s got no control? She’s dangerous. And not in the good way I know usually makes your dick hard.”

I cringed at his crudeness, but Orion looked downright pissed.

“Alright, enough,” Xander stepped between the two men just in time. “She should come with us. If this lead is tied to the daema who are looking for Eve, she should understand what she’s up against, and we can’t exactly leave her here alone, unprotected.”

Ragnar let out a sharp, humorless laugh, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. “Not you too.“

“Think about it, Ragnar,” Xander said, his voice steady. “Keeping her in the dark won’t help her. You heard what she did in the forest. Like it or not, she’s part of this now.”

Ragnar’s nostrils flared, his jaw tightening as he took a step closer to Xander, the tension between them crackling like static.

“Bringing her with us is a mistake. She’s dead weight, and if something goes wrong out there—”

“That’s a risk we take every time.”

Ragnar glared at him, his entire body coiled like a spring ready to snap. For a moment, I thought he might argue, but then he exhaled sharply, swearing under his breath as he turned toward the cabin.

“Fine! But if she burns anyone, it’s on you idiots.”

As he stalked off, I turned to Xander, my heart still racing.

“Thanks,” I said quietly, not sure what else to say.

He gave me a small nod, and I swallowed back my apprehension. There would be no more sidelines. I was in it now—whether I was ready or not.