Night always fell a little faster on the east wing of Erythros University, like the shadows had learned to run.
And tonight, those shadows didn't feel empty.
Anabeth realized it the moment she stepped out of her hostel the next morning. The air was too still. Too quiet. Almost… waiting.
She wrapped her scarf around her neck and moved quickly across the courtyard, pretending not to notice the tall figure leaning near the stone fountain. Pretending not to recognize the way his eyes tracked her steps.
Cassian.
He wasn't hiding today—no shadows, no distance, no pretense. He simply stood there, powerful and still, hands in his pockets, watching her like she was the only thing that mattered in an unpredictable world.
"You're early," she said as she approached him.
"You're anxious," he responded.
She stopped. "I'm not."
His gaze swept her face, lingering a little too long on her eyes, like he could read the tremor behind them.
"Your tells aren't subtle," he said. "You clench your jaw on one side. The left."
She blinked. "How do you even notice that?"
"Because I look at you."
His voice was quiet, but the weight of it hit her like a touch.
Her heart skipped.
Before she could answer, Cassian turned slightly, scanning the walkway. He wasn't relaxed. Not today. Every line of his body was sharp, coiled, alert.
Something was wrong.
"Cassian," she whispered. "What happened?"
He hesitated. And Cassian never hesitated.
"One of Rafael's men spotted a stranger checking the enrollment board last night," he said. "He wasn't a student. And he wasn't lost."
"Was he looking for me?"
Cassian didn't answer, which was worse than yes.
Instead, he gently placed a hand on her lower back and guided her toward the lecture hall. His touch was light, barely there, but the warmth of it seeped through her like a shockwave.
"Stay close to me," he said.
She did.
---
By midday, the clouds had gathered thickly over campus. Thunder murmured in the distance. Anabeth sat in her lecture, unable to focus, fingers tapping nervously against her notebook.
The professor's voice blurred.
Her mind kept replaying Cassian's words.
And the way he'd looked at her this morning—protective, but something else simmering underneath. Something warm. Something dangerous.
She tried pushing that thought away, but it only grew.
The storm outside cracked loudly, and a few students gasped. Anabeth glanced toward the window—
—and froze.
A figure stood beneath the trees near the engineering block. Too still. Hood pulled too low. Watching the building.
Watching her floor.
Her breath caught.
She blinked—
The figure was gone.
She swallowed hard and packed up her books before the lecture ended. She slipped out quietly, hoping to blend into the crowd. But the hallway was nearly empty.
Her footsteps echoed.
The exit door at the end of the hall suddenly swung open.
Anabeth's heart leapt—until Cassian stepped through, rain clinging to his hair, jacket damp, chest rising slightly as if he'd run to reach her.
"You left the lecture early," he said, scanning her face. "Why?"
"There was someone outside," she whispered. "By the trees."
His eyes sharpened instantly. "Did he see you?"
"I don't know."
Cassian stepped close—close enough that she felt his breath warm against her temple. "Don't lie to me right now."
"I'm not," she breathed.
He lifted her chin gently with two fingers, forcing her to meet his gaze. The gesture was meant to steady her, to check her panic—but it sent a jolt through both of them.
Rainwater dripped from his hair onto her cheek. He froze, realizing how near he was. She didn't pull away.
"Anabeth…"
His voice was low, rougher than she'd ever heard it.
"Y-yes?"
"Never walk alone again. Not while this threat is still on campus."
Something in his tone made her pulse stutter—not fear… something hotter.
He glanced down at her lips—just for a second, barely noticeable—but it was enough to send warmth flooding through her.
He stepped back abruptly, running a hand through his wet hair. "I can't— I shouldn't—"
She took a small step toward him. "Cassian…"
But he shook his head, frustrated with himself. "You're not mine. I don't get to feel like this."
Her breath hitched. "Like what?"
He clenched his jaw. "Like I'm losing control every time someone else looks at you."
The world seemed to stop.
She didn't know what she was doing until she reached out and touched his wrist. His skin was warm, strong, and he reacted instantly—muscles tightening beneath her fingertips.
Lightning flashed outside the window, illuminating the hallway in white.
Cassian swallowed hard. "Anabeth… don't."
"Why?" she whispered. "You feel it too."
"I do," he admitted, voice barely audible. "That's the problem."
He stepped closer again, drawn to her despite himself. His hand hovered near her waist, not touching, but wanting to—his restraint shaking in the air between them.
"Rafael trusts me," he murmured. "If I cross a line with you…"
His fingers brushed hers—just a brush, but it felt like fire.
"…there's no going back."
The hallway door suddenly slammed open at the far end.
Cassian spun, pushing Anabeth lightly behind him with a protective arm.
A figure stood silhouetted in the doorway—hooded, unmoving, watching them.
Not a student.
A threat.
"Stay behind me," Cassian whispered.
His voice had changed—cold, lethal.
The figure took one step inside.
Cassian shifted his stance, ready to fight.
But before anything could happen, the figure retreated into the storm and disappeared as fast as lightning.
Anabeth shook. Cassian caught her arm gently.
"Come with me," he said. "We're not staying here."
He led her toward the stairwell, his grip firm, his presence a shield against the danger closing in on all sides. She felt his warmth, his tension, the unspoken emotions he tried so hard to bury.
And as they moved together through the dim corridors of the university, she realized something:
The danger around them was growing.
But so was the pull between them.
Two flames.
One rising storm.
And somewhere far away…
Rafael had no idea how close they were getting.