After a week of brutal training had passed, I had woken to find a neatly folded pile of clothes waiting at the end of my cot—thicker denim pants, a long woollen coat, sturdy new boots, and leather gloves. All of it far better quality than the standard-issue uniform I was used to.
I dressed quickly, my fingers brushing over the fabric with reluctant curiosity. The coat was a soft shade of blue that caught the morning light and made my eyes gleam like frost. The cut was tailored, more fitted than anything I’d worn in weeks, and it moved with me like it had been made for me. The boots were supple, the leather moulding easily around my calves, built for movement, not just show.
Whoever had picked these out knew exactly what I needed—and exactly how I’d look in them.
I scrubbed my face clean in the basin, the water icy against my skin, then worked quickly to tame my hair, twisting it into a knot at the crown of my head. I tucked my necklace under my shirt. When I looked up, the girl staring back at me in the mirror made me pause.
For just a moment, I felt… pretty.
“Look at you,” Leo drawled from the doorway, his voice carrying that lazy charm he wore like a second skin. He leaned against the frame, arms crossed, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Don’t you clean up nicely.”
I rolled my eyes but didn’t bother snapping back. The words hung in the air between us, oddly sincere for Leo.
Instead, I reached for my gloves and tugged them on, the supple leather sliding over my fingers. “So,” I asked, turning toward him, “where are we going today?”
He stepped into the room, the air shifting with his presence. “We’ve got an errand to run. Outside the castle walls.”
I stilled. “Outside?”
“Don’t get any ideas, trouble,” Leo said smoothly, like he was commenting on the weather. “We’ve marked your magical signature. Even if you tried to vanish into the wind, we’d find you.” His gaze flicked up, sharp and knowing. “And considering the king knows your face now… well, let’s just say the world out there wouldn’t be any kinder.”
“I think I could get away from you if I really tried,” I muttered, just to see what he’d do.
He stepped closer—slow, deliberate, his lion just below the surface of his skin—until the air between us grew taut. His eyes glowed with heat.
“Do it,” he whispered, practically purring, his voice low and hungry. “I’d love a good hunt.”
“Leo, leave the girl alone,” Phoenix called from the hallway beyond my door. His voice was calm but carried enough weight to still the air between us.
He stepped into the room, the low light catching the quicksilver in his eyes. They swept over me—quick, but thorough—and for the briefest moment, something warm flickered there.
But just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished. His expression cooled, unreadable again. A wall slammed down behind his gaze, and whatever I thought I saw was gone.
He lingered near the doorway, his gaze flicking to Leo in silent warning before returning to me.
“You ready for this?” he asked, voice quieter now, like it was meant just for me.
I nodded, though the nerves in my stomach twisted tighter. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Phoenix gave a short nod, then stepped closer, his tone unreadable but not unkind. “Stay sharp out there. It’s about as safe out there as it is in here. Watch your back.”
His words felt heavier than they should’ve. Like he wasn’t just talking about danger in the streets.
I swallowed. “I can handle myself.”
A ghost of a smile touched his lips—just a twitch, really. “I know you can.” Then he turned and gestured toward the hallway. “Come on. Slade and our fearless leader are waiting.”
They led me down the long, echoing hallway toward the dreaded elevator. My boots clicked against the stone in rhythm with my heartbeat—too fast, too loud. As the metal doors yawned open, I hesitated for half a breath before stepping inside.
It wasn’t getting any easier stepping in this claustrophobic contraption.
The space was cold, cramped. My fingers curled into fists at my sides. I closed my eyes.
Then—warmth. A hand closed around mine, steady and unexpected.
I opened my eyes to find Leo beside me, his expression unreadable, almost surprised by his own gesture. His palm was rough and calloused, but his grip was steady. Protective. Human.
“I got you,” he said quietly.
