I tilted my head just enough to meet his line of sight.
“Or do you want me to lift you off that stool and pour it down your throat myself?”
His neck turned, slow, deliberate. Eyes locked onto mine, sharp and burning, his mouth pressed into a flat, unamused line. It was the kind of look that would’ve made most people step back, but it simply reminded me of when we were kids and I beat him at basketball.
“Let go of me, Rack,” he said, each word clipped. “I was about to get somewhere.”
The stylus twitched faintly against the hold of my air magic, his fingers trying to push through it with pure strength alone.Normally, I was too powerful for anyone to even twitch when I had them in my air hold, but the Desmonds were different. They came from the strongest stock, and they knew it.
Instead, I shifted my weight and shrugged lightly, as if we were discussing something trivial.
“You’ve been ‘about to get somewhere’ for three days now, saying the same things over and over,” I said. “You need a break.”
I pointed at the glass again.
“And you need to drink that.”
His eyes cut to the glass, then back to me. I could see it, the moment he lined up his next argument. The shift in his posture, the inhale that came just before he opened his mouth—but my magic was faster.
Air slid up under his jaw, pressing just enough to lock it in place. His lips parted, but no sound came out, his words cut off before they even formed.
His throat vibrated with the growl that didn't leave his lips. If looks could kill, I would’ve dropped on the spot, but it didn’t matter. It was my mission in life to keep Calix on task.
I held his gaze, letting the silence stretch between us. The only sound left was the faint hum of the lab equipment and the creak of the stool he was sitting on.
Seconds dragged into minutes. He didn’t look away. Didn’t relax.Stubborn asshole.
The tension stayed coiled tight in his shoulders, his fingers still curled around the stylus even though it hadn’t moved.
Five minutes passed, then a sharp, defeated exhale went through his nose. His eyes flicked once toward the glass, then back to me with a short, sharp nod.
I let the air drop away.
The moment it did, his hand jerked free. The stylus clattered against the table, and he reached for the glass, fingers wrapping around it hard enough to leave faint impressions.
He didn’t hesitate, tipping the glass all the way back until the liquid was gone in seconds. His throat worked as he swallowed, the tension in his body shifting just slightly as the last of it disappeared.
A clink echoed as he set the glass down harder than necessary. I watched him for a second longer before shaking my head.
“You need to get out of here,” I said, gesturing vaguely around the lab. “Go upstairs. Get some air. Get laid. Do something that doesn’t involve staring at that thing.”
The blade sat between us, silent and untouched.
“You’ve been at this all week,” I added. “Your brain’s going to start working against you if you don’t step away.”
He wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve, then rolled his eyes, angling himself toward the table.
“So that’s the solution?” he shot back. “A distraction magically fixes my brain, and I’ll begin to understand ancient fae magic?” The sarcasm was thick enough to taste.
With a raised brow, I folded my arms across my chest, letting the silence answer him.
He knew that wasn’t what I meant. The asshole just wanted to hear me say it, but I wouldn’t play into his game. If I did, he would never stop. I wasn't going to fall for that ever again.
A short laugh slipped out of him as he fully turned away, dismissing me with a flick of his hand.
“Thanks for the drink,” he absently, already reaching for the tablet again.
I didn’t move. Just stood there, watching his back as he leaned forward again, the pull of the work dragging him right back under.
