“You’d do that?” I asked. “Why?”
“Watch,” Sable said. She flicked her hands and suddenly violet flames poured off her hands.
“Well fuck. Is that ultraviolet light?”
“It is.”
“You controlled it? How?”
“Practise. Pain.” She shrugged slightly. “And control. You don’t get to wield something like this without learning how to hold it.”
Sable held my gaze, steady and unflinching.
“Because uncontrolled power gets people hurt,” she said. “I imagine that’s a lesson you already learned, Jess.”
I hid my flinch, but nodded. That wasn’t comforting.
But at least it was honest.
I looked down at my shaking hands. “I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
“I know,” Sable said immediately.
She stood, offering me her hand — not rushing, not crowding.
“Come on,” she said. “Let’s get you somewhere safe.”
I hesitated.
Then I took it.
And as she pulled me to my feet, the heat under my skin didn’t vanish — but it settled.
For the first time since Darkmoor, I didn’t feel like I was about to explode.
Chapter 7
Seph
I woke up to find Ash leaning over me, his muscular chest bare.
It was like he had been watching over me while I slept.
“Hey. What’s going on?”
“You slept next to me. Look,” he said, gesturing.
I vaguely remembered coming to bed last night and curling up with something warm.
I knew I had felt safe. I just didn’t realise it was Ash.
I had told him he could. The bed was big enough.
I braced myself. “Shit, I’m sorry – “
“No. Look.”
He pointed at my ungloved hands. They were touching his skin.
