The seedling in my hands burst into flames.
I yelped and nearly dropped the pot, but Selene's hand closed over mine, steadying me. The flames were small, contained, flickering around the seedling without consuming it. The plant continued to grow, its leaves unfurling even as fire danced along its stems.
"Fire," Selene breathed, her eyes wide with delight. "And life. You're dual-affinity, Lizzie. Fireandgrowth. Destruction and creation, woven together." She laughed, bright and musical. "Oh, this is wonderful. You're going to be absolutely terrifying."
I stared at the burning seedling, my heart pounding. "I did that?"
"You did." She took the pot from my hands and set it aside, the flames extinguishing as soon as I was no longer touching it. The seedling remained—unharmed, vibrant, impossibly alive. "You have power, darling. Raw and untamed, butreal. With training, you could be extraordinary."
I looked at my hands, half-expecting to see flames still dancing on my skin. They looked normal. Ordinary. Human. But something inside me had shifted, some door I hadn't known existed cracking open to let the light through.
"Teach me," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "Show me how to control it."
Selene's smile was radiant. "I thought you'd never ask."
What followed was the strangest, most exhilarating lesson of my life. Selene guided me through exercises designed to help me feel my magic—not control it, not yet, but simplysenseit. She had me hold different plants and objects, feeling how my energy responded to each one. She taught me a simple breathing technique that made the fire inside me flickerand dance. She showed me how to ground myself in the earth, drawing stability from the roots that stretched beneath the greenhouse floor.
And through it all, she touched me.
Not sexually—not at first. Her hands on my shoulders, adjusting my posture. Her fingers on my wrists, guiding my movements. Her body close to mine, warm and solid and smelling of jasmine and earth. Every touch sent sparks through my nerves, and I knew she could feel it—could probably sense the shift in my energy, the way my magic flared every time she came near.
"You're distracted," she observed, her lips curving in a knowing smile. "Your mind is elsewhere."
"My mind is exactly where it wants to be," I admitted. "That's the problem."
She laughed, low and warm. "Is it a problem? Or an opportunity?"
Before I could answer, she stepped behind me, her body pressing against my back. Her hands settled on my hips, and her breath was warm against my ear. "Magic responds to emotion, Lizzie. Desire is one of the most powerful forces in existence. If you're feeling distracted by want, perhaps we should explore that. Use it."
My breath caught. "What did you have in mind?"
"A different kind of lesson." Her fingers traced the curve of my hip, light and teasing. "One that doesn't involve seedlings."
She guided me toward the workbench, her hands never leaving my body. When we reached it, she turned me to face her, her emerald eyes searching mine. "I'm going to show you what green magic can do. Not the gentle kind—the other kind. The kind that takes and holds and doesn't let go." Her voice dropped to a murmur. "Do you trust me?"
"Yes." The word came without hesitation. "I trust you."
Her smile was slow and wicked. "Good girl."
She stepped back and raised her hands. The vines on the wall behind the workbench stirred, their tendrils uncurling and reaching toward us like curious snakes. I watched, mesmerized, as they slithered through the air and wrapped around my wrists—gentle at first, then firmer, lifting my arms above my head and stretching them toward the wall. More vines curled around my ankles, spreading my legs, anchoring me in place.
I was bound. Restrained. Completely at her mercy.
And I had never been more aroused in my life.
"Beautiful," Selene breathed, circling me slowly. Her fingers trailed across my collarbone, my shoulder, the curve of my breast through the thin cotton of my dress. "You look exquisite like this. Spread open and helpless. All mine."
I whimpered. I couldn't help it. The vines tightened slightly, responding to her will, and the pressure sent sparks through my nerves.
"Magic," she said, stopping in front of me, "is about sensation. About feeling. About pushing boundaries and discovering what lies beyond them." Her hands settled on my waist, and I felt the cool brush of her power against my skin. "I'm going to show you things you've never felt before. And you're going to take every single one of them. Understood?"
"Yes," I gasped. "Yes, Selene—"
She kissed me.
Her lips were soft and warm and tasted of honey, and I melted into her, my bound hands flexing uselessly above my head. She kissed me slowly, thoroughly, her tongue tracing the seam of my mouth until I opened for her with a moan. Her hands slid up my sides, pushing my dress higher, and when she broke the kiss, I was panting.
"Let's make this more interesting," she murmured.
