Page 131 of Axis of Fire

“Absolutely not. There’s no way I’m putting some random magical substance on my face.”

I hadn’t spent four years fighting acne just to ruin my skin again.

Maybe it made me sound spoiled.

Maybe it made me sound high-maintenance.

But I refused to give up the things that made me feel comfortable and happy just because someone else thought I was ‘too much.’

Chapter 12

“So,” Gwen suddenly asked after several minutes of silence while pretending to examine the feminine hygiene products—

or at least pretending to—

“what exactly is going on between you and that gorgeous man?”

About twenty minutes earlier, we’d arrived at the mall and immediately headed to the cosmetics store I visited most often.

“Let me think.” I pressed a finger dramatically to my chin. “A mentor and his protégé?”

“And that’s it?” Gwen arched a thin brow. “You can fool anyone, but definitely not me.”

She grinned like the Cheshire Cat.

“There are practically sparks flying between you two, Ria. And you know it.”

“That’s just your imagination, Gwendolyn Dürkheim. You seriously need to stop reading all those filthy romance novels.”

“No, actually, if I didn’t read them, I’d probably believe you.” She smirked.

“Just admit it already—you like him, don’t you?”

“Not even a little,” I scoffed.

“And he turns you on too,” Gwen nodded, completely ignoring my answer.

“Even if he did…” I lowered my voice. “Getting too close to him isn’t safe for me.”

“How close is too close?”

“Close enough to risk falling in love, obviously.”

“And what’s so bad about love?”

“And what exactly is so great about it?” I raised a brow.

“I know Kai disappearing destroyed you, but that doesn’t mean every story has to end the same way.”

I pressed my lips together, tightening my grip on the small shopping basket already overflowing with enough skincare products to last me an entire year.

“Airis has lived in Istarus since childhood,” I sighed.

“Obviously the people there became his family after all that time. So if he learns about my second ability, he’ll tell them. And the authorities he works for.”

“Then you could just satisfy each other physically,” Gwen shrugged casually.

I scoffed.