Page 319 of Axis of Fire

Even though she'd always been ruled by her heart.

She had always burned brightly.

No matter the circumstances.

No matter how cruel the world became around her.

And now...

For some reason...

She was trying to extinguish that part of herself.

She kept turning away from every chance at happiness.

Maybe temporary.

Maybe fleeting.

But real.

A sad smile touched my lips.

I'd always been brave.

I'd always believed in the best until the very end.

So was I really going to change everything—

My beliefs.

My habits.

My very nature—

Because of one idiot who had broken my heart?

Hell no.

Airis had mentioned the pull between us before.

I'd never felt anything like it with anyone else.

So why not let myself find out where it led?

Yes.

Falling for my mentor was probably the worst idea in the universe.

But what if allowing myself to want him finally made everything easier?

What if I finally stopped drowning in assumptions...

Stopped hiding behind fear?

Wouldn't even that possibility...

Be worth taking the risk?