Page 93 of The Blood Rites

Nyxen and Vaelis stir but remain seated. Nyxen spares me a resigned look, sighing deeply before pushing his plate away. Is he blaming me for Kael’s outburst? What have I done?

Kael turns and leaves, crossing the dining hall with that same coiled energy, heading straight for the exit. His eyes are solid black as he passes me.

The Overseers resume their fitful meandering as if nothing happened. They begin to sing:

Bright Mother, see us. Bright Mother, claim us.

But everyone else is silent, even after Kael is gone.

I don’t know what makes me do it—maybe it’s the ghost of that hand on my chin—but I get up and follow him.

The hallway outside the dining hall is empty.

Kael’s footsteps echo ahead, brisk and angry. I run to catch up with him, reaching him just as he opens the door to his room.

“Wait,” I call, louder than I intend to.

He stops but doesn't look my way. His arms are crossed, head bowed like he’s arguing with himself.

He continues into his room and I follow, closing the door behind me.

I reach for him, but I hesitate. My fingers hover in the gap between us. It feels endless.

I place my hand on his shoulder.

The moment I make contact, I can feel the Mana swirling inside him—a furious storm, barely contained.

I should pull away.

Instead, I step closer.

I should be afraid, but I’m not. I wrap my arms around his middle, moulding myself to his back. The cold pouring off him seeps into my skin, but I am undeterred as I rest my head between his tense shoulder blades.

He goes rigid, and for a second, I think he’s going to turn around and throw me from his room. But a moment later, he exhales, deep and breaking.

I let the silence hang between us.

“Why aren’t you frightened of me?” he breathes, something between a scoff and a sob.

“Should I be?” I ask.

He shakes his head, the movement almost involuntary. “You should be. You really should be.”

I squeeze him a little tighter in my embrace. My own Mana moves—golden and bright, glowing like the first rays after a storm. I don’t try to control it. It just happens: the warmth seeps from my chest into his skin, a wave of peace running around his torso, settling over his heart. He shudders, then relaxes, as if some weight inside him just dropped away.

He shifts, trying to turn towards me, and I release my arms to let him. His eyes are entirely black but shimmering with flecks of gold now. I place my hands on his chest and let my light flow.

He looks at me with something like awe. “What is that?”

“I don’t know,” I admit, and it’s the truth.

He places his hand atop mine and takes a slow, steady breath. “You make it all go quiet—”

We stand like that for a long moment, our hands resting over his heart, a quiet circuit humming between us. Kael’s eyes start to return to normal, the black receding.

His gaze drops to my mouth.

He goes very still.