Page 70 of Poison Sun

“Guarded by flame and guided by starlight, we protect this sacred space, an unbroken circle, bound by fire and by blood.”

The flames around us pull the fire out of my soul, using my magic to fuel its protection. I’ll be weakened for a few hours because of this, making me vulnerable to anyone else inside the circle. Which, in this case, is Blaze. But I trust him, and casting the circle will give us a good night’s sleep without worry of being attacked.

The fire pulses three times, the air shimmering as it settles into the ground.

“The circle is cast,” I tell Blaze, disappointed to find that he looks as closed off to me as ever.

“Does that mean I can get back to setting up the tent?” he asks, his emotionless tone all but stabbing me in the heart.

“Sure. I’ll get started on the food.” I turn away from him and remove two of the pre-made meals from my pack, using my magic to heat them up.

We don’t start a traditional campfire. All it will do is draw attention from whatever’s out there. Plus, thanks to our fire affinity, Blaze and I have enough heat inside of ourselves to stay warm.

I should tell him about my blood magic, I think again as I’m finishing up the food.

But I’m hungry. And tired. And the emotional energy it’ll take to explain everything to him is too much to deal with right now. I’m strong, but even I have a point where I’ll start to break.

So, we eat in silence, then get ready for bed.

When I’m done getting ready, Blaze finishes setting up the tent.

I stiffen when I see the finished setup.

I knew the tent was going to be small, but this will be way more cramped than expected. It has barely enough room for both of us to lie down without touching.

“Don’t worry,” Blaze says. “I’ll keep my hands to myself.”

“Blaze,” I say, hating the bitterness in his tone.

But his back is already toward me as he crawls into the tent.

So, unsure what else to do, I step in after him, the tarp brushing my shoulders as I make my way inside.

“Night,” he says, and he rolls over to face away from me.

“Night.” I lay down next to him, having no choice but to press my back against his so I can face away from him.

The closeness is immediate and undeniable. Heat radiates off his body, and I’m aware of every shift, every breath.

The events of today should have tired us out enough to knock us out quickly. But after about ten minutes, I’m convinced he’s still as awake as I am.

“Blaze,” I say, and from the way he stiffens, I know he’s listening. But I don’t rotate to face him. I just stay as still as possible, and continue, “You saved my life today. Twice. After what you’ve been through with your parents, I know it was hard for you to do that healing spell again, so… well, it means a lot. Thank you.”

A few seconds pass, and I’m afraid he’s not going to reply.

Then, finally, he does.

“I’ve spent a lot of time keeping people at a distance.” His voice is strained, as if he’s fighting the emotion he’s feeling in his soul. But it’s somehow easier to talk here in the dark, not looking at each other, and much to my surprise, he keeps going. “I used to think I had to face the darkness alone. But maybe you’re right. Maybe I’ve been wrong about rejecting my magic—about seeing it as a curse instead of a gift. Maybe I can use it to make a positive difference in this world.”

His words hang in the air, and I suck in a sharp breath, touched by his vulnerability.

Especially because right now, Blaze is all I have.

My sisters turned on me by continuing to help raise Ambrogio. They heard my warnings, and they ignored me. They chose power over love, guided by their fear of mortality instead of trusting the universe.

I’ve been blocking out the pain of leaving them by focusing on my mission. But in this moment, with my body pressed against Blaze’s, the hollowness that’s been in my heart since saying goodbye to my sisters hits me all at once.

I’m alone.

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