Page 59 of Fated for Flames

“And I’m not just good at fighting, you know. I can cook a mean steak. I’m pretty good at fixing things… Oh, and I can sing. Want me to serenade you sometime?”

He sat down and blinked at me as he cleared the grass off his hands.

“Why are you acting so weird?”

Is he flirting with me? Is that how shifters show interest in the opposite sex?

“I’m not acting weird.”

“Yes, you are. Are you fishing for compliments?”

Chad frowned before leaping in front of me and shoving me against the grass. Without missing a beat, he rubbed his fist against my head while calling out “noogie” until my hair was a tangled mess and I was laughing uncontrollably.

Then came the compliments, more frequent and pointed.

“You’re getting better, little witch,” he’d say, that teasing smile playing on his lips.

Each compliment and each lingering look sent an unexpected flutter through me.

It was confusing.

Saturday afternoons were an entirely different affair.

Alister’s company was quieter, more refined but equally stirring. We spent hours poring over ancient texts in the mansion’s grand library. His fingers would glide over the pages as he read aloud, the rhythm of his voice seeping intomy consciousness and wrapping around me like a comforting blanket. There was an intimacy to these moments that I hadn’t anticipated.

His presence made my heart race in ways I didn’t fully understand.

On Sundays, I found myself at Lucien and Rafe’s cottage, where our efforts to unbind my magic continued. Despite our lack of success, their determination never wavered.

Lucien would bake delectable treats and insist they were nothing special, grumbling the entire time. Yet every bite would send a wave of warmth through me, his gruff kindness unexpectedly endearing.

Rafe would sometimes share more of his art with me or ask me to pose for one of his sketches. His nearness set my skin aflame, a heat that simmered just beneath the surface.

My heart had become a tumultuous sea of emotions, and despite the looming threats, I found solace in the connections I was forming and was hopeful that we would find more answers soon.

* * *

On an unseasonably warm November day, Theo, Adrien, Felix, the twins, a few shifters, and I, along with the rest of the school, took our lunch outside to bask in the warm rays.

Underneath the broad arms of a towering oak, we unfurled our academy jackets to create an impromptu picnic blanket. Shifters, witches, and other magical beings joined us, despite the noticeable absence of other Luminary members, who had all drifted back to Lia, except for Theo and the twins.

Adrien and Felix sat with their new shifter girlfriend, Maggie. She was kind and sweet, and it was nice to see Adrien smile again.

As we basked in the unseasonable warmth and shared laughter over sandwiches, a familiar figure emerged from the sky, landing on the winding path. His hair glinted under the sunlight as he scanned the crowd.

It was Rafe, my angel… I mean, my friend who was an angel.

His usual solitude made this rare appearance even more significant.

Rafe’s arrival stirred a ripple of gasps and whispers through the crowd. His figure, silhouetted against the sun, was a breathtaking spectacle. Even from my place beneath the oak, I could see his hair shimmering like molten gold, his wings catching the sunlight in an ethereal display of celestial magnificence. There was an undeniable beauty about him that was impossible to ignore.

In the distance, Lia rose from her spot on the lawn, her usual aura of grace and authority wrapped around her like a cloak. She sauntered over to Rafe, her smile wide and a little flirtatious. The sight left an unpleasant taste in my mouth.

As if sensing my gaze, Rafe turned his head, and our eyes locked. His expression was unreadable, but he seemed to beckon me over. A surge of apprehension coursed through me as I rose from our makeshift picnic blanket.

I could feel the eyes of everyone on me, their whispers turning into an indistinct murmur in my ears. By the time I reached them, Lia had managed to position herself at Rafe’s side. His hand was lightly touching her shoulder.

I approached him with a smile stretching across my face. “Rafe! What brings you here?”

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