Page 71 of Fated for Flames

I sighed with the weight of everything we had witnessed. “We’ll do everything we can to make sure she is…protected.”

Chad nodded. “We’ll protect her no matter what.”

44

Evelyn

The sting of Theo’s icy sneer was hard to witness, yet beneath the harsh facade, his brown eyes held a flicker of warmth.

I hadn’t realized what a bad actor Theo was. A sneer here, a scoff there. His theatrics were sometimes so exaggerated I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.

“Everhart,” he spat my name like it left a bitter taste in his mouth, not meeting my gaze.

I rolled my eyes at his overly dramatic display.

Calm down, Theo.I texted him later that night.It’s a little too much.

The chill of December was already nipping at our heels, reminding us that the end of the term was fast approaching. As exams drew near, something that once filled me with anxiety now seemed insignificant compared to the looming threat. Thepressure to find answers was building up like a giant snowball gaining momentum as it rolled downhill.

On top of all that, the Snowfall Ball was happening soon. It was the academy’s most awaited end-of-term celebration.

As students buzzed with anticipation in the hallways, speculations about who would ask who and discussions about outfits filled the air. But in light of everything else happening, dressing up for a ball seemed trivial compared to the weight of staying alive and uncovering the truth behind it all.

One thing at a time, I reminded myself.

* * *

Over the next few days, I juggled final exams and training with Chad.

Lucien and Rafe continued to work on unbinding my magic, their worry evident in their eyes every time they saw me. However, Rafe was confident he had pinpointed a clue that could help. He wanted to confirm his hunch before sharing more details. They also planned to reach out to Alister, hoping to gain access to his private collection and speed up our search.

45

Evelyn

The night of the Snowfall Ball arrived, marking the end of our semester.

Chad, all wide-eyed and grinning, stood at the entrance of the ballroom with a wrist corsage in his hand.

He had asked me to go with him while we were both drenched in sweat, looking gorgeous and vulnerable.

He often hid his vulnerability with his humor, but he’d looked serious that day and I had no reason not to accept his invitation.

“Hey, little witch,” he said, all flirtatious. “Ready to dance the night away?”

My dress, which was once an abominable Pepto-Bismol monstrosity, now shimmered sultry black under the dim light. The corset, which clung to my body tightly, had been part of a god-awful pink tulle ballgown I had impulsively purchased just before the term began. Lia and I had spotted it in the humandistrict; she’d claimed I looked like a princess in it, convincing me to buy it. But now, when I reflected on my current mood, the pink atrocity seemed excessively bright and overly cheerful.

It was adorned with tulle, for goddess’s sake! What had I been thinking?

During the week, I made modifications to it, stripping away all the tulle and puffy sleeves but keeping the corset and lace. Then, with a drop of a magic potion, I’d transformed its color to black. It had turned out quite nice.

Chad’s eyes widened as he took me in, his gaze lingering on the curves accentuated by the fitted dress.

“Fuck, you look good enough to eat, little witch,” he breathed out, a wicked grin across his face.

I smiled shyly, my gaze going down his body. He looked positively drool-worthy. Chad in a suit was like an aphrodisiac that sent heat straight to my core.

As we entered the grand ballroom of Arcanum Academy, I marveled at the winter wonderland before us, a replica of last time. The ceiling sparkled with an enchantment of falling snowflakes that disappeared just before they hit the ground, casting an ethereal glow on everything beneath them.

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