Page 38 of Shadowkissed

She closes her eyes, but her fingers curl around mine.

“We can’t stay here, Dante. It’s too exposed and you need to rest.”

“Fine,” I reply gruffly knowing she’s right. “Let’s go back to the loft. I have protection spells, wards and weapons.”

She helps me stand and nods. “It’s a start, but it won’t be enough.”

17

LIORA

By the time we make it back to his loft, the magic’s still humming in my hands.

It hasn't settled. Not since I healed him. Not since I touched him and felt light—not shadow—pour from my palms like it had always lived there, just waiting to beseen.

Everything inside me is stilltoo loud.

The bond.

The power.

Him.

Dante shuts the door behind us with that calm, deliberate energy he always carries—like he’s bracing for a fight he already knows he’s gonna win.

Too bad I’m not that easy.

I pace the room, arms crossed tight over my chest, trying not to flinch at the ache in my ribs or the way my magic keeps prickling beneath my skin like it's waiting for permission to explode again.

He watches me from the other side of the room. Quiet. But that steady,anchoredkind of quiet that makes me want to scream.

“You should’ve stayed put,” I snap, turning on him.

He lifts an eyebrow, slow and infuriating. “So should you.”

“I’m serious, Dante.”

“So am I.”

“You’re not listening.” My voice cracks, too sharp. “You don’tgetit.”

“Idoget it, Liora,” he growls, stepping forward. “You’re scared.”

“No, I’m?—”

“Yes, you are.”

I stop. Breathe. Just once. Because he's right. But I won't say it out loud.

I can’t.

He walks over, close enough to touch, his voice low and rough like gravel under thunder. “You think if you push me away, it’ll keep me safe. That I’ll go back to being some lone-wolf merc with scars and a death wish.”

“Wouldn’t that be easier?” I snap, chin up. “You were doing just fine before I showed up.”

“No,” he says. “I wasn’t.”

Silence slams between us.

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