Page 124 of The Sin Binder's Vow

I glance sideways, expecting her to look away, or burn the world down.

But no.

She’s watching. Her eyes unreadable. Her expression still.

I’ve seen her set fire to a dress just because a girl looked at me too long. I’ve felt her power coil around me in warning, possessive, hungry, protective.

But now?

Nothing.

And it’s worse than fury.

“Should we, uh…” Silas whispers from my other side. “Intervene? Or… I don’t know, scream ‘get a room’ and throw something?”

“She’s not doing anything,” I mutter, narrowing my eyes on Luna. “She always does something.”

Her jaw flexes. That’s the only sign of strain. Like she’s trying not to grind her own teeth to dust. The restraint is unnatural.Wrong.

She turns slowly, deliberately, and begins walking away.

“Luna.” I follow her immediately, grabbing her wrist—not to stop her. Just toanchorher. Her pulse is calm. Too calm. “Say something.”

She looks up at me, expression still smooth. Still deadly.

“I don’t need to.”

“That’s terrifying.”

“Then let it be.”

She pulls her hand from mine, and I let her go, even though every part of me wants to cage her in, force her to rage, tofeel—because at least that would mean she still wants something from him. Something that isn’t silence.

Behind us, Silas curses. “We should’ve drowned her in the fountain.”

“Keira or Luna?”

“Why not both?”

I should laugh. But my stomach’s coiling too tight, too fast.

I catch up with Luna again as she turns the corner, and I fall into step beside her. Quiet. For once.

Then, unable to help myself, I say, “You know, statistically, I’m a better kisser than Ambrose.”

She arches a brow.

“Research-backed. He’s probably like… all teeth and condescension.”

Finally, her mouth twitches.

“You have very scientific priorities.”

“I’m an academic.”

That gets me a huff of something that almost passes for a laugh. I’ll take it.

But I know what I saw.

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