Page 24 of Burning Heir

I grabbed the bottle from his hands and took another sip. The slow ache in my body dulled as the liquor settled in my stomach. “I’m an open book. Really, I have no secrets.”

He flicked my neval streak. “I doubt that.”

My breaths shortened. “I didn’t realize a quell was private.”

“I prefer to keep my quell private until I know someone isn’t my enemy. But seeing as most of your camp either got their quell or their enigma, I’d say you are the least of my worries.”

“You can trust me.” I gave him a shy grin.

Was this considered flirting?

“If I were you, once a Winter student dies, I would see if Jenessa will take you in. Archer won’t be able to mentor you. Shadow and ice are very different.”

“What if I’m not meant to be in the North? Has that… ever happened before?”

“Then you already have more enemies than you think.”

The blood drained from my face. I listened to the cheers as a crowd surrounded Monty. His fingers danced in the air, shredding light through the star-flecked night. His serpent mark illuminated as if a string of lights were buried under his skin.

Perhaps he was gorgeous. Perhaps the male beside me, even more so.Damnit.I couldn’t get distracted.

I exhaled. “And what’s Archer’s quell? Shadows, I assume?”

“Archer controls the dark. Shadows are his eyes. Monty controls light. If he wanted to, he could blind all of us with a wave of his hand.”

I understood why Malachi wanted to keep Monty close.

I stared again at her as she gently twirled her hand, creating a flurry of wind around him. Then, his lips were on her neck. She arched back, and the air stilled.

“Wind could be powerful,” I said.

“Air is powerful,” he corrected. “Malachi must become a Serpent before she can take her grandfather’s throne. As you two are roommates, I’d be careful—she can hear through the wind. Every quell has its limits. Wind becomes air as light becomes blinding.”

“And how deadly can darkness be?”

“Archer is wounded right now. He’s hardly a threat.”

“Why is that?”

Damien glanced at the bottle in my hand. “That answer requires another drink.”

I slammed the liquor, shaking my head as the burn traveled down. “Go on.”

“His enigma is gone.”

“Gone, as in dead?”

“Missing.”

That was hardly worth the sting in my stomach. “You know a lot about the people here.” If Damien was willing to tell me all of this over a slosh of cheap booze, I knew I couldn’t trust him.

“My brother is the Serpent of Shadows. I know a lot about people. Especially ones who share my blood.”

My mind went blank as his words whirled around. “Your name is Damien Lynch?” My stomach dropped, and I took another willing sip of the swirling liquor.

“And you are Severyn Blanche.” He struck his hand out for me to shake. “Nice to meet you.”

My jaw hung as cool fingers curled around mine. “Yes.”

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