Lucius's POV:
The world blurred. The next thing I knew, I had her in my arms, water cascading off her as I yanked her away from the blast just as a column of flame erupted from the dragon's mouth. The heat licked my back, searing but bearable. She, however, was unscathed.
Her fingers clutched at my shoulders, her heart beating frantically against my chest. For once, she didn't speak. She just stared at me, wide-eyed, realizing how close she had come to dying.
And only then did she notice how close we were.
I could feel the tremor that ran through her—part fear, part awareness. Her skin was warm from the water, her hair plastered to her face in white-gold strands. My coat was soaked, but I barely noticed. The world had narrowed to the sound of her breathing, the pulse beneath her skin, the way her lips parted as she tried to form words.
