The air between us shook.
He looked at my lips just once before turning away quickly. "You should sleep," he said again, his tone low and uneven.
I wanted to stop him. I wanted to tell him I wasn't afraid. But before I could speak, the candles flickered out, one by one.
The mark on my chest flared suddenly, burning hot. I gasped, clutching it. Kael turned, his eyes wide with fear.
"Evelyn"
Light burst from the mark, filling the room with red fire. I fell to my knees, the pain sharp and strange, like being branded from the inside out.
Kael shouted something, but I couldn't hear it. The fire spun around me, then settled, buzzing softly.
When it dimmed, I looked up, and Kael was looking at me in fear.
"What happened?" I asked weakly.
He stepped closer, his eyes fixed on my chest. "The sigil," he whispered. "It's changing."
"Changing how?"
He reached out with a shaky hand. His fingers paused over the bright mark and when his skin brushed mine, nothing burned.
Not even warmth.
His eyes widened. "Evelyn… the fire's gone."
But before I could ask what he meant, the mirror behind him cracked and the voice whispered again, colder this time.
"No, Kael. The fire hasn't gone out. It moved her."
The knock came sharp and sudden.
Kael froze. His hand, halfway to the door, shook.
That was the first time I saw him pause like that. Not out of anger, not out of control, out of fear.
"Who is it?" I asked, but his silence said more than words. He already knew.
The latch turned before he could answer. And then she walked in.
Seraphine Vale.
Her beauty was like a bladecold, perfect, and meant to cut. The way her lips curved as her eyes met mine told me she enjoyed the way the air thickened between us.
"Well," she said, voice low and venom-sweet. "So it's true. The Fire King has found himself a mortal toy."
My heart gave a single, hard beat. "You're not welcome here."
"Oh?" she mumbled, stepping closer, her gown whispering like silk against flame. "And yet here I am. I don't recall needing your permission, little one."
Kael moved between us, his jaw tight. "Seraphine."
She smiled, like hearing her name from his lips was something holy. "Still saying my name like it burns you." Her eyes slid past him and stayed on me again. "Tell me, mortal. Does he say yours when the fire rises?"
I wanted to slap that smile off her face. But Kael's voice cut in low, rough. "Enough."
Her laughing was soft and wicked. "Oh, Kael. Still pretending to be in control?"
He took a slow breath, but his hands were shaking. "Why are you here?"
"To see what replaced me."
I felt her words like pins under my skin. But I didn't let her see me flinch. "You must be disappointed then."
Her head tilted, eyes glinting. "On the contrary. You're… interesting. I see why he's keeping you alive."
"Alive?" I repeated, my voice sharp.
Seraphine smiled wider. "He didn't tell you?" She leaned closer, her perfume sweet but stifling. "He doesn't keep mortals for long. They all die, sooner or later."
Kael's voice thundered, "Seraphine!"
She didn't even move. "Oh, I remember that tone. You used to shout my name like that, too."
His quiet afterwards was heavier than any roar.
He didn't deny it.
That silence… told me everything I needed to know.
I turned to him. "She's lying. Right?"
Kael's eyes met mine, but there was something broken in them. "Evelyn, this isn't the time"
"Answer me," I cut in. "Is she lying?"
Seraphine laughed softly. "Oh, Kael, don't make her beg. Tell her what you did to the last one who touched your fire."
His fists clenched. Sparks lit around his hands. "Get out."
"I'm not finished."
"You are," he growled.
But she stepped closer, her voice falling to a whisper sharp enough to draw blood. "You think you can hide the truth? The ashes don't lie."
And then she said, "He killed his bride, Evelyn."
My world stopped.
Kael's fires flickered out like a dying breath.
I stared at him, waiting for him to laugh. To deny it. To say she's crazy.
But he didn't.
He just stood there, eyes burning with guilt.
Seraphine smiled, pleased. "I see it in her eyes. She didn't know."
"Leave," Kael said, voice hollow.
She brushed her fingers against his arm, and he flinched. "Still afraid of what you are."
"Seraphine"
"Do you remember the night she screamed your name? Do you remember the fire swallowing her whole?"
His roar filled the room, fire flying across the walls. I stumbled back. But Seraphine didn't move. She just stared at him with wicked pleasure.
"You can't burn me, Kael. You made me immune, remember?"
He turned away, his fire fluttering lower, dimmer, weaker.
She leaned toward me, saying, "He told me once the fire chose him. But it's the other way around. The fire owns him."
I met her eyes. "You're here because you still want him."
Her smile faltered. "Want him? Oh, sweet human, I want him to suffer."
Then she brushed past me, her voice floating behind her. "Ask him where he keeps the veil. The one she wore before he turned her to ash."
And with that, she was gone.
I turned to him slowly. He wouldn't meet my eyes.
"What did she mean?"
"Evelyn, don't"
"What veil, Kael?"
He pressed a hand over his face, breathing hard. "You don't understand what happened that night."
"Then help me understand!" My voice broke. "She said you killed your bride. Was it true?"
He looked at me, eyes wet with something I'd never seen before.
"I tried to save her," he whispered.
I froze.
"She wanted the fire. She wanted to become one. But she couldn't stop it. When she reached for me when she touched me it consumed her. I didn't mean to…" His words trailed off, choked by sadness.
I stepped closer. "You think you killed her, but maybe you didn't."
He shook his head. "I watched it happen, Evelyn. I saw her burn. I heard her scream."
Silence fell between us, thick and stifling.
Then his voice cracked again. "That's why I stay away. Why do I keep you at arm's length? Because the fire doesn't care what I want. It kills what I love."
Something in me relaxed. I wanted to touch him. To tell him he wasn't a monster. But the picture of Seraphine's cruel smile wouldn't leave my head.
"Why did she come here?" I asked.
"She wants power. She always did. And she knows you're… different."
"Different how?"
He paused. "When I touched you, the fire didn't hurt you. That's not meant to be possible."
"So, what does that mean?"
"I don't know," he said, his voice shaking. "But if she finds out why… she'll use you."