The First Bite of Magic
The courtyard shook.
Shadows ripped across the black stone like living ribbons, twisting toward Kael with a hungry, unnatural speed. I stumbled backward, clutching Lucien's sleeve, my heart hammering so loudly I was sure he could hear it.
"Stay close," Lucien warned, his silver eyes flashing. "And whatever you do… don't panic."
I wanted to argue, but the sight in front of me froze every word on my lips. Kael moved like he was part of the shadows themselves—fluid, effortless, his red eyes glinting in the dim light. One flick of his wrist, and a shadow shot forward, striking the ground with enough force to shatter stone.
Lucien acted immediately. His hands rose, pale light spilling from his fingers, forming sharp, silvery blades that cut through the dark tendrils. The air hummed with raw power, and for a moment, I thought my chest would explode.
"Magic…" I whispered. My voice was trembling.
Lucien's gaze met mine, hard but not unkind. "Not just magic. This is Noctyra. And it isn't forgiving to humans."
I felt a strange pull in my veins—like the air itself was alive, like the courtyard was testing me. My pulse raced faster, and then… warmth. My blood seemed to stir beneath my skin, tingling and sharp. I realized, in a way that terrified me, that Kael's shadow had reacted—not just to Lucien, but to me.
He stopped mid-step, eyes narrowing. "Interesting," Kael said, voice low, dangerous. "You're stronger than I thought. Too strong to be ordinary."
My stomach twisted. I was human. I had to be. How could he…?
Lucien turned sharply toward me, his silver blades slicing another shadow into pieces that evaporated into mist. "Do you feel it?" he asked, voice tense. "The way they're drawn to you?"
I shook my head, confused and scared. "I—I don't know what you mean."
"You will," he said. His fingers brushed my arm, and the contact sent an icy-hot shiver down my spine. "Your blood… it's not ordinary. That's why Kael reacted. That's why they came for you."
I froze. My blood? Something in me—something I couldn't see—had made them move, like a beacon in the dark.
Kael's laughter cut through the night, low and cruel. "You think you're just a human? You're a story the night has been waiting to rewrite."
I wanted to run. My legs shook, but it was as if the courtyard itself held me in place.
Lucien's voice broke through my panic. "Amara. Look at me."
I forced my gaze onto him. His eyes—so soft, so steady—anchored me. He moved between me and Kael, blades of silver light spinning in his hands. "I won't let him take you. Not tonight."
Kael's smirk widened. "Oh, I won't take her tonight," he said. "I'll claim her eventually. That's what makes this fun."
Another shadow lunged. Lucien struck it down, but I saw the way Kael's eyes glinted—amusement, hunger, obsession all rolled into one.
My chest tightened. My blood pulsed like it had a will of its own. I had a feeling—terrifying and thrilling—that nothing in the world I'd known would ever be safe again.
And then, a small, piercing voice whispered in my mind—not Lucien's, not Kael's:
"You belong here… whether you want to or not."
I froze.
And I knew. The night wasn't done with me yet.