Kieran's POV
I was going to kill him.
The boy sitting across from Aria in the library—Ethan Cross—was dead. He just didn't know it yet.
I watched from the shadows outside the school window, my magic coiled tight like a snake ready to strike. The way he smiled at her. The way he made her laugh. The way her whole face lit up when he gave her that stupid cupcake.
She had no idea she was talking to a viper.
Through the Protector bond, I could feel her emotions. Hope. Happiness. The desperate, aching need to be seen by someone.
And this boy was using all of it against her.
My hands clenched into fists. Shadow magic leaked from my fingers, turning the air around me cold and dark.
"Easy," Zara's voice crackled through my earpiece. "You're going to give yourself away if you lose control now."
"He's touching her hand," I growled. "He's making her trust him."
"And you're going to blow our cover if you shadow-blade him in front of a school full of humans." Zara's tone was sharp. "Focus, Kieran. We need information first. Then you can kill him."
She was right. I knew she was right.
But every instinct I had screamed at me to tear that boy apart for daring to manipulate Aria.
I pulled back into the deeper shadows, forcing myself to breathe. To think like a warrior instead of a—
Instead of what? A jealous fool? An overprotective guardian who'd been waiting eighteen years just to see her smile?
I couldn't afford to be either of those things right now.
I watched Ethan walk away from the library, whistling like he didn't have a care in the world.
Time to find out exactly what he was up to.
I followed him through the shadows, invisible to human eyes. Shadow-traveling made it easy—I could slip through darkness like water, appearing wherever shadows fell.
Ethan pulled out his phone as he rounded the corner behind the school.
"It's done," he said into the phone. "I asked her to the festival tomorrow night. She said yes."
My blood turned to ice.
"No, she doesn't suspect anything," Ethan continued. "She thinks I actually like her. It's almost too easy." He laughed. "Yeah, I know. Poor girl's so desperate for attention, she'd probably follow me anywhere."
The shadows around me exploded with rage.
I forced them back, barely keeping my magic under control.
"The Conclave will be waiting at the festival," Ethan said. "Once I get her away from the crowds, they can grab her. Simple." Pause. "What about the Protector? ...Yeah, I know he's out there somewhere. But if we move fast enough—"
I didn't wait to hear more.
I shadow-traveled directly behind him and grabbed his phone, crushing it to dust in my hand.
Ethan spun around, his eyes going wide with terror.
"Who—what—"
I let my eyes glow silver. Let him see exactly what kind of monster he'd pissed off.
"You," I said quietly, "just made the last mistake of your miserable life."
"P-Protector—" Ethan stumbled backward. "I was just following orders! The Conclave said—"
"I don't care what they said." I stepped closer, shadows writhing around me like living snakes. "You manipulated her. Made her trust you. Made her think someone actually cared about her."
"It's not personal! It's just—"
"Just what? Just business?" My voice dropped to something cold and deadly. "She's eighteen years old. She's been alone her entire life. And you made her believe, for one single moment, that she mattered to someone."
Ethan's back hit the wall. There was nowhere left to run.
"I could kill you right now," I said. "One shadow blade through the heart. You'd be dead before you hit the ground."
"Please—"
"But that would alert the Conclave that I'm here. That I'm protecting her." I leaned in close. "So instead, I'm going to let you live. You're going to go to that festival tomorrow night, just like you promised. You're going to smile and pretend everything's fine."
"I—I am?"
"And when the Conclave makes their move, when they try to take her—" My eyes flared brighter. "I'm going to be waiting. And every single one of them is going to die screaming."
I released him, and he slid down the wall, shaking.
"If you warn them," I added, "if you tell them I'm here, I will hunt you down and make your death last for days. Understand?"
Ethan nodded frantically.
"Good." I started to fade back into the shadows. "Oh, and Ethan? Break her heart gently when the time comes. Because if you hurt her more than necessary, nothing will save you from me."
I shadow-traveled away, leaving him trembling in the alley.
Back on the rooftop across from the school, I found Zara waiting.
"That was stupid," she said flatly. "Now he knows you're here."
"He won't talk. He's too scared."
"You hope." Zara crossed her arms. "What if he warns the Conclave anyway? What if they move up their timeline again?"
"Then I'll deal with it."
"Kieran—"
"I couldn't stand it anymore!" The words burst out of me. "Watching her sit there, smiling at him, thinking someone finally saw her. Do you know how long I've waited to see her smile like that? Eighteen years. Eighteen years of searching, and when I finally find her, she's smiling at the enemy."
Zara's expression softened. "You're in love with her."
"I'm her Protector. That's all."
"Liar." She shook her head. "The Protector bond doesn't make you jealous. It doesn't make your eyes glow silver just because another man touches her hand. You're in love with your charge, Kieran. And that's dangerous."
I didn't answer. What could I say? That she was right? That I'd been half in love with Aria since the moment I found her again?
It didn't matter. My feelings didn't matter.
All that mattered was keeping her alive.
"The Conclave's planning something big for tomorrow night," I said, changing the subject. "We need to be ready."
"Marcus is tracking their movements. Finn's preparing medical supplies in case things go badly." Zara pulled out her phone. "We'll have your back."
"Thank you."
"Just don't do anything stupid like dying on us." She headed for the edge of the rooftop. "Aria's going to need you when this is over. Try to stay alive long enough to—"
She stopped mid-sentence.
"What?" I asked.
"Marcus just sent an alert." Zara's face went pale. "There's dark magic spiking at the flower shop. Right now. Massive amounts."
My heart stopped.
"Aria went home early from school. I saw her walking there twenty minutes ago."
"Then she's there right now. With Moira." Zara's eyes met mine. "Kieran, this is it. Moira's making her move. Tonight."
The Protector bond in my chest suddenly flared with burning pain.
Aria was terrified.
Trapped.
Calling for help without even knowing it.
I didn't think. I just moved.
Shadow-traveling directly toward the flower shop, my magic already gathering for battle.
Hold on, Aria. I'm coming. Just hold on.
But as I materialized in the alley behind the shop, I felt it.
A barrier. Dark magic sealing the building shut.
And inside, I could hear Moira's voice chanting in the old language. The forbidden language.
She wasn't just trying to capture Aria.
She was trying to drain her powers completely.
Tonight. Right now.
And if I broke through that barrier, every magical being in the city would know I was here.
The Conclave would come with everything they had.
But if I didn't break through—
Aria would die.
I closed my eyes, feeling her terror through our bond.
She was calling for me. Not consciously. But somewhere deep in her soul, she knew someone was supposed to protect her.
And I'd failed her parents.
I wouldn't fail her.
I raised my hands, gathering every ounce of shadow magic I possessed.
"Forgive me, Aria," I whispered. "This is going to get very, very bad."
Then I unleashed my power and shattered Moira's barrier like glass.
The explosion of magic lit up the night sky like a star.
And every enemy in the Shadow Conclave just learned exactly where to find us.