Trystan met my offer with a stare so blistering that it both surprised me and pierced me to the core, his usual reserve fracturing as he pointedly said nothing to me in response, which only served to agitate my tempest of emotion even more. I looked to Ung Li in that moment, noticing her taking in Trystan’s injuries as he yanked down his sleeve over the bruising, my gaze darting toward the other apprentices and soldiers just in time to catch sight of one soldier’s lip curling up with an expression of vengeful satisfaction.

No one moved to send him to the Wyvernguard healer, as always. And he’s rebuffed my every attempt to bring him to a healer myself. Instead, he simply ignores his pain and growing collection of injuries. Ignores the soldiers’ resentment over the necessity of learning to deal with Gardnerian power—power that bests theirs again and again. Power that requires advanced weaponry and large numbers of Vu Trin to force back. Because he truly wants the Vu Trin to be able to best Gardnerian magery.

Even if we kill him while learning how to do it.

“Forget the Gardnerian.” Basyl’s finger spirals down the center of my chest, his enticing touch taking a slim edge off my troubled thoughts.

The door at the end of the hallway abruptly opens and Trystan emerges, books tucked under his arm. His green eyes find mine, and his steps halt.

A heated charge stings through me and everything else in the world fades into the background. My lightning flashes silver against my vision as our gazes hold, my throat gone dry with a sudden, inexplicable longing.

I can sense Trystan’s fierce draw to me as well, his fire power contracting and shuddering toward me with a force that sends a storming warmth through my core.

No, I urge myself as I struggle to rein in my power. I can’t feel this way about him. I can’t let this take hold.

The time to end this is now.

I draw Basyl close and feel Trystan’s spark of surprise as Basyl laughs and trails kisses along the length of my neck. He presses his muscular body to mine and caresses my back, sliding his hands over my hips as he tugs me closer and I hold Trystan’s gaze, our eyes locked as both my and Trystan’s breathing deepens. I lean in to run my tongue just below Basyl’s ear as Basyl slithers against me enticingly, everything in me wanting to drive Trystan away.

Everything in me yearning to pull Trystan in.

Trystan is mesmerized, I can feel it. Pinned in place by both desire and fascination. And suddenly, instead of wanting to keep the boundaries in place, I want to break through it all and stoke his desire. To tease him until he wants this more than he’s wanted anything in his life.