Chapter 11: Whispers Between Flame and Flesh
Two Days Later – Inner Academy Infirmary.
The battle with Garrick left Kairos mostly unscathed, but the same couldn't be said for others.
Selene was perched on the edge of a cot, her robe slipping off one shoulder as she applied a glowing salve to her ribs. Across from her, Kairos stood with arms folded, his shirt half-buttoned and an amused look on his face.
"You know," she said, wincing, "I liked it better when you were the one hurting."
"Want me to make it fair?" he offered, voice deep with mock sympathy.
Selene gave him a sly look. "Maybe later."
Her words were playful, but the way she looked at him lingered, fingers slowing at her side. There was heat between them, rising with each breath.
But before anything more could spark—
The door creaked open.
Instructor Vael stepped in. His eyes moved from Selene's exposed skin to Kairos' loosened shirt, then back.
"No rules about fraternization, but do remember you're technically still students."
Kairos just smirked.
---
Later That Night – Kairos's Dorm Room.
Rain tapped gently against the windows.
Kairos lay on his bed, arms behind his head, shirtless. He wasn't asleep, though. The marks across his skin—a constellation of faint crimson runes—glowed softly in the dark.
The door creaked.
Selene entered.
No words. Just a long look.
She shut the door behind her and crossed the room barefoot.
"I couldn't sleep," she whispered.
Kairos shifted slightly. "I could help with that."
She climbed onto the bed beside him. Their breaths mingled.
Her fingers danced down his chest. His hand traced the line of her back, slow and careful. The tension wasn't rushed—it was molten, simmering.
When their lips met again, there was no moonlight—just the pulse of the runes and the sound of falling rain.
Their bodies moved with familiarity and hunger, tangled in sheets and half-buried gasps. Not just heat—but bonding, raw and electric, more than lust. Something ancient stirred.
Later, as Selene lay curled against his chest, her voice barely audible, she murmured, "When you leave... make sure I'm not a reason you don't come back."
Kairos didn't answer.
He just held her tighter.
---
Following Morning – Academy Archives.
Kairos moved through the towering shelves alone. The dust here hadn't been disturbed in months, perhaps years. Most students avoided the lower levels—it smelled like secrets.
He found it.
The Book of Bound Flame.
Bound in crimson-scaled leather, sealed with sigils that pulsed faintly when his fingers touched them.
His pact wasn't the first.
And judging from the ink-stained pages...
It wouldn't be the last.