THE FIRE WITHIN

The night air was heavy, thick with the lingering presence of Darius. Even though he was gone, his words clung to me like a second skin.

"I’ll see you soon, little one."

I shivered.

Cassian was tense, his breathing ragged as he paced like a caged predator, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides.

I knew what he was feeling.

Helplessness. Rage. Fear.

Not for himself.

For me.

But I wasn’t sure if I was afraid of Darius—or of myself.

Because the truth was, I had felt something familiar when he touched me.

Something inside me had responded to him.

And that terrified me more than anything.

Cassian stopped pacing and turned to me, his red eyes burning with unspoken fury.

“You can’t let him in,” he said, his voice raw. “You can’t let him inside your mind again.”

I swallowed hard.

"I didn’t let him in."

Cassian’s jaw tightened.

"Then how the hell did he get there?"

I had no answer.

Because I didn’t know.

All I knew was that the moment Darius had touched me, something inside me had cracked open, something dark and ancient, something I didn’t fully understand.

Cassian must have seen the uncertainty on my face because he took a step closer, his hands gripping my arms tightly.

“Listen to me.” His voice was steady, but I could feel the desperation beneath it. “Whatever he’s trying to do—fight it.”

I wanted to tell him that I would.

That I could.

But the truth was, I wasn’t sure I could.

Because part of me wasn’t certain I wanted to.

We left the ruins before dawn, moving through the dense forest in silence.

Cassian was on edge, his senses sharp, scanning for any sign of movement.

I was still shaken, but there was something else now.

Something boiling under my skin.

I could feel it building, a pressure inside me, like a storm waiting to break.

I had felt it before—back when the Council tried to control my mind, back when I had burned through their hold like wildfire.

And now it was back.

Stronger.

Wilder.

Cassian suddenly stopped, his body rigid.

I barely had time to react before he grabbed my wrist, spinning me around to face him.

“What is that?” he demanded, his red eyes locked onto mine.

I blinked. “What?”

His grip tightened.

“I can feel it, Sienna. Your power—” He exhaled sharply. “It’s shifting.”

I opened my mouth to deny it—

But then it happened.

A wave of heat exploded from my body, knocking Cassian back.

I gasped, stumbling as my vision blurred, my skin burning as if something inside me had ignited.

Cassian landed in a crouch, his eyes wide with shock.

I clutched my chest, struggling to breathe.

“What the hell is happening to me?”

Cassian wasn’t breathing either.

He was staring at me, his expression unreadable.

I followed his gaze.

And froze.

My hands.

They were glowing.

A soft, golden light pulsed beneath my skin, flickering like firelight.

I felt the heat coiling inside me, an energy I couldn’t control.

This wasn’t just my usual strength.

This was something else.

Something new.

Cassian finally stood, his movements slow, measured.

“Sienna,” he said carefully. “What do you feel?”

I swallowed hard.

“I...” My voice broke.

Because I didn’t know how to explain it.

I felt powerful.

I felt terrified.

And worst of all.

I felt like I wasn’t alone in my own body anymore.

Cassian and I kept moving, but the silence between us was different now.

I knew he was thinking about what had happened.

I was thinking about it too.

Darius had said I was holding back.

What if this was what he meant?

What if this power was what he was waiting for?

Cassian suddenly stopped again, his entire body going rigid.

My stomach dropped.

Not because of his reaction.

But because I felt it too.

A presence.

Not the Council.

Not a rogue assassin.

No.

Him.

Darius.

Cassian’s claws extended, his stance shifting into something deadly.

He knew.

He could feel him too.

I turned slowly, scanning the trees.

And then I saw him.

Darius stood a few feet away, watching us.

His golden eyes gleamed with amusement, as if he had been waiting for me to notice him.

Cassian let out a low growl, stepping protectively in front of me.

But Darius didn’t move.

He just smiled.

“You felt it, didn’t you?” he said, his voice smooth, knowing.

My pulse spiked.

I clenched my fists, but the warmth in my hands remained, the glow flickering just beneath my skin.

Darius’s gaze darkened.

He took a single step forward.

Cassian moved instantly, blocking me from view.

“Stay. The hell. Away from her.”

Darius chuckled.

“Relax, Cassian. I just came to see how she’s adjusting.”

Cassian’s growl deepened. “She’s not yours to check on.”

Darius’s lips curved.

“She’s not yours either.”

Cassian’s body coiled with fury, but I barely heard them anymore.

Because something strange was happening inside me.

I felt drawn to Darius.

Not in the way I felt drawn to Cassian.

But in a way that was unnatural, terrifying.

Darius could feel it too.

His amber eyes locked onto mine, and for the first time, I saw it.

He wasn’t just interested in me.

He was waiting for me to come to him.

And a part of me wanted to.

The realization hit me like a physical blow, and I gasped, stumbling back.

Cassian caught me before I could fall, his hands firm on my waist, anchoring me.

I clutched his arms, desperate for something real, something grounding.

Darius tilted his head, watching.

Then, with a slow smile, he murmured,

"I told you, little one."

"You can’t fight what’s inside you."

Then—just like before.

He vanished.