Chapter 70 CHAPTER 70
Liam had always believed the night was meant for sleeping, but as he lay staring at the ceiling long past midnight, he wondered when that simple truth had stopped applying to him. No matter how many times he closed his eyes, the same thoughts pushed back against him. They crowded in his skull, twisting and weaving until exhaustion felt like an anchor pressed to his chest. He tossed aside the blanket and sat upright, dragging a hand down his face. The moon outside had already dipped toward the horizon, signalling a night almost spent and a day already creeping toward him.
He needed clarity. He needed silence. More than anything, he needed a moment where his mind would stop circling the same overwhelming conclusion.
His bare feet hit the floor, and he crossed the dim room to stand before the crime board pinned across the eastern wall. It had grown since yesterday. He had added new arrows, new notes, new connections.
He stood there for several minutes, silently reading the patterns again, hoping they would make more sense this time. They didn’t. If anything, the knots felt tighter.
He sighed, grabbed his jacket, and left his quarters. Maybe movement would loosen the pressure building behind his ribs. Maybe training would help him breathe.
The courtyard was dark when he stepped outside, but the sky carried the faintest silver at the edges, the promise of dawn stretching toward the horizon. Most of Mooncrest still slept. Only the guards patrolling the walls moved in the early morning chill.
He headed toward the training grounds. The earth was still wet with dew, the air crisp, and his breath clouded faintly before dissolving. It was peaceful - almost. His mind was still too loud for peace.
But when he reached the training field, he halted.
Someone was already there.
Lisa stood in the middle of the arena, stretching her legs in slow movements, her hair tied loosely behind her, her training clothes fitting comfortably to her frame. She looked so focused, so present, that for a moment Liam simply watched her from the edge.
The moonlight softened her face, highlighting how much she had changed since Silverpine. Her skin looked healthier, her eyes clearer. She carried herself with a confidence she didn’t have before, and something about the quiet determination in her posture tugged unexpectedly at him.
She straightened and turned, startled when she noticed him. “Liam?” she said. “You’re up early.”
He stepped onto the field. “Couldn’t sleep.”
A small, humourless laugh left her. “Yeah… me too.” She looked down at her hands. “There was too much noise in my head. I thought training might help clear it.”
“Same reason I’m here,” he admitted.
Their eyes met briefly, and something unspoken passed between them - something tired, something burdened, something shared.
Liam nodded toward the open space. “If you want, we can train together.”
The corner of her lip lifted in a faint smile. “I’d like that.”
He thought about which exercise would help her focus without hurting her - something grounding, something requiring presence rather than brute force. “We’ll do balance and shift drills,” he said. “It’s something I use when my mind won’t shut up.”
She tilted her head. “How does it work?”
“It forces both your body and mind to stay in one place,” he explained. “No drifting thoughts. No overthinking. Just instinct and balance.”
She stepped closer. “Show me.”
He positioned them facing each other, standing close enough that their breaths mingled. “The goal is simple,” he said, raising his hands lightly. “You try to shift my balance. I try to shift yours. Small movements. Controlled footing. Trust the body, not the mind.”
She nodded, her eyes steady.
She mirrored his stance, and he placed his palms softly against her forearms. Her skin felt warm under his touch. She drew in a slow breath, and the faint scent of jasmine from her hair drifted toward him. It was distracting - unexpectedly so.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Ready.”
They began.
Their movements were gentle at first, just soft pushes and careful shifts. Lisa followed his direction quickly, adjusting her stance, focusing on her breathing. He could see the tension slowly leaving her shoulders as the rhythm of the exercise took hold. It surprised him how graceful she had become - how she adapted without fear, how she seemed to trust him instinctively.
As they moved, he took her in again. Her hair had regained its shine. Her skin looked smooth, free of the stress that once clouded her features. She smelled… nice. Soft. Warm. And in this quiet moment, without the weight of the kingdom or the witches or the bond pulling her down, she looked beautiful.
The thought caught him off guard, sparking a warmth low in his chest.
Lisa shifted her footing suddenly, trying to push his shoulder. Her balance faltered at the same time his thought distracted him. His grip tightened instinctively to steady her, but the motion pulled them both off-centre. Their feet tangled. Lisa gasped. He reacted too quickly, trying to catch her but he was too late…
Suddenly they were both on the ground.
She landed on top of him, her hands braced against his chest, her hair falling forward in a soft curtain that brushed his cheek. Their faces were inches apart, their breaths mingling in short, startled exhales.
Time froze.
Liam felt her heartbeat quicken against him. Her eyes widened, then softened, then widened again as the moment deepened. His own breath stilled, his gaze drifting from her eyes to her lips and back without meaning to. Warmth spread through him, unexpected and sharp, like a spark touching dry tinder.
For a moment - just a moment - the world held its breath with them.
Lisa flushed a deep pink, realization flooding her expression. She scrambled upright quickly, brushing her hair back, unable to look at him. “I…. um…. I should go get ready for breakfast.”
Liam sat up, clearing his throat as he forced himself to pull his gaze away from her. “I have a meeting with Ethan this morning,” he said. “I should… prepare.”
Awkward silence settled for a moment, both of them suddenly aware of the shift between them.
Lisa nodded once, still avoiding his eyes. “Right. Of course. I’ll see you later, Liam.”
She walked off the training field, her steps quick, almost flustered. Liam watched her go, unsure whether to call her back or let her leave. He stayed seated on the ground long after she disappeared from view, his heart still not steady.
Something had changed. He didn’t know what it meant yet, or if he should allow the thought to grow, but the spark from minutes ago lingered stubbornly in his chest.
When he finally rose to his feet, he looked toward the path she had taken and exhaled slowly.
“Moon Goddess,” he murmured to himself, “Are you playing a joke on me?”