Chapter 4

Silas freezes.

Growing up, I fought with him. I threw tantrums at him.

But I have never once said his name that cold.

His throat bobs.

"Elara. Do eighteen years with me really mean less than one night with him?"

Kaelen peeks over my shoulder, his eyes tilting up at the corners.

"Elara, I didn't know I was that good."

His tone is innocently surprised, but the smugness in his eyes is impossible to miss.

I can't help laughing. I reach up and ruffle his black hair.

"You are."

"You really are that good."

Silas's face gets uglier by the second.

He clenches his fists.

"Elara, this time you've gone too far."

"Fine, choosing Seraphina at the ceremony made you lose face. That was on me. I didn't think it through."

"But I did it to fight the Dark Surge. I did it for the whole royal city."

He takes a deep breath. His tone turns arrogant again.

"I can let you throw your little fit for a couple of days."

"But if you keep treating me like this, don't expect me to forgive you so easily."

So even now, he still thinks I'm just throwing a fit.

I say calmly,

"I don't care."

Silas stiffens.

"You're not my bonded mate."

"I don't need your approval. And I don't care if you forgive me or not."

Something flickers behind Silas's eyes, disbelief.

The next second, he actually lifts his foot to step inside.

The smile drops off Kaelen's face.

He lets go of me and blocks the door.

"Elara didn't invite you in."

"Get out."

Silas laughs like he's heard a joke.

"You think you can stop me?"

"I could snap your neck right here. Wanna find out?"

Kaelen doesn't back down.

"I believe you."

"But unless I'm dead,"

"You don't get to touch her."

Silas stares at him for a long moment, then lets out a cold laugh.

"Fine."

"Accidents happen on the training grounds. I'll have plenty of chances to put you in the ground."

"Just wait."

The door slams shut.

The second Silas's footsteps fade, the fierce, brave serpent shifter turns around and leans all over me.

"Elara."

He rests his chin on my shoulder, voice soft and wounded.

"He's going to kill me."

"I'm so scared."

I poke his forehead.

"You didn't look that scared a minute ago."

Kaelen buries his face in the crook of my neck.

"That was all an act. I was terrified."

I know he is just acting pitiful, but I still pat his back.

"Okay, okay. Don't be scared."

"I won't let him hurt you."

That afternoon, the Academy training grounds.

Every graduate is already there.

The Head Mentor stands on the high platform, voice grave.

"First trial today, dark mist resistance."

Black mist rises slowly from the center of the ring.

The first pair up is Silas and Seraphina.

Seraphina stands behind Silas, her palm glowing with pure white light.

The moment the mist touches them, it melts away like snow on flame.

Gasps ripple through the crowd.

"That's an S-rank purification gift for you."

"With Seraphina here, the Dark Surge isn't even a threat."

Seraphina lowers her hand. Her face is a little pale, but her back stays straight.

I can feel it, she loves being looked at like this.

She does deserve the praise.

Silas walks out of the mist and looks at me.

His expression is certain, like he's waiting for me to regret it.

I don't even look at him. I just tighten the wrist guard on Kaelen's arm.

"If anything feels wrong in there, you tell me immediately."

Kaelen looks down at my hands. "Okay."