Kael POV

The road rolled under the tires in a steady rhythm. Daniel was still shaking his head like he couldn’t decide if he was amused or horrified by me, probably both. But I wasn’t listening anymore. My mind was already with Aria. The image of her face, the fire in her eyes, the way her voice could cut through my walls without even trying,it drowned out everything else.

We pulled into town, the shops still glowing even though night had wrapped itself over the sky. The streets smelled faintly of smoke, metal, and rain. Daniel stuffed his hands in his pockets, trailing me as I walked past jewelry stores,...