Chapter 26: Fire and Ice - 6
Dawn broke gray and heavy, mist cloaking the tavern in a quiet shroud.
Mira stood at the tavern’s notice board, her morning tea steaming in her hand, her bronze skin flushed beneath a loose tunic.
A hawk-etched parchment, seared into the wood with a pyromancer’s brand, crackled faintly, its edges curling as if still smoldering.
Her amber eyes narrowed, her fingers trembling just slightly—a Guild writ, a summons for judgment.
Kio stood at the bar, pouring her tea with steady hands, the air rich with the scent of herbs and smoldering embers from the hearth.
His dark eyes watched her, noting the flame flickering at her fingertip, pulsing in rhythm with her heartbeat.
He said nothing, his silence a steady anchor.
"I thought they forgot me," Mira muttered, her voice low, edged with heat.
"They don’t forget power they can’t tame," Kio replied, his tone calm, his gaze unyielding.
Her grip tightened, nearly dropping the cup.
Kio took it gently from her hands, his fingers brushing hers, grounding her fire.