Chapter 7: Power play
Next Morning.
Kael nudged Rhea's door open, hinges whispering as he stepped in,in flipping lazily between his fingers. She sat cross-legged on thet, crimson hair yanked into a messy knot, ash streaks clinging to the strands. Thellar gleamed dull around her neck, but her amber eyes met his—steady, edged with something new, less defiance, more intent.
He grinned, leaning against the frame. "You're different today," he said, voice low, teasing the charged air between them as thein arced.
Rhea shrugged, leather jacket creaking. "Maybe I'm tired of losing." Her tone was dry, casual, but her gaze held—a deliberate spark, testing him.
Kael's grin sharpened, thein pausing mid-flip as he stepped closer, boots scuffing the tiles. "Good. You've been reacting—letting the fire run you, letting me push. Now you choose." He stopped a pace away, hazel eyes glinting with a quiet dare. "Take the lead. Control it."
Her lips twitched—a sharp, fleeting smirk. "You'll regret that," she said, voice low, laced with challenge. She unfolded her legs, standing slow, deliberate, scarred hands flexing. "Sit," she ordered, nodding at thet, amber eyes locked on his.
He raised a brow, amused, but obeyed—easing onto thet, leaning back against the wall, legs stretched. The blue blanket bunched under him, and he tossed thein aside, letting it clatter. "Your move," he said, voice a low hum, daring her.
Rhea stepped in, looming over him, her shadow cutting across his chest. She reached out—her call, her spark—grabbing his wrist with a scarred hand, grip firm, rough. "Let's see how you like it," she muttered, a glint in her eye as she held him.
Kael's pulse stayed steady, but his Empathic Resonance flaredld for him, a live wire for her. He looped her touch back, spiking pleasure where her fingers pressed—a sharp spark that rcheted through her. She jolted, eyes widening, a soft "Ah—" slipping out as warmth bloomed, curling up her arm.