Kaelira’s POV
“I won't stop it.”
The words stayed with me longer than they should have. Not because of how he said them. Because of what I didn’t do after. I didn’t pull away. Didn’t shut it down. Didn’t pretend it wasn’t there.
That alone should have unsettled me more than it did. Instead… it steadied something and that was worse.
Because now I couldn’t ignore it. I moved before the silence between us could stretch into something else, turning away from him without hesitation, my steps controlled, deliberate. Not rushed. Not escaping.
Just moving forward.
“If you’re going to stand there,” I said over my shoulder, “then at least be useful.”
A pause.
Then…“I always am.”
Of course he was.
I didn’t look back as I stepped out into the open training ground, the air sharper outside, co
