Ayla's POV
My lips still tingled from the kiss, and every time I glanced at Professor Arko, he was already looking at me with an expression that made my heart race.
"You're staring," I wrote on my board when we stopped outside the shed door.
"I've been staring for months," he said with a slight smile. "I'm just not hiding it anymore."
Inside, Elena sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by protection charms she was weaving together. Sienna studied maps by flashlight. Damien cleaned a silver blade he'd brought from his family's armory.
They all looked up when we entered. Elena took one look at our intertwined fingers and clasped hands, grinned, and went back to her work without comment. But I saw Sienna hide a smile.
"We need to talk about tomorrow," Damien said, setting down the b
