The storm rolled in without warning.
One minute the sky was dry and heavy with cloud.
The next, wind screamed down the streets like the world was splitting open.
Snow whipped sideways, stinging Mara’s cheeks as she and Noah hurried back toward their building.
Her magic thrummed louder with every step.
Fast.
Erratic.
Hot beneath her ribs like a second heartbeat trying to break free.
Noah stayed glued to her side.
His hand hovered near the small of her back — not touching, but close enough that she felt the gravity of him. The steadiness. The anchor.
“Mara,” he said over the wind, “your magic’s spiking—”
“I know.”
“Can you hold it?”
She gritted her teeth. “I’m trying.”
But she could feel it — the pressure building.
Like a dam cracking.
Like light pushing through stone.
And s
