Chapter 141

Maren

Fire is louder than water.

Not in sound—fire talks in sensation. Heat presses instead of pulls. It doesn’t invite the way water does; it demands that you answer it honestly or step away.

I feel that the moment Kaelen stops shielding me.

It’s subtle. Not a withdrawal of protection exactly—more like a loosening. A deliberate choice. His wings don’t flare. His fire doesn’t rise to meet mine pre