Chapter 9
Jace POV
"I'm going to be really hurt when you don't love me anymore," a voice says softly.
"Impossible," I hear myself respond. "I think I was placed on this planet to be yours."
A laugh. Gentle. Familiar.
"I'll take your word for it, dear boyfriend."
I try to see their face, to hold onto the sound of that voice, but it's all fog and static. I reach out—
And open my eyes.
Reality returns in fragments.
I must have dozed off again.
My fingers find the ring on my hand before my thoughts can fully form. I twirl it around my finger. Slowly. A habit I don't remember learning.
Sometimes I dream about this person.
They never have a clear face, but the feeling is always the same—warmth, closeness, like home.
I wonder if they're the reason for the ring.
If they gave it to me.
If I forgot someone I once promised forever to.
I sigh and sit up. The camp has settled in well. We've been here for just under a week. The town is mostly stable, and the worst of the corrupted seem to steer clear. The mana field is calm.
While Elias and Avery are off rerouting and mapping the safest zones for future shelter points, I'm supposed to be supervising patrol reports and supply drops. I'm not.
Because my eyes are on Avery again.
He's across the plaza, stretching his arms over his head. He's wearing a black turtleneck cropped just enough to show off a sliver of his slender stomach and soft muscle lines. His sweatpants cling just a bit at the hips before tapering loose around the ankles. His hair is tied low, a bit messy but still deliberate.
Every move he makes feels intentional, and I can't stop watching him.
It's driving me insane.
He's magnetic, and I don't understand why.
And then Elias appears, a walking contrast to Avery's quiet elegance. His hair is dyed blue again, and there's a trail of levitating gear floating behind him as he walks. He grins as he approaches Avery.
And the air between them changes.
I hate to admit it, but their chemistry is undeniable.
They banter effortlessly, like they've done it for years. There's something in their body language—a familiarity, a rhythm. I hate the way it makes my stomach twist.
I'm halfway across the courtyard before I realize I'm walking toward them.
I stop a few feet away and overhear them just as Elias drops to the ground in exaggerated despair.
"Do you have to reject me so cruelly?" he moans.
"Would you rather I lied to you?" Avery replies flatly.
"Yes," Elias answers without hesitation, clutching his chest like he's been mortally wounded.
Avery rolls his eyes. "You're impossible."
"I can't win against a dead guy anyway," Elias mutters as he stands.
"The all-so-perfect first love."
I freeze.
That... that feels important.
First love?
Dead?
I open my mouth before I can think.
"Are you two even working or just playing around?" I snap, unable to keep the bitterness out of my voice.
They both turn to me. Elias raises an eyebrow. Avery folds his arms slowly.
"And if we're just playing, what are you going to do about it?" Avery asks, calm and sharp.
I clench my jaw.
He always manages to get under my skin.
"Exactly," Avery says when I don't respond.
"Now run along, Commander. Leave us to our slacking off before I get annoyed and decide we should stay here long enough to catch the next mana storm."
"You—" I start, stepping forward.
"Avery," Elias cuts in, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Behave. We're not leaving because there's a storm approaching. It'll hit our intended route in two days. Jace, go get comfortable. We're staying put for a bit."
I nod tightly and turn to leave.
Just before I walk off, my eyes linger a second too long.
At Avery's waist.
I don't mean to. It just happens.
And that's when I make the mistake.
I glance sideways.
And meet the piercing yellow eyes of Sparkle.
The beast is watching me. Judging.
Her ears are pinned back and her gaze is accusatory. She saw.
I look away quickly, face heating, trying to play it off. But she doesn't stop staring.
I'm being judged by a mana beast.
Perfect.
My quarters aren't far. A small room carved out of one of the sturdier buildings. Makeshift walls, salvaged furniture, a mana lamp that flickers when the wind picks up.
There's a simple cot, a folded blanket, a small trunk of gear. It's not that different from Avery's space. Just more rigid. More impersonal.
I drop onto the cot with a groan and bury my face in my hands.
That comment about Avery's first love won't leave my head.
A dead guy. Someone perfect.
Someone he loved so much he still hasn't moved on.
Why does that make something in me ache?