Page 295 of Axis of Fire

“Don't even think about it, Fireling,” he whispered near my ear.

I swallowed.

Trying not to think at all.

Because somehow Airis always seemed to notice what my body was feeling before I did.

And that was strange.

Far too intimate for my own peace of mind.

Anastasia Lang’s POV

I had assumed that after the tavern—and the conversation Tarven clearly considered a failure—we would head straight back to the academy.

Apparently not.

This man had other plans.

Somehow, I had become something dangerously close to a pocket dog he insisted on dragging everywhere.

I understood why.

Tarven no longer wanted to leave me unattended at the academy.

Now he knew I was hiding far more than I had ever admitted.

Only the gods knew how far he might go to uncover the truth.

We walked through the streets of Magicslan.

More specifically, through Marcus’s district—

The territory of the ninth child of the city’s first ruler.

M9.

The most religious part of the city.

Temples stood on nearly every corner.

Confession booths.

Execution grounds.

Of all twelve districts, this one felt the cruelest.

Even though it existed within a world of magic, the faith practiced here rejected everything connected to dark magic, witches, and seers.

Ironically, Violetta’s Sixth District was only a few minutes away—

Separated only by Ethan’s district, which stood between the religious quarter and the home of witches and prophets.

Tarven had been born here.

Raised here.

At least for most of his childhood.