Page 518 of Axis of Fire

No—I was grateful that Gwendolyn, Dwayne, and Mike were safe.

I would've protected them at any cost.

And I had.

The price had simply been my broken heart.

"Then thank you for that." My voice remained calm. "Now let me pass."

I tried to step around him.

He blocked me again.

"Ria..."

The unexpected gentleness in his voice struck me like a bolt of lightning, and before he could continue, I cut him off.

"Stop tormenting me." The words broke through the calm I’d been clinging to. "Stop looking at me like that. Do you have any idea how unbearable it was during the entire ceremony?"

My voice cracked.

Anger carried me one step closer to him.

"From now on, you speak to me only about my training. About anything that concerns your duties as my mentor—and nothing else."

I saw irritation flash across his face, and before I could stop myself, I added,

"You know what? I think I'll ask Draxsen to assign me a different mentor after all."

"No one else will be standing beside you."

The words came through clenched teeth.

For a split second, I was genuinely surprised.

Airis had lost control.

Only for an instant.

But it had happened.

"That's not your decision to make."

"It is."

Our eyes remained locked, each of us refusing to look away.

My mind betrayed me, replaying every gentle moment we'd shared.

Every laugh.

Every glance.

Every touch.

A traitor to both my pride and my self-respect.

For one impossible second, all I wanted was to fall into his arms.