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“Jade.” His tone shifts. “That came out differently than I⁠—”

“No. It didn’t,” I say, and it comes out hollow and wrong. “You meant exactly what you said.”

I swallow, unsure where to go from here. He told me I’m the only reason he doesn’t surrender to a power that could erase his humanity, rewrite the past, and reshape the world, and my response is supposed to be what, exactly?

Cool, babe. Glad I’m your entire reason for staying human. Let me add that to the list right after stopping Ambrogio and the Blood Coven from destroying the world.

No pressure.

Logan’s hand loosens in mine, and his eyes are guarded, with none of the openness that was there thirty seconds ago.

“I shouldn’t have told you that,” he says quietly.

“Yes, you should have.” I force my fingers to squeeze his, even though every nerve in my hand has gone dead. “I asked. You answered honestly. That’s how this works between us.”

He holds my gaze for a long moment. Then his expression closes, and he nods once.

“We should go in.” He turns to the entrance, and my fingers lock around his before I can think about it.

“Wait,” I say, and his guarded eyes come back to mine, and my chest aches so hard that my ribs physically hurt.

I should close the distance. Grab the front of his jacket, pull him down, and press my lips to his until the electricity surges and we can’t think about anything but each other. I could tell him everything’s going to be okay, and maybe he’d believe me long enough to walk through those gates without that devastated look on his face.

But I don’t know if the token will hold. I don’t know what happens if he wakes up one morning and the fight doesn’t feel worth it.

So, I reach for the one thing I do know.

“I love you,” I tell him, and electricity sparks along my skin, and he takes a sharp breath that shows me how my magic affects him—how it keeps him alive. “That hasn’t changed, and it’s not going to change. Ever.”

He studies me as if he’s trying to figure out if it’s true. Which is insane, because he’s supposed to be good at reading people, and the fact that I love Logan is completely, unconditionally, and always true.

“I love you too, Jade.” He says it quietly, but his expression doesn’t soften, the openness from earlier still gone.

Before I can reply, his thumb traces a slow line across my knuckles, and he drops the black fire surrounding us. Cold rushes in, and the world with it—pine trees, frozen ground, the shimmer of the wards, and the distant sound of music drifting from behind the walls.

And despite everything, as we walk toward the entrance, Logan doesn’t let go of my hand.

11

JADE

We’re fifty feet out when one of the guards calls to us.

“Hold.” His voice carries across the frozen ground with a practiced authority that says he’s done this before. “State your names and your business.”

Logan’s grip tightens on my hand, and his wind stirs around us. Luckily, it’s subtle—the kind of thing no one would notice unless they knew what they were looking for.

“Jade Harrington,” I call back, and my voice comes out steadier than I expected, which is a minor miracle considering the circumstances. “And Logan Ashford. We’re witches from Blaze Academy.”

The guards exchange a look. Then the dark-haired one who’s built like someone who could bench-press a truck takes a step forward. The other stays back with one hand resting on what I’m pretty sure is a weapon.

“Long way from home,” the dark-haired one says, his tone polite but guarded. “What brings elite witches like you to Pine Valley?”

I open my mouth to answer, and the dome erupts with silver electricity. It rips across the entire surface in jagged, branching lines, racing out in every direction, and the boom that follows is so deep it vibrates through my bones.

The electricity under my skin surges, reaching for the dome’s lightning. Every time my magic flares, the silver arcs across the dome brighten.

Both guards draw their weapons.