The fire crackled in the quiet night, casting flickering shadows against the ancient stone ruins where Lira and Riven had taken shelter. The scent of damp earth and burnt wood clung to the air, mixing with the faint metallic tang of blood. The world felt still—too still—as if holding its breath after the violence that had nearly ended her life.
Lira sat with her back against the rough surface of a broken pillar, arms wrapped around herself in a poor attempt to steady her thoughts. She should have been thinking about the attack, about the masked figures who had tried to kill her, about the way their leader had whispered her name like he had known she'd be there.
Like he had been waiting for her.
But instead, her thoughts kept circling back to one thing.
Riven.
The way he had fought for her.
The way his blade had cut through their enemies, was swift and merciless, a blur of motion and deadly precision.
The way his golden eyes had locked onto hers in the chaos, sharp and wild as if he had been more afraid for her than for himself.
And that should have been impossible.
Because Riven wasn't the kind of man who feared for anyone.
And yet, when the last of the attackers had fallen—when the air had been thick with the scent of blood and dust—he had reached for her.
His fingers had brushed against her arm, hesitating for only a fraction of a second before pulling away.
And now, hours later, she could still feel the ghost of his touch lingering on her skin.
Lira's fingers tightened into fists in her lap as she forced herself to focus on the fire. She couldn't let herself think about that.
Across from her, Riven sat against another broken column, one knee drawn up as he absentmindedly ran a gloved hand along the edge of his dagger. His coat was still speckled with blood—not his own—and his expression was unreadable, as always.
But she could feel his gaze on her.
She hated that she could always feel his gaze on her.
The silence stretched between them, thick and heavy, before she finally spoke.
"You knew they were coming."
Her voice was steady, but the accusation was clear.
Riven didn't even blink. "Yes."
A slow, burning anger curled in her chest. "And you didn't think to warn me?"
His golden eyes flickered, but his voice remained calm. "Would it have changed anything? You still would have gone looking for answers. And they still would have come for you."
Lira clenched her jaw. She hated that he was right.
She had known she was getting too close to something dangerous. She had known that by digging into the past, she was placing herself in the crosshairs of people who wanted those secrets buried.
But she had done it anyway.
Because she had to know the truth.
But she had never expected the cost to be this high.
Lira scoffed, shaking her head. "You should have told me."
Riven leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on his knees. "You don't trust me, Lira. You never have. And I don't blame you."
She stiffened.
He wasn't wrong.
From the moment they had met, she had been waiting for him to betray her. To reveal whatever game he was playing.
Because that was the kind of person Riven was. A liar. A killer. Someone who only cared about himself.
Except…
That wasn't entirely true, was it?
Not after tonight.
Not after the way he had fought to protect her.
Not after the way he had looked at her when the fight was over like he had almost lost something.
Lira inhaled sharply, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "Why did you help me?"
Riven didn't answer right away.
Instead, he turned the dagger over in his hands, the firelight glinting off the blade. When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter than before.
"Because letting you die would be inconvenient."
Lira let out a bitter laugh, though it tasted like ash on her tongue. "Right. Of course. Because that's all I am to you—an inconvenience."
Riven didn't answer immediately. Instead, his grip on the dagger tightened.
For the first time that night, something flickered across his face. Something uncertain.
"Is that what you think?" His voice was softer now, edged with something unfamiliar.
Lira hesitated.
She wasn't sure what she thought anymore.
She wanted to believe that Riven was using her. That she was just a piece in whatever game he was playing.
But the way he had looked at her tonight…
The way his voice had shaken—just slightly—when he had called her name in the middle of the fight…
That wasn't the look of a man who saw her as an inconvenience.
And that terrified her.
She needed space. Distance.
Lira pushed herself to her feet, her boots crunching against loose gravel. "I'm going to check the perimeter."
She turned before he could say anything, stepping into the darkness beyond the fire's glow.
The ruins stretched before her, half-buried in moss and time, silent except for the rustling of leaves in the cold wind. She exhaled slowly, pressing a hand to the rough stone wall beside her.
Her heart was still racing.
This was dangerous.
Not just the people hunting her. Not just the secrets buried in the past.
This.
Him.
The way her heart reacted to him. The way she could feel his presence even when he wasn't near.
She knew what this was.
She had seen it happen before. In other people.
The way logic started to blur. The way trust formed in the unlikeliest of places. The way enemies became something more.
She had never understood it.
And she refused to fall into it now.
Because falling for Riven?
That might be the most dangerous thing of all.
And she wasn't sure she would survive it.