The night after Ronan's warning, Aradia could not sleep. She wandered into the forest, her fire burning faintly at her fingertips, her heart heavy with doubt.
Kael followed. He found her beneath the ancient oak, her body trembling, her eyes wet.
"Tell me what you fear," he demanded.
Her lips parted, her voice breaking. "That I will lose you. That I will burn you as I did before."
Kael gripped her shoulders, forcing her to meet his blazing eyes. "Listen to me, Aradia. You will not lose me. Even if your fire kills me, I will find you again. I always do."
Her tears spilled. "How can you be so certain?"
His lips pressed to hers, fierce and desperate. "Because I remember."
Her heart stopped. "What do you mean?"
But he did not answer. He kissed her harder, his body pressing hers against the oak, his passion as consuming as her flames. Their fire roared together, lightning splitting the sky, the storm answering their bond.
That night, love and fear tangled in equal measure, and Aradia knew: Kael carried a truth he had not yet spoken.