Chapter 18 The Dance Of Tension

• "Every eye in the courtyard was on us."
• The weight of silence pressed down on me like a storm about to break, heavy with the electricity that preceded supernatural lightning. The festival music faltered as students turned from their conversations and celebratory dancing, whispers snapping through the crowd like sparks from a dying fire. The paper lanterns swaying overhead seemed to dim as all attention focused on the drama unfolding beneath the goddess's silver light.
• Darius stood directly in front of me, his powerful frame blocking out everything else in my field of vision. His hand remained outstretched in the traditional gesture of mate claiming, golden gaze steady despite the tension radiating from every line of his body. The moonlight caught the aristocratic planes of his face, transforming him into something that belonged in ancient legends rather than Academy politics.