Cassian's POV

The wind in the courtyard was freezing, but my blood ran hot.

"I choose my friend. Move."

Those words hit like a wrecking ball, shattering the ice-sealed walls I'd built around my heart over the years.

I leaned against the shadow of the oak tree, watching her stand her ground against Cecilia without flinching, watching her walk straight toward me.

She was just a regular human. No magic, no connections. At Bliston Academy—this cutthroat magic school—she was as fragile as paper.

And yet, when everyone else treated me like a monster and kept their distance, she didn't hesitate to take my side.

I'd lived eighteen years getting used to being abandoned, getting used to pushing everyone away with cold indifference.

The phoenix bloodline was a curse. I was terrified of losing control, terrified of hurting people, so I locked myself away on an island.

But now, someone had forced her way onto that island.

Looking into those clear eyes of hers, I suddenly didn't want to push her away anymore.

If she wasn't afraid to die, if she'd chosen me with such conviction, then I'd protect her.

More than that—I wanted to help her.

Bliston Academy wouldn't admit an ordinary human for no reason.

She might not have any magical aura, but that energy surge she triggered in Charms class, plus that quality about her even I couldn't see through—it proved she was anything but ordinary.

The library had seven floors. The Restricted Section held every secret in the magical world.

I decided I'd help her uncover her origins, help her find the power that truly belonged to her.

Maybe this girl who'd crashed into my life like a beam of light could become my salvation too.

Maybe by her side, I could learn to control this damned phoenix fire and finally be reborn.

That was my plan. That was my hope.

Until this afternoon.

Divination class was in the North Tower.

I hadn't signed up for it, but I knew she'd be there.

I stood waiting in the corridor at the tower's base, holding an ancient tome I'd borrowed from the Restricted Section. It contained some clues about ancient bloodline awakenings.

I wanted to wait for her class to end and show it to her.

I didn't get her smile.

A faint trace of blood suddenly filled the air.

A phoenix's senses far exceeded human limits. My heart skipped a beat.

Then Eric's group's vicious curses echoed from above, followed by the dull thud of something heavy tumbling down stone steps.

The sound wasn't loud, but it detonated in my head like a bomb.

I practically vanished from where I stood, following the scent of blood as I charged up the narrow, steep spiral staircase.

Then I saw the most blood-boiling scene of my life.

Books and parchments scattered everywhere.

And that girl, curled up in the corner against the stone wall like a broken doll.

Her knee was scraped open, blood running down her pale leg, staining her stockings red.

She lay on the cold stone floor, trembling in pain, too weak to even pull herself up.

My sanity snapped completely.

The phoenix fire inside me erupted.

Dark gold flames screamed through my bloodstream, demanding to burn everything in sight to ash, demanding to tear those pureblood wastes upstairs into pieces.

The temperature around me skyrocketed. Moisture on the stone walls evaporated instantly. The air warped and twisted from the extreme heat.

I stared at Eric at the top of the stairs, golden flames nearly bursting from my pupils.

Kill him.

Burn him alive.

Violent rage crashed over me like a tsunami.

I took a step forward. The stone beneath my foot cracked under the force of my power.

"Ca... Cassian..." Eric's voice shook uncontrollably. He saw the murderous intent in my eyes and scrambled upstairs with his cronies, practically crawling.

I didn't chase them.

Because the person on the ground mattered more.

I forced down the urge to burn the entire tower to the ground and walked to her, slowly crouching down.

Looking at her pale face and the bloody mess of her knee, my heart felt like it was being crushed by an invisible hand. Even breathing hurt.

She was hurt because of me.

Eric targeted her because she'd chosen me.

I thought I could protect her, but I'd only dragged her down.

Monsters were monsters. Anyone who got close to me was destined for misfortune.

I reached out, moving with extreme care as I slipped my hands beneath her knees and back, lifting her into my arms.

She was so light—light as a feather—yet she weighed heavily on my heart.

My chest was hard, my body temperature scorching from the uncontrolled energy raging inside me.

She trembled in pain, instinctively burying her face in the crook of my neck.

In that moment, her warm breath against my skin—

Miraculously, the phoenix fire rampaging inside me, nearly tearing me apart, gradually calmed because of that unconscious gesture of trust.

She didn't push me away. Even injured, even knowing I was a dangerous powder keg, she still leaned into me.

I tightened my arms, holding her securely against me, then turned and strode down the stairs toward the infirmary.

All along the corridor, students who saw me backed away in terror.

My expression must have been terrifying. The air around me still rippled with dangerous heat.

No one dared come close. No one dared speak.

I didn't care about their stares. I only cared about the person in my arms.

Looking down at her closed eyes and pain-creased brow, guilt flooded through me like a rising tide.

I thought I'd been prepared, but I couldn't even stop her from being pushed down the stairs.

"I'm sorry."

My voice came out low and rough, trembling in a way I hadn't even noticed.

Those three words felt like they'd drained every ounce of my strength.

I didn't dare look at her eyes. I was afraid of seeing regret there, afraid she'd finally realized what a stupid, fatal decision it was to be friends with me.

The girl in my arms shifted.

She slowly lifted her head. Those clear eyes held no fear, no blame, not even a trace of regret.

Her pale lips pressed together briefly. Then she raised her uninjured hand and gently covered my mouth.

Her fingertips were cool, bearing small scrapes and dust, yet they firmly stopped all my remaining self-blame and remorse.

I froze, my steps faltering.

"It's not your fault." She sucked in a sharp breath from the pain, her voice soft but unwavering. "Cassian, never apologize to me."

That cool touch on my lips was like the most powerful calming spell, smoothing away all the violence and unease still churning inside me.

I looked into those stubborn eyes of hers. My throat bobbed.

In the end, I said nothing more. I just let her hand stay over my mouth as I held her tighter and quickened my pace toward the infirmary.