Chapter 38

THIRTY-EIGHT

“ I f only it were that simple.” Kai moved closer, drawn to her despite her defensive posture. “The instability isn’t just geological, Quinn. It’s magical. More specifically, it’s tied to my ancestral magic—magic that’s been unraveling ever since my father died.”

She blinked, processing this. “Magic? You’re saying these earthquakes are caused by... magic magic?”

“Yes. My magic flows through this land and helps maintain its balance. But that magic has grown unstable, and only...” He hesitated, knowing the next words could send her running. “Only my fated mate can help restore that balance.”

“Your... fated mate.” She took a step back, her analytical mind visibly wrestling with concepts that defied scientific explanation. “And you think that’s... me?”

“I know it is.” The words came out softer than he intended, heavy with certainty and need. “I felt it the moment you arrived. My magic recognized you, even if you couldn’t feel it.”

“That’s...” She shook her head sharply. “That’s insane. I’m a scientist, Kai. I deal in facts, in measurable data, not... not fairy tales about magical destiny.”

“You’ve seen the evidence yourself.” He gestured to her monitoring device. “Those energy readings you can’t explain? That’s my magic reaching out to you. The tremors increase when you’re near because the magic recognizes its other half but can’t fully connect while you resist it.”

“So now the earthquakes are my fault?” Her voice rose with indignation. “Because I’m not jumping at the chance to be your magical destiny?”

“No, that’s not—” He raked a hand through his hair in frustration. Why were words so difficult? He could command armies, negotiate treaties, but explaining this to her tied his tongue in knots. “The instability is my burden to bear. I’ve carried it alone for centuries, watching my kingdom slowly fall apart, powerless to stop it. Until you arrived.”

Something in his voice must have reached her because her expression softened slightly. “How long have you known?”

“That you were my fated mate? Since the moment we met. That’s why I’ve been so...” He trailed off, searching for the right word.

“Overprotective? Controlling? Frustratingly present whenever I try to work?” But there was a hint of humor in her tone now.

“All of the above.” He managed a small smile. “Though in my defense, you do have an alarming tendency to walk into danger.”

“I don’t walk into danger. I study it. There’s a difference.” But she was moving closer now, her scientific curiosity winning out over her skepticism. “So these crystals... they’re somehow connected to your magic?”

“Yes. They amplify and channel it through the land.” He reached out to touch the nearest crystal, and it flared with golden light. “Here, give me your hand.”

She hesitated only briefly before placing her smaller hand in his. The moment their skin touched, the crystals around them blazed brighter, their haunting melody growing stronger. Quinn gasped as the energy flowed between them, a tangible current that made her skin tingle.

“That’s... okay, that’s harder to explain away with science,” she admitted, staring at their joined hands.

“You don’t have to explain everything.” He stepped closer, drawn by the way the magical light played across her features. “Sometimes you have to trust what you feel.”

Her breath caught as she looked up at him, and for a moment, he thought she might finally let her guard down completely. The air between them crackled with more than just magic.

Then the ground began to shake.

The tremor started small but quickly intensified, sending shards of ice raining down from the ceiling. Quinn stumbled, and Kai pulled her against his chest instinctively. The crystals around them flashed in warning.

“We need to get out of here,” he growled, already calculating the fastest escape route. “Now.”

“Wait—my readings—” She tried to pull away to check her device, but he was already sweeping her into his arms.

“Your readings can wait until we’re not about to be crushed by falling ice.”

To his surprise, she didn’t argue, instead wrapping her arms around his neck as he sprinted for the exit. His dragon strength made her weight negligible, but the feeling of her pressed against him sent his protective instincts into overdrive. The cave entrance had never seemed so far away.

They burst out into the open air just as the cave mouth collapsed behind them, sending up a plume of glittering ice dust. Kai set Quinn down but kept his arms around her until he was sure she was steady.

“I’m fine,” she said, though she didn’t immediately pull away. “Though I have to say, your timing for dramatic revelations needs work.”

A laugh rumbled up from his chest, surprising them both. “I’ll try to schedule future life-changing conversations away from unstable cave systems.”

“See that you do.” But her attempt at lightness faded as she finally stepped back, wrapping her arms around herself. “I... I need time to process all this, Kai. It’s a lot to take in.”

“I know.” He resisted the urge to pull her close again. “Take whatever time you need. But, Quinn...” He waited until she met his eyes. “Know that regardless of fate or magic, what I feel for you is real.”

Something flickered in her expression—vulnerability, longing, fear—before she masked it. “We should head back before another tremor hits.” She started down the path, then paused to look back at him. “Thank you. For telling me the truth.”

It wasn’t acceptance, but it wasn’t rejection either. For now, it would have to be enough. Kai fell into step beside her, his senses alert for any danger as they began the long trek back to the palace. The weight of secrets no longer pressed on his chest, but a new tension had taken its place—the anxious hope that somehow, this brilliant, stubborn woman would find a way to trust not just in magic, but in him.

Above them, the twin suns continued their dance across the sky, casting rainbow refractions through the ice that surrounded them. Somewhere in the distance, another tremor rumbled through the mountains, a reminder that time was running out. But for now, Kai focused on the sound of Quinn’s steady breathing beside him, and allowed himself to hope.

The walk back proved more challenging than their journey to the cave. The recent tremor had destabilized several ice bridges they’d crossed earlier, forcing them to find alternate routes—ones that his guards hadn’t cleared beforehand.

“The energy patterns are shifting,” she muttered, more to herself than to him. “If what you said is true about your magic...” She trailed off, tapping the screen. “The wavelength frequencies match the seismic disturbances perfectly. How did I not see this before?”

“Because you weren’t looking for magic,” he said. “You were looking for science.”

She shot him a wry look. “Are you suggesting they’re mutually exclusive? Clarke’s Third Law states that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

“Who is Clarke?”

“Earth scientist. Well, science fiction author technically, but—” She broke off as her device emitted a sharp beep. “That’s odd. The readings just spiked.”

Kai frowned, extending his magical senses. Sure enough, something felt off about the energy flowing through the ice around them. Different from the usual instability. More... deliberate.

“We’re being watched,” he said quietly, moving closer to Quinn.

Her hand dropped to the geological hammer at her belt—a gesture he found oddly endearing, even in the face of potential danger. “Ordan?”

“No. His magic has a different signature. This is...” He concentrated, trying to pin down the familiar yet elusive energy pattern. “Something else.”

A crack split the air above them. They looked up to see a massive ice shelf beginning to break away from the mountain face.

“Move!” Kai grabbed Quinn’s arm, pulling her forward as tons of ice crashed down behind them. They sprinted across the narrow ledge, hearts pounding in sync with each thundering impact.

“This isn’t natural!” Quinn shouted over the noise. “The fracture patterns—someone’s deliberately targeting the structural weak points!”

As if to prove her point, another section of ice broke loose directly in their path. Kai’s dragon instincts screamed at him to shift, to fly them both to safety, but the falling ice made aerial escape too risky. Instead, he wrapped himself around Quinn, using his body as a shield as they dove into a small crevasse.