Chapter 5
After I finished feeding Orion the Miredust, I set the bowl on the floor and sat on the edge of the bed, watching him.
I studied his brows, his lashes, the bridge of his nose, and those rosy lips.
His breathing was so shallow that his chest barely moved.
I reached out and brushed his lashes with my fingertips, feeling a faint tickle.
He didn't flinch. No one else had ever let me touch them like this. When I tried to touch Sophia's hair, she pulled away. When I reached for Lucas's sleeve, he jerked his arm back. When I brushed my father's clothes, he stood up.
But Orion was completely helpless. He couldn't move, couldn't dodge, couldn't push me away. I could touch him however I liked, for as long as I wanted.
I lay down beside him, resting my chin on my arm, staring at his face.
He was completely unaware. His lashes rested quietly.
I leaned in a bit closer, my nose almost brushing his hair.
His presence felt cold and sharp, like the winter wind.
I closed my eyes and took in his scent for a long time.
After watching him for a bit, I reached out to touch his hair again.
His hair was incredibly soft, slipping through my fingers like water. I looped it around my fingers again and again, then slowly let it go.
I'd found a record of the Celestial Arts in the library.
After the Reversion Phase, his power would take a month to slowly come back. For that whole month, he would be like an ordinary person with no magic.
One month.
I had a whole month.
*****
On the third day, Orion finally woke up.
I was sitting on the edge of the bed, facing him.
When he opened his eyes, he looked confused at first, like a drowning person who had just been pulled out of the water and had not yet figured out where he was.
Then he saw me, saw the chains, and saw this cramped, dim room.
He looked down at the iron rings around his wrists, then lifted his gaze to me.
"Who are you?" Orion asked, his voice a little rough.
"Lydia Sterling," I said. "I'm a disciple of the Stormblade Sect."
"A disciple?" Orion sized me up, his eyes cool and almost condescending, like he was the one in charge, not the guy chained to the bed.
He pulled at the chains, the iron rings clattering but not moving an inch. "So the last idiots from the Shadow Sect lost, huh? This isn't a cell. Was it you who brought me here?"
"Yeah," I replied.
"Do you know who I am?" he asked.
"Orion Ashford, Grandmaster of the Shadow Sect," I answered.
He looked at me, a slow, predatory smile curling at his lips, like he was watching someone who had no idea they were already doomed.
"You know who I am, and you still dared to lock me up? Got a death wish, or are you just stupid?" he sneered.
"Neither," I replied.
"Then what is it? Trying to score some points? Planning to trade me in for some praise?" Orion tilted his head, the chains rattling. "I've seen plenty of disciples like you, the kind nobody cares about, always looking for a shortcut to get ahead.
"Too bad you picked the wrong guy. The Grandmaster of the Shadow Sect is way out of your league."
I didn't say anything. He kept talking, his voice slowing down, like he was talking down to a stubborn kid. "If you let me go now, I'll pretend none of this ever happened."
"I don't want to," I replied.
His smile faded, his eyes darkening as he looked at me. "Then what do you want?"
I thought for a moment, then I said, "You."
He froze for a second, his expression like he'd been slapped or forced to swallow a fly. But even then, he still looked good.
"You're crazy," he said.
"Maybe," I replied.
He stared at me for a long moment, like he was sizing up someone who didn't even know what trouble they'd gotten themselves into. "Do you even know what you're talking about?
"You're just some nobody from the Stormblade Sect, and you've got me chained up here, talking like that. Did your parents ever tell you not to play with fire?"
"No," I said.
He snorted. "Figures. Nobody ever bothered with you."
He leaned back against the pillow, his voice turning casual. "Go ahead, lock me up. Let's see how long you can manage. You think these crappy chains and this shabby room can keep me here for more than a few days? When I get out..."
"One month," I said.
He paused.
"After the Reversion Phase, your Celestial Arts won't return for a month," I said, looking at him. "I've got a whole month."
He looked at me, his eyes narrowing.
That look wasn't for someone crazy. It was for a prey. He had always been a hunter. Even with chains on, he still acted like he was the one hunting.
"You did your homework," he said. "Too bad you missed one thing."
"What?" I asked.
"I don't need to wait a whole month," he said, tilting his head with that smirk. "My subordinates will come looking for me.
"And the Stormblade Sect is the Lightwarden's own crew, right? Do they even know you've got me stashed away down here? Do they have any idea one of their own disciples is hiding the Grandmaster of the Shadow Sect in some secret room?"
He let out a soft laugh. "When they find out, what do you think they'll do to you? You really think any of your fellow apprentices will stick up for you?"
He looked at me. "You're just dead weight in the sect. You never mattered to anyone. This is the perfect excuse to throw you out. When that happens, you won't even have a place to crash."