SERAPHINA’S POV
I fell into step beside Kieran as we left the training grounds, the noise behind us fading into something distant and controlled again, as if the moment with Ava had never disrupted the rhythm of the day.
For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then I glanced at him, gently nudging his shoulder. “That was pretty sneaky.”
Kieran didn’t pretend not to understand. His mouth curved, not quite a smile, but close enough to count.
“A little reverse psychology never hurt anyone.”
I huffed a quiet breath, shaking my head. “Didn’t realize you were such a master of mind games.”
He shook his head. “She wanted to train. I knew she would be too proud to ask, so I gave her a nudge.”
I chuckled. “How noble of you.”
“You know,” he said after a beat, “she reminds me of you.”
My brows furrowed. “How?”
His lips twitched. “You were once a stubborn girl in the woods who looked like a boy.”
I stopped walking.
