h4Chapter 349: Rebellion and Misced Jumps/h4

strongKatrina~/strong

The day dragged on at the academy, every lecture about ancient treaties bleeding into the next like a never-ending chant. My quill scratched half-hearted notes, but my thoughts were far away—on the forbidden thrill pulsing at the edges of my mind. The vampire party.

Nick caught my eye across the ssroom, and there it was—that grin that always spelled trouble. Subtle, crooked, daring me to rise to the bait. His dark eyes lingered on me a heartbeat too long, shing with mischief, and suddenly the droning lecture about treaties didn’t exist anymore.

By lunch, we’d ditched the cafeteria chaos and slipped onto the rooftop. The Golden City sprawled beneath us, its gilded spires zing in the sun like shards of a fallen star. The air up here was sharper, freer, carrying the kind of restlessness that made secrets feel inevitable.

"Alright, spill," Nick said, propping himself against the parapet like he owned it. The wind shoved through his ck hair, messing it into an artfully reckless look he couldn’t have nned better if he tried. His voice was smooth, teasing, but his eyes never let me off the hook. "What’s this master n? And don’t say teleportation."

I smirked, leaning closer just long enough to give his arm a yful punch. My knuckles met solid muscle—hybrid perks, of course—and the old argument about who was stronger simmered between us like an unspoken dare. "Obviously teleportation. After lights out, I’llnd at your ce. Then we sneak off to the party together. Easy."

His brow arched, and in an instant the lighthearted Nick melted away. What reced him was sharper, darker—the version of him that could silence a room with a look. "Kat," he said, his voice low, steady in that way that carried more weight than shouting ever could. "You can’t control it yet. Remember theke?" His jaw tightened. "You almost drowned us both."

I waved him off, my pulse thrumming with reckless defiance. "That was ages ago. I’ve practiced—in secret, thank you very much. Nothing’s going to go wrong this time. Trust me?"

He dragged in a breath, clearly unconvinced, but then the smirk slid back into ce—the one that made it impossible to tell if he was amused or just waiting for me to mess up. "Always, wolf-girl. But if we end up in the middle of the ocean again, I’m holding you personally responsible."

I burst outughing. "Please. Even if we do, we’re immortals. Worst case? We get wet. Maybe cold. Hardly the end of the world."

That cracked him. Nick’sugh tore free, warm and unguarded, echoing across the rooftop. It was the kind ofugh that made heads turn—not because it was loud, but because it was rare. His shoulders shook with it, and for a moment the brooding, too-serious side of him vanished, leaving only the boy who lived for trouble.

I grinned, savoring it, knowing I was one of the few people who ever got to see him like this.

The rest of the afternoon slipped by in a haze of drills, lectures, and sparring matches, but the mind link between us never shut off. It was our lifeline, our secret thread—untouchable, steady, and dangerously addictive. Even with instructors barking orders and des shing in my hands, Nick was there, his presence humming at the edge of my thoughts like a song I couldn’t stop reying.

Sometimes it was just a flicker of amusement when I nearly tripped a ssmate. Other times it was his steady calm bleeding through when my focus wavered. And though no one else could hear it, I carried him with me in every strike, every movement, like a rhythm synced to my heartbeat.

i"What are you wearing tonight?"/i I teased, lunging forward with my de. Steel shed against his, sparks flying as his vampire speed forced me to push harder, sharper.

His mental voice came smooth, deliberate,ced with mischief. i"Something dark. Something mysterious. Gotta keep the world guessing." /i

I rolled my eyes, barely dodging his strike. i"Of course you would. I’m going with a red dress—to match my hair. Bold, dangerous, impossible to miss. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful." /i

For the briefest moment, amusement flickered across the link—not words, not even augh, just that ripple of warmth I’d learned to recognize as his version of a smile.

Then his voice slipped in, lower this time, carrying a weight that lingered.i "Famousst words." /i

Something about the way he said it made my chest tighten, like a warning I couldn’t quite ignore.

By evening, the pce felt alive. The weight of family love wrapped around me like a warm cloak, steadying andforting. Dinner was loud, full of clinking silverware and bursts ofughter. Grandpa had dropped by unannounced, his presence impossible to ignore—his boomingugh shook the walls as heunched into yet another story of his glory days.

"And then," he dered, mming his fist onto the table for dramatic effect, "I shifted mid-battle, ws out, and took down three rogues at once!"

The servants flinched at the noise, but the rest of us were used to it. I leaned against him, breathing in that familiar scent of pine and earth that clung to his skin. It was home. "Grandpa, you’re the best. Tell the one about the elves again."

He chuckled, eyes twinkling, and reached into his coat pocket. A small, wrapped box appeared in his hand. "For you, my dear. A charm to boost your strength—even though we both know you don’t need it."

Mom shook her head, smiling indulgently. "Father, you spoil her."

"As I should!" Grandpa shot back, puffing out his chest. "She’s the light of this family."

Alex, who usually carried himself like he had a stick permanently lodged somewhere very ufortable, cracked a grin. "He’s right. Kat, you’re our wildcard. Just... stay out of trouble tonight, okay?"

I widened my eyes in mock innocence. "Me? Trouble? Never."

Dad’s suspicious nce said otherwise, but his hug was tight and warm when he pulled me close. "Goodnight, wildfire. Sweet dreams."

Mom followed, her touch soft as she pressed a kiss to my forehead. "I love you, Katrina. And remember—" she lowered her voice, her gaze knowing, "I see more than you think."

My nervousugh escaped before I could stop it. She moved on to Alex, kissing his cheeks like he was still a little boy. His grin was ridiculous—pure, giddy sunshine. He lived for Mom’s kisses, and she gave them out like candy.

When she left, I leaned across the table, smirking. "You know you’re the biggest mommy’s boy alive, right? If she offered you a luby, you’d curl up in herp right here at the table."

Alex froze mid-bite, his jaw working, eyes narrowing. "Say that again, Kat."

"Oh, did I stutter? Mommy’s. Boy."

That did it. He shot up from his chair, muscles tense but grin feral. "You’re dead."

I yelped and bolted, skirts swishing as I sprinted through the hall. His footsteps thundered behind me, chasing me all the way to my room,ughter spilling between us like a second heartbeat.

Back in my room, I waited. The pce slowly hushed itself into silence—the shuffle of servants, the nk of dishes in the kitchens, even the steady patrol of guards’ boots fading into the distance. My pulse thrummed in my ears as I crossed to the wardrobe.

The red dress waited like a dare. Silk slid over my skin, clinging in all the right ces, the slit along my thigh making me feel half-queen, half-criminal. I smoothed the fabric with shaking hands, forcing a grin at my own reflection.

i"Here Ie,"/i I mind-linked, aiming my thoughts at Nick, picturing the Lawrence estate with its gothic feel and blend of architectural wonders.

His voice snapped back immediately, sharp with doubt.i "Kat, wait—if you’re not sure..."/i

i"Rx. I’ve got this,"/i I cut him off, hiding nerves under bravado.

Magic stirred in my veins like liquid fire. Light coiled around me, spilling off my skin like stardust caught in a storm. The world warped, bending, twisting—then snapped.

But not to Nick’s house.

The air was wrong the moment I inhaled it—thick, damp, cloying with the stink of garbage and something metallic that turned my stomach. Blood.

I staggered, heels scraping against uneven cobblestones. Shadows pressed close on every side, the Golden City’s underbelly swallowing the pce glow whole.

"Shit," I whispered, heart hammering hard enough to bruise.

The alley was alive with movement. Figures peeled from the darkness—three, maybe four—shapes too fluid, too deliberate. Their eyes caught the moonlight in sharp glints, hungry and unnatural. Rogues. Vampires. Both.

One stepped forward, smile splitting into jagged fangs. "Well, well. Lost littledy."

The taunt slithered into my ears, but I forced my chin high, light crackling weakly at my fingertips. My mind screamed run, but I didn’t move. My fighting instincts suddenly on high alerts.

i"Nick!"/i My thoughts mmed into the link, ragged and panicked. i"Shit—I messed up. Teleported wrong. Dark alley. Not alone." /i

His reply hit like a whipcrack, raw with fear. i"Kat! Don’t turn your back on them—I’ming." /i

The predators tightened their circle, low growls rising as if they could already taste me. The alley shrank, breath by breath, until all that was left was me... and survival.fn04e9 Get full chapters from fin?novel/fn04e9