Page 50 of Real Scale Blazer
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 bridgesthey’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.
THIRTY-NINE
They landed hard, Kai taking the brunt of the impact. Quinn’s warm weight pressed against him in the narrow space as ice continued to rain down outside their shelter. Her breath came in quick bursts against his neck, stirring primal instincts he fought to control.
“Well,” she said after a moment, her voice slightly shaky, “this is cozy.”
Despite the danger, he found himself fighting a smile. “Are you always this flippant in life-threatening situations?”
“Only on Tuesdays. And when pressed up against unreasonably attractive dragon kings.” She stiffened as soon as the words left her mouth, clearly not having meant to say them aloud.
The admission sent a surge of satisfaction through him. “Unreasonably attractive?”
“Oh, shut up. You own mirrors. You know exactly what you look like.” She tried to shift away, but the close quarters kept her firmly against him. “Can you hear if it’s stopped?”
He focused his enhanced hearing beyond their shelter, past the sound of their hearts beating in tandem. “The major fallshave ceased, but the ice is still settling. We should wait a few more minutes to be safe.”