The Thirteenth Sign

Kieran's POV

******

Kieran had done a lot of reckless things in his life.

Disobeying orders. Killing men he was supposed to spare. Playing with the edge of a blade just to see how close he could get before it cut too deep.

Letting Celeste Orion live?

That might be the most dangerous one yet.

And yet, as he watched her standing in the center of his chambers, arms crossed, fire in her eyes, he couldn't bring himself to regret it.

Not even a little.

...

She didn't sit when he told her to. Of course, she didn't.

Celeste Orion—Aqua Girl, as he had come to call her in his mind—was made of pure defiance, stubborn and sharp, as if challenging him at every turn was a survival instinct rather than a choice.

She stood near the window, her silver-white hair catching the dim light, her eyes burning with something that wasn't quite anger—something closer to frustration, irritation. Maybe even curiosity.

It suited her.

Kieran leaned against his desk, watching her carefully. "You're asking the wrong question."

She frowned. "Then what's the right one?"

He took a slow sip of his drink, barely tasting the sharp burn of the liquor. Because all he could focus on was her.

"Not why I gave it to you," he murmured, setting the glass down. "Why I haven't taken it back."

Her shoulders stiffened slightly.

He didn't need to look at her to know she was processing that. She was smart—smarter than most people gave her credit for.

And right now, he could practically see the gears turning in her mind.

"You're playing a game," she accused.

Kieran smirked, tilting his head. "You always assume I'm playing."

"Aren't you?"

He didn't answer immediately, because honestly? He wasn't sure.

He should have killed her by now. He should have taken the keycard back, erased every trace of her existence, and walked away before this mess buried him too.

But he hadn't.

Instead, he had brought her here—to his own damn chambers, no less—like some part of him wanted to keep her close.

Like some part of him wanted to see how far she was willing to go.

Kieran didn't realize he had moved closer until he saw the way Celeste subtly tensed.

She didn't step back, but her hands curled slightly at her sides, like she was forcing herself to stand her ground.

And that? That made something darkly amused curl in his chest.

"You should be afraid of me," he said softly.

Celeste lifted her chin. "I'm not."

She was lying.

He could hear it in her breathing, see it in the way her pulse flickered beneath the skin of her throat.

But the fact that she was willing to pretend otherwise?

That was intoxicating.

He exhaled slowly, shaking his head. "You really don't know when to walk away, do you?"

Her lips curled slightly. "You're one to talk."

Damn her.

Damn her sharp tongue, damn her unwavering defiance, damn the way she stood too tall, too proud, too untouchable—

And damn the fact that he wanted to ruin that composure just to see what was underneath.

For a brief second, he let himself look.

Really look.

At the way her lips parted slightly when she was thinking too hard, the way her silver hair cascaded over her shoulders, the way the soft glow of the room cast delicate shadows along her collarbone.

She was beautiful, and painfully so.

The kind of beauty that wasn't delicate or quiet, but wild and untamed, the kind that made men lose themselves.

And Kieran had spent his entire life making sure he never lost control.

He needed to step back. But, he didn't.

Instead, he reached out, brushing the fabric of her sleeve with just the tips of his fingers.

Celeste sucked in a breath, barely noticeable but he felt it.

And that? That made something dark and possessive curl in his gut.

"You should be careful, Aqua Girl," he murmured, his voice softer, deeper.

Her brows furrowed slightly. "Why?"

Kieran let his fingers ghost against the edge of her wrist. "Because I don't think you realize what happens when you play too close to the fire."

Her breath hitched. Just for a second.

And it was barely anything—just a moment, just the smallest reaction.

But for a man trained to notice every detail, every shift in body language, it was enough.

It was enough to tell him that she felt it too.

For a split second, he considered it... Closing the space between them and seeing if she would let him.

He wanted to test that razor-thin line between hatred and something else entirely.

But then—she moved first.

A slow step forward, deliberate, calculated.

His smirk flickered just slightly.

Because Celeste wasn't just fighting him—she was playing him, too.

"Dangerous game, Aqua Girl," he murmured, voice dangerously low.

Her eyes flickered with something amused. "What, am I too close?"

Kieran held her gaze, deliberately letting his own drop to her lips for just a second before meeting her eyes again.

"Not at all," he whispered.

Her pulse spiked, and he heard it.

And gods, he was playing with fire, but so was she.

Because this wasn't a game anymore.

The silence stretched. Too thick. Too charged. Then, before it could go too far, Kieran forced himself to step back to regain control.

He exhaled, running a hand through his hair, shaking off the feeling of something irreversible curling inside his chest.

"Enough fun for now," he muttered, pushing down whatever the hell that moment had been.

Celeste rolled her eyes. "That's what you call fun?"

He smirked, reaching for his drink again. "You're still breathing, aren't you?"

She huffed. "Debatable."

For some reason, he actually laughed.

But then, reality came crashing back, and he remembered why she was here. He turned to her, watching as her expression shifted into something more guarded, more serious.

"Keep the keycard," he said suddenly.

Celeste frowned. "What?"

His jaw tensed slightly. "Keep it. Use it. But don't expect mercy when the Order finds out."

Her silver eyes darkened. "And what about you?"

Kieran tilted his head. "What about me?"

"You're risking something by letting me keep it," she murmured.

Kieran held her gaze, knowing he should lie.

Knowing he should tell her that it was just another game, just another test.

But instead, he said the truth.

Softly, quietly.

"We all have to decide what's worth the risk, Cel."

And may the gods help him... He was starting to think she might be.