It happens fast. Too fast for me to process.

One second I’m fending off some oversized goon swinging an axe twice my size, and the next—
boom.

Guy hits the wall hard enough to crack the stone. I blink, half-stunned, weapon mid-swing. I didn’t do that. That wasn’t me.

Then I see her. 
Standing there. 
Hair mussed, chest rising with exertion, a slow roll of smoke curling off her fists. Eyes burning like the aftermath of a lightning storm. 
She just saved my ass. No hesitation. No smug grin. Just battle focus and fury. 
And I swear to every ancient elemental force—I forgot how to breathe.

I lower my arms, and for a second, I think I might be bleeding. 
From the heart. 
Or the ego.

Zane slides in beside me, voice calm as ever. “You’re staring.”

“I'm concussed,” I mutter. “Let me have this.”

She doesn’t even look back. Just dusts her hands off and jumps back into the fight like it didn’t cost her anything. Like I wasn’t about to take a direct hit and possibly eat dirt in front of the entire team.

Jay appears on my other side, smirking like he invented smugness. “So… you like her now?”

I don’t even look at him. I just flick my wrist and send a small boulder flying toward his knees.

“Try that again and you’ll be eating gravel, sparkplug.”

Jay dances out of the way, laughing. “Ooh, someone’s touchy~”

“If I die today,” I grumble, dusting off my shoulder, “tell her she’s hot. And that I’m mad about it.”

Zane raises an eyebrow. “Mad… that she is hot?”

“No. Mad that I noticed.”

Jay cackles. “So you admit it!”

“I will smother you in your sleep.”

Another explosion shakes the wall and I leap back into the fray, trying to ignore the way her voice cuts through the battlefield like thunder. 
Trying to ignore how my name sounds when she yells it. 
“yeah!! Fuckin’ hell. Yeah! Yeah!! Got it! Sorry!!” I shout over to her.