The days dragged on, and with each passing moment, my birthday drew nearer. Magnus made every effort to avoid me, and I did the same, though it did little to disguise the shift in our relationship. I could sense it in the charged air and the lingering intensity of his gaze.
He had always looked at me with a certain intensity, but now it was different. The spark in his dark eyes was evident only to me, and it ignited feelings I had tried so hard to suppress. The mutual desire was undeniable; we both wanted each other with a fierce, unspoken longing.
As I approached the gazebo, Magnus trailed behind me, and I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck rise under his dark stare. Ember and Vesper were already there, waiting.
The days leading up to my birthday gala had been a whirlwind of a
