Controlled Burn

Chapter 28: Anchored by Ice

Lucian's body ached with every step as he made his way back to the apartment, the cold night air biting at his raw skin. The burns Cade had given him still throbbed, wrapped tightly in bandages beneath his coat, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the exhaustion that weighed him down. Everything had gone according to plan—the falsified reports, the cover story, Cade's death, officially logged into the system as a tragic loss. It was all in place. But now, standing outside his apartment, Lucian's mind was consumed by a single thought: Cade.

He paused at the door, the key held in his bandaged hand, hesitating for just a moment. He knew Cade would be waiting inside. Waiting, simmering, terrified. Lucian had seen the guilt in Cade's eyes when he had commanded him to release his flames—the horror, the shame. Even as Cade had obeyed, Lucian had felt Cade holding back, desperate not to hurt him more than necessary. But Lucian had pushed him, demanded more. It had to be real. The burns had to be convincing.

And Cade had done it. Burned him deeply enough to leave scars.

Lucian inhaled slowly, steadying himself before turning the key in the lock. Cade needed him now. Lucian could feel it, a weight pressing down on him as he thought of Cade alone in the cold apartment, waiting for him, likely consumed by guilt and fear.

When he pushed the door open, the familiar chill of the apartment washed over him, a comfort amidst the chaos. But the air was thick with tension, a palpable anxiety that clung to the space like smoke. Lucian stepped inside, quietly closing the door behind him, his eyes adjusting to the dim light as he scanned the room.

Cade sat on the couch, hunched over, his hands clenched tightly in his lap. His body was rigid, his muscles taut as if every part of him was braced for the worst. The flicker of flame beneath his skin was faint but present, a low simmer that Cade was clearly struggling to keep contained. His head snapped up when Lucian entered, his wide, guilt-ridden eyes locking onto Lucian's burned form.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence was thick, stretching between them like a chasm. Lucian could feel Cade's emotions radiating off him—fear, guilt, anxiety. It clung to the air, twisting with the low hum of Cade's ever-present flames.

"Lucian," Cade finally whispered, his voice hoarse and filled with emotion. "I—I'm sorry." His voice broke, and he looked away, as if unable to bear the sight of the man he had burned.

Lucian closed the distance between them, his steps slow but deliberate. He needed to show Cade he wasn't angry, that he wasn't hurt—not in the way Cade feared.

"You did what you had to do," Lucian said softly, his voice calm, measured. He stood in front of Cade, his cold presence steady, a contrast to the fire that still smoldered beneath Cade's skin. "You followed my orders. You did everything right."

But Cade shook his head, his fists tightening in his lap. "I hurt you," he choked out, his voice trembling. "I burned you. I couldn't stop in time. I—I tried, but..." He trailed off, his breath coming in shallow gasps as the weight of his guilt pressed down on him, crushing him under its weight.

Lucian's expression softened, though his face remained calm, a mask of control. He knelt in front of Cade, resting one hand on the fire demon's knee, his cold touch grounding. "You stopped, Cade. That's what matters. You didn't lose control. You pulled back." His voice was steady, but there was a quiet intensity behind it, as if he were willing Cade to believe him, to understand that what had happened hadn't been a failure.

Cade's breath hitched, and he looked down at Lucian's hand, the bandages wrapped tightly around his burned skin. "But I hurt you," he whispered again, his voice raw. "I hurt you, and I couldn't—"

"I asked you to," Lucian interrupted, his tone firm but not unkind. "I needed you to burn me. I needed it to be real, Cade. You followed my command." He squeezed Cade's knee gently, trying to pull him out of the spiral of guilt and fear that was consuming him.