She remembered his breath on brow, tinged with faint celestial energy fragrance, more soothing than any pill or elixir in the world.

“Mr. Chance…” Gathering courage, Lyra tipped chin up until eyes met the smile hiding in his. “What does Earthly Immortal Realm feel like to you?”

“It feels like this…” He raised his hand toward a boulder half a dozen paces away and closed his fingers in the air. The iolite, waist-high, shattered without a sound into neat, even slabs.

“I used to look at a mountain and see only a single mass. Now I can read the veins inside every rock.” Jared’s fingertips brushed cheek. “Just as I can sense the flutter in your spiritual energy right now. Thinking about the tower again, aren’t you?”

Heat flooded Lyra’s face. She yanked hand free, stepped back, and gave a mock-glare. “You’re teasing me again, Mr. Chance!”

But protest held no real bite; it drifted over like spring wind rippling across a lake, leaving only soft rings of warmth. She turned toward the sect, walking slower than before, deliberately leaving half a step for to catch up.

Jared watched hurried little retreat, shoulders shaking with a low laugh. He lengthened his stride until  was beside her, gravel crunching beneath their boots in companionable rhythm.