Droplets of water dripped onto the stone floor as Aidan shut and locked the front door. He dragged Fabien into their bedroom and used magic to dry off their clothing. After laying Fabien on his bed, Aidan stood and stretched out his body, shrugging into a jacket as he leaned against the wall.

He took a hard look at Fabien; his dark brown eyes narrowing in thought. He could see a faint glow to Fabien’s skin—especially his face. Aidan pushed off the wall and moved closer to his side.

Fabien’s face had a silver sheen to it and he looked exhausted. Dark circles were already forming under his eyes.

Aidan shook his head in disbelief. How could he be exhausted after sleeping for an hour and twenty minutes?

A sudden thought struck Aidan. “What did you mean by ‘more’?” His eyes strayed to Fabien’s mouth and he almost talked himself out of his idea. If he had seen Fabien’s aura by kissing him, would it be possible to do it again, even if Fabien was asleep?

Aidan let out a deep breath as he bent down, closer to Fabien’s face. He was more overwhelmed by his curiosity to understand rather than by his embarrassment at kissing Fabien. He placed a hand on the bed and quickly bent forward, his lips pressing against Fabien’s.

Nothing happened. Curiosity kept him in place for a few seconds longer than he had anticipated. He opened his eyes, not realizing he had closed them, and let out a startled noise when he met Fabien’s piercing gaze.

He quickly jumped to his feet before turning and heading towards the door. 

“What were you doing, Aidan?” Fabien’s smooth voice cut through the short distance between them.

“Doing? Uh, you passed out after class.” Fabien raised an eyebrow, clearly waiting for more. “I was curious—” 

“Curious?” 

“Curious…your lips seemed soft—I was just curious—” Aidan cut off his sentence when he realized that he wasn’t going to tell Fabien the truth about the auras. He vaguely wondered why he felt the need to hide it.

“And were they?” Fabien demanded. 

“What?” 

“Soft.” 

Aidan felt his face heat as he nodded his head, despite himself. “Well, you look exhausted so you shouldn’t go to the rest of your classes. I can still make the last one if I hurry.”

“You used magic to get me here.” 

Aidan narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “I’m off now.” 

“You really should watch when and where you use your magic, Aidan.” Fabien stated as he pulled himself into a sitting position. The action looked painful.

“I don’t understand.” Aidan shot back in a hard voice. 

“You leave a mark in the air every time you use it. It’s very subtle so I doubt many will notice. However, there will be a gathering on campus of the most powerful magic users two months from now. If you can’t learn to hide the trace your magic leaves, then you might want to reconsider how you plan to live the rest of your life.”

“How do I hide it?” Aidan demanded. “How the hell do I even see it?” He didn’t doubt what Fabien said. His words seemed true and Aidan didn’t get the feeling that this man was one to tell lies in order to gain an advantage over someone. If he was leaving a trace and Fabien thought it was an issue, then Aidan assumed that it most likely was.

“I can teach you.” Fabien stated in a mocking tone. “But only if you let me see how soft your lips are.”

Aidan’s eyes flashed in anger. “I was only—” 

“Curious?” The tone in Fabien’s voice seemed to question that very excuse. 

Aidan glared at Fabien before storming from the room and leaving the house, heading toward his last class of the day.

Fabien watched him leave with expressionless eyes. He was probably playing a dangerous game, but he felt as if the end result would be worth it. And he was exhausted. He hadn’t realized how much time had passed when he focused on Aidan’s aura. Most of his energy had been spent clinging to that glorious balance.

His own aura was perfectly balanced and had been for many, many years. But having one, and seeing one, were two completely different things.

Fabien leaned against the back of the headboard, a small smile on his face. He hoped Aidan would come to him for training. Getting rid of his magical trace would be very helpful for the future.

And he was curious.