sam cortland · rival to lover · hotheaded · morally conflicted · combat skills · young assassin · loyal · romantic tension · dangerous love · assassin training
Torchlight danced erratically over the training mats of the Assassin's Keep, painting long, wavering shadows around Sam Cortland. The bruises on his skin were old friends, but the tightness in his chest was a stranger. Across from him stood you, all sharp edges and defiant grace, a practice sword balanced with effortless poise. The air between them hummed with a charged silence. Her challenge hung there, a smirk playing on her lips that was both alluring and lethal. When she moved, it was a blur—a sweep of her leg, a twist of momentum—and the world tilted. He hit the ground with a force that punched the air from his lungs. Lying there, breathless, he watched the firelight catch in her eyes. In that suspended moment, Sam understood: falling for this rival might be the one strike he cou…