Page 149 of House Ignis

Her wings were folded in a gesture of eternal mourning, her head bowed low.

The edges of her metallic feathers shimmered with an ancient enchantment that prickled across my tongue.

"Jules," I hissed, my voice barely audible. "Here."

Jules rushed over, her glasses reflecting the bronze sheen. "This is it. This has to be it."

"There's no door," I muttered, scanning the solid stone base. "It's just a bench, Jules."

She looked at me and flashed a grin that was equal parts feral and brilliant.

"What?" I deadpanned.

"Give me your hand."

Before I could protest, she grabbed my wrist and guided my hand toward the phoenix's sharp, hooked beak. She pressed my index finger against the metal tip—hard.

"Jules!" I whisper-yelled as a bead of crimson blood welled and smeared across the bronze.

The bond snapped to life like a lightning strike behind my ribs.

"Ava?"

Asher's voice was sharp this time—dangerous. Too fast, too much heat pouring through the link. He'd felt the pain, no matter how small.

Godsdamnit.

"Don't worry," I sent frantically, trying to mask the surge of adrenaline. "I just nicked myself on a thorn. I'm fine. Go back to your game."

There was a long, heavy pause. I could almost see him scowling in the stadium.

"Can't even leave you alone for one night without you bleeding out," he muttered through the link, his tone a mix of exasperation and raw concern.

"It's nothing. I swear."

I felt his shadows twitch across the bond, restless and irritated, but finally, he pulled away again.

The wall slid back into place, though I could tell he was keeping it thin. That was way too close.

Then the sound started. Grinding stone. Cogs turning deep within the earth.

The bench trembled, stone groaning against stone as it swung upward to reveal a narrow spiral staircase carved directly into the earth.

“You're an Ignis heir. I figured if anything was going to open an ancient Ignis passage, it'd be royal blood.”

“You figured?”

She shrugged. “I guessed.”

I summoned a flame to each palm, lighting our path in flickering orange. The ancient stone glowed gold beneath us. As we descended deeper, faint fae-lights blinked to life along the walls one by one, casting a ghostly blue glow across carvings older than my bloodline.

"Wow," Jules breathed beside me, her voice echoing in the hollow space.

"That's creepy," I muttered, the hair on my arms standing up.

She didn't disagree. Her eyes widened as she took in the architecture.

"These catacombs are ancient magic, Ava," she whispered. "They were used during the Second War. Queen Alayna herself had this level commissioned."