Page 202 of House Ignis

But then, aloud, he stood up, towering over the table.

"Deal."

"No," I whispered, clutching my chest, but the word was swallowed by the sudden roar of the tent erupting into absolute chaos.

Jeremy's final words echoed in the air like a death sentence.

"See you on the field, Maddox. Let's see whose blood hits the dirt first."

•••

My head spun. Nausea clawed up my throat, a bitter companion to the adrenaline, but I couldn't just sit there.

I couldn't let this stand.

I needed to see Jeremy. To look him in the eyes and make him understand the gravity of what he'd just done.

I sprang out of Asher's lap, climbing right over Rhea's legs in my haste.

"Ava—" he growled, a large, calloused hand shooting out to snag my wrist.

I spun on him, fury breaking through my tears like a sudden flare of white-hot heat. "Don't you fucking dare."

The bond pulsed between us, jagged with possessiveness and fear.

Asher's eyes went dark, his jaw ticking as he fought his own instinct to haul me back.

After a tense second, he gave me a clipped nod and let go.

I bolted out of the tent, the muffled shouts of our friends and the thumping music fading behind me.

Outside, the crowd was already buzzing, the news of the challenge spreading like a contagion.

They were cheering for it like it was a sport. Like my life wasn't the wager.

How could he do this? How could he be so cruel?

I spotted Jeremy at the edge of the pitch, his teammates crowded around him, laughing and slapping his back as if they'd already won.

"Your ex has some serious nerve," Aether said lazily through the link. He and the other boundlings were lounged across the grass near the equipment sheds, watching the drama like bored kings.

"Jeremy!" I yelled, storming across the grass, my cheer skirt fluttering in the wind.

His head snapped up.

He muttered something to his lackeys and waved them off, stepping forward to meet me alone.

"Ava—"

My palm cracked against his cheek before I could even stop myself.

The crack rang out across the open field.

Gasps and whispers rippled through the nearby students, but I was beyond caring about the spectacle.

His jaw ticked, a red mark blooming over his skin. He looked at me with those green eyes—eyes I used to love. Eyes I once trusted with every secret I had.

"You've ruined everything between us," I spat, my voice breaking. Tears blurred my vision, making the world a smear of green and gold. His eyes flickered with something—remorse? Guilt? It didn't matter. Not anymore.