Page 265 of House Ignis

“Kael, grant me courage,” I breathed, invoking the god of war. I needed his strength more than my own fire tonight.

I glanced up. He was already there, his obsidian form emerging from the shadows of the rooftop.

He leapt down beside me without a sound, his tail flicking once as he mapped out every possible threat in the dark.

Game time. I pressed my hands to my face, summoning the hollow ache in my chest and letting real, hot tears fall.

The guards stiffened instantly, their hands moving toward their hilts before they realized who I was.

Perfect.

“Princess Ava?” one said, already stepping forward, his brow furrowed in concern.

“Hi,” I whispered, my voice breaking with practiced precision. “Oh gods… I’m so sorry. This is so embarrassing.”

I shook my head, letting my shoulders slump as if the weight of the crown were finally crushing me. “This garden… it means everything to me. Jax loved it. Could I please just have a moment alone? Just to breathe?”

Their expressions softened immediately. The mask of a soldier crumbled before the grief of a princess. “Of course, Princess,” the older guard said gently.

“We’ll wait inside so no one disturbs you,” the second added, offering a small, respectful nod.

“Thank you,” I breathed, offering them a watery, grateful smile.

I watched them disappear through the doors behind me, their footsteps fading into the stone.

“Smooth,” Aether murmured, amusement curling through our link. “You’re getting far too good at that.”

My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird as I approached the gate.

It towered over me—massive, golden, and carved with intricate wings and flame sigils that seemed to flicker in the starlight. From the outside, it looked like nothing more than an ornate garden crypt.

We had played around this gate as children, chasing each other through the flowerbeds, never understanding it guarded the most powerful and dangerous library in Ignis.

“Okay,” I whispered, my breath hitching. “Let’s go.”

I pressed my palm to the cold metal. Heat shimmered beneath my skin, my magic recognized by the ancient wards.

The gate groaned open, the sound of stone on stone echoing in the quiet night.

Aether slipped inside first, his claws clicking softly on the ancient floor.

I followed him, stepping into the shadows and leaving the festival fire behind.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Gods, my heart hammered so violently I could feel it climbing into my throat as we stepped through the gate.

The torches along the walls guttered in narrow iron brackets, their flames thin and restless, struggling to stay alive in the cool underground air.

Light bled unevenly across the stone, stretching shadows into warped, reaching shapes that seemed to shift whenever I wasn’t looking directly at them.

Every footstep echoed far too loudly, ricocheting through the silence like a trespass.

This place had never been meant for noise. It had been built for reverence. For fear.

I followed Aether down the spiral staircase, one hand sliding along the rough curve of the wall as my heels clicked sharply against the worn stone.

The sound felt obscene. Wrong. Like laughter at a funeral. Dust stirred with every step we took, the scent of age and secrets thick enough to taste.