Page 285 of House Ignis

Before I could pull it away in shame, he caught my fingers in his.

He brought my hand to his mouth, his lips pressing a lingering, grounding kiss against my knuckles.

"Let’s go together," he murmured, his gaze never leaving mine as he slowly rose, pulling me up with him.

He took my hand, and we walked together through the archway into my bedroom.

It was exactly as I remembered it—massive and regal, with gold and crimson sheets spread across a heavy four-poster bed.

I immediately called a spark of fire to my palm, tossing it into the hearth until the fire roared to life, casting a warm, flickering glow over the room.

Asher stood beside me, his gaze sweeping the space before settling on mine with a quiet, knowing grin.

“The bathroom is through there,” I said, pointing toward another archway.

He nodded, already moving toward it.

I let out a long, shaky breath, trying to steady my racing heart.

“Flame One.” Aether’s voice slid through the link, pulling me toward the balcony where he always spent his nights when we were here.

But he wasn't outside.

He was in the living room, his massive head turning toward me as his golden eyes locked onto mine.

I ran to him, burying my face in his sleek onyx fur in a massive hug. Aether’s heavy paw came around my back, pulling me close, his deep, rhythmic purring grounding me in a way nothing else could.

Then, another shadow shifted near the doors.

Zya’s powerful frame filled the space, her silver eyes shimmering in the dim light as she moved toward us with a fluid, silent grace.

She came to sit beside me, her large head nuzzling into the crook of my neck.

“You are fire, Ava,” she declared through the bond, her voice a resonant chime in my mind. “And we will be here for your rise, and when you fall.”

My heart swelled, a lump forming in my throat at the sheer weight of their loyalty.

“Now, do I get a hug?” Asher’s voice drifted from behind me.

I turned to find him leaning against a marble pillar, looking like an absolute mess of sweat and dark charisma.

“You’re pushing it, shadow-boy,” Zya murmured through the link, her tail already flicking in sharp irritation.

Asher only smiled, unfazed by the goddess-cat’s warning. “Bath’s ready,” he said softly.

I nodded, reaching out to take his hand.

The grief was still there, a dull ache in the background, but as he led me toward the adjoining bathroom, the warmth of his grip promised that tonight, I didn't have to carry it alone.

•••

We stepped into the bathroom. The space was a sanctuary of bronze and gold, centered around a bath the size of a small pool that overlooked the sprawling city.

What truly made my chest ache, however, were the hundreds of pale flower petals drifting on the water’s surface and the warm, flickering glow of candles lining the edge.

I looked at Asher, who wore a boyish, triumphant grin.

“I can be a romantic when the occasion calls for it,” he murmured, leaning down to press a sweet, lingering kiss to my lips.