Page 293 of House Ignis

For now, I shoved the mystery of the crown to the back of my mind and focused on only one thing: the end of practice.

Maddy finally blew her whistle, the sharp sound cutting through the humid air.

“Okay, girls, well done today. See you all next week,” she panted. She looked like she’d been running from her own thoughts all morning.

I made a mental note that I needed to chat with her soon—something was definitely off between her and Ryven.

As the squad started packing their bags, my gaze snagged on Asher across the field.

Asher was standing there, arms crossed over his bare, sweat-slicked chest, watching me.

He looked like a predator that had finally cornered its prey, and my blood spiked in response.

The heat roared inside me, a physical ache that made it hard to breathe.

I forced myself to pry my eyes away for a second, catching sight of Ezra waiting for Ember.

She looked up at him with those hard, guarded eyes of hers, but then I watched her shoulders finally slacken.

He pulled her under his arm, tucking her into his side, and they walked away arm in arm.

Another note for later—I needed to check on them, too.

When I looked back to the center of the field, the space was empty. Asher was gone.

A shiver of anticipation raced down my spine.

He wasn't waiting anymore. He was hunting.

The sun was already setting, and the sharp, biting chill of the upcoming winter began to settle in my bones, but it was no match for the heat radiating between my legs.

My flame licked at my skin in restless, hungry waves, and the bond purred with a predatory vibration that made my heart hammer against my ribs.

I whipped my head around, searching for him.

"So, you promised after practice, firecracker. What’s my reward?" his voice purred directly into my mind.

My head snapped back toward the field, and there he was, standing in the exact same spot as before, arms crossed, staring me down with a look that promised a beautiful kind of ruin.

He was taunting me, standing perfectly still while the air around him seemed to warp with shadow.

I smiled wickedly, the fire in my veins rising to the challenge. "Catch me if you can."

“Fuck,” he murmured through the bond, the single word dripping with a lethal, carnal intent.

He started running at me, and I let out a squeal, pivoting on my heel and bolting as fast as I fucking could.

I didn't even know where I was going, my feet flying over the grass as my flames roared in response to the chase.

I didn't dare look back; I could feel the cold, heavy weight of his presence right on my heels, a shadow-wrought storm gaining on my light.

I raced past groups of students who watched me with wild, wide eyes as I blurred past, a streak of orange and gold.

I finally skidded to a stop near the edge of the training grounds, bent over and taking a frantic breather. When I looked back, the path was empty. He wasn't there.

“You’re on fire, darling,” he murmured through the bond.

I looked down and realized I literally was.