Page 332 of House Ignis

For a moment, it was peaceful—just the warmth of him, the steady rhythm of his heart, and the faint crackle of the embers I’d ignited the night before.

"Wake up, love," I murmured, brushing a kiss against his cheek.

He stirred, lashes fluttering before he cracked one eye open, then the other. A lazy grin spread across his face.

"Good morning, beautiful," he drawled, his voice thick with sleep and those infuriating dimples flashing.

Before I could answer, our wristbands flared bright gold.

The numbers shimmered. Ten competitors left.

The sound followed—a deep, metallic shriek as the radius began to close in, echoing faintly through the canyon walls.

Asher sighed, rolling his shoulders and standing, his hand finding mine. "Looks like playtime’s over," he muttered, amusement tugging at his lips.

I smirked, grabbing my gear. "Then let’s give them something to fear."

He chuckled lowly, pulling me close just long enough for his breath to graze my ear. "Let’s go, princess."

And with that, Day 2 began.

We walked for what felt like hours. The sun was sinking low, bleeding through the trees in streaks of amber and gold. We hadn’t come across another team since morning, but our bands had flared once.

Maddy and Zaria were out. Sera and Darcy, and Ezra and Ember were still somewhere within the radius, along with whoever else had survived this long.

And we still had a long fucking way to go.

Our bodies ached. The air was thick with heat and the kind of silence that pressed too close.

The circle kept tightening, forcing us deeper into the Woods. I wasn’t even sure how far we’d gone anymore.

The trees opened into a clearing bathed in copper light.

The sky burned copper, the shadows long and soft.

We stopped by a stream cutting through the moss, its surface shimmering gold.

"Gods, it’s hot," I muttered, pulling off my jacket and tying it at my waist. I undid my braid, scraped my hair into a high ponytail, and wiped the sweat from my brow.

Asher crouched by the water, filling our canteen.

Then came the crack.

My pulse jumped. Asher’s head snapped up. He met my eyes and pressed a finger to his lips before standing, silent and alert.

Aether and Zya slipped into the tall grass, little more than shadows at the edge of my vision.

Probably another team. But the forest was too still.

I crept closer to the trees.

Asher angled right, scanning the dark.

A low growl rolled from somewhere ahead—deep, guttural, wrong.

“What the fuck,” I whispered.

A hand shot from the shadows and clamped onto my arm.