Page 40 of House Ignis

Ezra grunted once and tapped the ground.

The arena exploded in whistles. Even Pyro's mouth twitched. "Well done, Pyreson. Valeor—ice and humility."

Ember rose like she'd been forged in the mat, eyes burning with triumph. Ezra wandered back, pressing a towel to his lip.

"How does it feel," Asher murmured, his voice a low vibration, "to be beaten by a fire wielder?"

The sound sent a shiver down my spine.

Ezra dropped onto the grass, still grinning. "Honestly? Worth it. Wouldn't mind being between her legs again."

I choked on my water while Ryven snorted liquid out of his nose. Ember didn't miss a beat. She took a slow sip of her drink, met Ezra's gaze, and said calmly, "Maybe."

Gods, I loved my friends. I also feared them.

"Your circle is chaotic," Aether rumbled, pacing at my feet. "But at least they aren't boring. Now, stop staring at the shadow male's back. It's pathetic."

"I'm not staring," I snapped, even as my eyes traced Asher's spine one last time.

The pace quickened as more pairs were called. Ryven dismantled Zorian with merciless precision, leaving him barely conscious. "Deserved," I muttered.

Darcy followed, dismantling an Earth wielder with terrifying elegance. No wasted motion. Just pure control.

Maddy went next, moving like silk over steel.

With a feint and a spinning kick, she sent her opponent into the sand with a crack that echoed across the field. Naturally, Ryven rewarded her with an exaggerated tongue wag.

"Gods," I muttered. "Disgusting."

"Ava Pyreson. Asher Maddox. You're up."

The arena went dead silent.

I stood slowly, every gaze in the amphitheater burning into my skin. From the corner of my eye, I saw Jeremy—his jaw clenched so tight it looked ready to fracture, his eyes flashing as he took a step toward Pyro. Fury rolled off him in visible waves.

"Don't," I whispered, barely moving my lips. "Don't make this worse."

Ember smacked my ass as I passed. "Get in there, Princess."

Asher was already moving toward the center of the ring, barefoot and unhurried.

The sunlight turned his sweat-slicked back into a map of shifting muscle and dark, intricate tattoos.

"Gods," I breathed, the heat of the sand rising through my boots. "He's going to destroy me."

"And not in the way you're hoping," Aether snorted through the bond, sounding far too pleased with my misery.

I ignored him and stepped onto the mat.

My pulse thundered in my ears, drowning out the crowd until all I could hear was the rasp of my own breath. Breathe. Focus. Fight. I am Ava Pyreson.

"And he's the darkling," Aether countered. "But sure. Confidence is a strategy."

Asher stood before me, performing one slow, deliberate stretch. His expression was unreadable, his power perfectly contained. Jeremy's glare burned into my back, but I locked it out. This wasn't about him.

"Ready?" Pyro's voice thundered.

Asher gave a small, lazy nod, that lethal smirk returning to his lips. We began to circle.