Page 121 of A Fate in Flames

Theo sighed, flinging an arm across his forehead.“It was looking at me.I was looking at it… We had a moment.”His hands rose, fingers dancing in the air, mimicking two shadowy figures approaching each other.

We spiralled into another fit of laughter, our bodies shaking.But the pain in our heads caught up, and we groaned in unison.

“Ugh.It feels like someone’s beating drums inside my skull,” I whined, pressing a cool pillow to my forehead.

Tavrik turned to me, eyes sharp with curiosity.He tapped his fingers methodically against the armrest.“Where did you go after you left?”

His tone was casual, but his gaze was anything but.

I shrugged, suddenly finding the loose thread on my pillow absolutely fascinating.Winding it around my finger until the tip turned an alarming shade of purple.

“Here.I just… couldn’t handle dealing with the king anymore.”

The lie stuck in my throat like a knife.

As Tavrik leaned forward, his gaze didn’t waver.“He disappeared right after you.He was pissed.”

I scoffed, shaking my head.“Yeah, well, I don’t care how he feels.”It came out too fast.Too defensive.I needed to move on before either of them tried digging deeper.

“I just want to get out of here.This place,” I threw my arms up wildly, nearly smacking Theo in the face, “is messing with my head.”

Theo and Tavrik both nodded, though hesitation flickered across their faces.There was some part of them that no longer minded being here.“I will try harder next time we go outside.Go further, see if I can find this damn thing.”

I shooed them away.I needed a moment alone to gather myself.To rebuild the walls that were crumbling faster than I could patch them.

No matter how many times I ran the washcloth over my body, I couldn’t rid myself of him.The scent of my own arousal had stuck to me, a constant, damning reminder of last night.I had to erase it.Erasehim.But as the steam curled around me, I realised with growing horror that the scent filling the bathing chamber wasn’t the usual, sweet, floral oils.It had been replaced with something richer.Darker.

It smelled just like him.

What kind of twisted game was he playing?

Mira arrived just as I stepped out of the bath, my skin still raw from how hard I had scrubbed.

I plastered a smile on my face, pretending that everything was fine as she set to work, brushing out my damp hair and adding delicate touches to my attire.Our conversation remained light and easy.I recounted Theo’s unfortunate encounter with his shadow.Mira laughed, one hand clutching her side while the other swiped at a tear that escaped her eye.

“I thought I’d take you all back to the fighting pit,” she said once she’d regained her composure, her hands steady as she lined my eyes with kohl.“I know how much the boys enjoyed it.”

“I’m sure they would love that.”I smiled, feigning amusement, all while my mind screamed.

I needed to get outside to find the stone, but I couldn’t push my luck and seem too eager.I nodded along and agreed to join them.

Theo and Tavrik were practically bouncing off the walls with excitement.Theo kept punching the air, making ridiculous whooshing noises with each wild swing while Tavrik critiqued his form with increasingly creative insults.

As we walked, I tried to memorise the path ahead, to commit every twist and turn to memory, but it was pointless.Everything blurred together in an endless maze of indistinguishable corridors that seemed specifically designed to disorient.

Just as my frustration threatened to boil over, the darkness broke.

The sun bled molten gold through the hallway, its rays piercing the shadows like blades as we approached the stone archway of the viewing balcony.

Theo and Tavrik charged ahead, while I lingered at the threshold, savouring the warmth as it crawled across my skin.

Below, the pits were alive with brutality.

Jinn clashed with merciless precision, each strike sharp enough to sever flesh, yet their grins never left their faces.Their joy thick with the thrill of battle.Black blood spattered the dirt, but no one faltered.This was their nature.

Jasila commanded the space, moving through her opponents like a storm given form.A flick of her wrist sent one opponent spinning.A casual twist of her hips brought another to their knee.Her foot connected with a challenger’s chest with such force that a resounding crack echoed off the stone walls, his unfortunate body hitting the ground with a meaty thud.

My own ribs ached in sympathy.