Page 122 of A Fate in Flames

Tavrik leaned over the railing, never taking his gaze off her.

Jasila paused mid-slaughter, her head snapping up.Her eyes, wild with bloodlust, locked onto Tavrik.A slow, wicked smile spread across her full lips, transforming her into something dangerously beautiful.She crooked a finger in invitation—an offer he couldn’t refuse.

Tavrik shook with anticipation.

“She’s going tokillyou,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.

Beside him, Theo bounced on the balls of his feet like an overexcited child.

They stood waiting, looking at me as if I held some authority over them.

I sighed heavily, my shoulders slumped.“Go then.”

They didn’t need to be told twice.Mira led them down the twisting passage and minutes later, they emerged in the pit.Their presence was met with a roar of approval from the crowd.Even Kaseer greeted them both with a sharp clasp to the back.

Jasila and Tavrik circled each other, their movements slow and deliberate.A game of patience.

Jasila struck.A blur of motion faster than the mortal eye could track.Tavrik twisted at the last possible second, his body contorting at an impossible angle.The air of her swing whistled past his face.The crowd jeered and taunted, a collective, mocking sound rising from a hundred throats.

They circled again, Tavrik bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet.A dance of predator and prey.

Jasila was fluid—a blade given purpose, while Tavrik was sharp and moved with calculated precision.He dodged her again and again.My heart stuttered at each near miss.

His lips twitched with smug satisfaction, but Jasila’s smirk only deepened.

She wasn’t frustrated.Shelikedthe challenge.

She feinted left, but twisted mid-step, her foot sweeping in a vicious arc meant to take his legs out from under him.Tavrik barely caught himself, rolling through the impact with a grunt and springing back to his feet before she could capitalise.

The crowd howled their approval, fists pounding against whatever surface they could find.

Sweat beaded at my temples as I leaned forward, my elbows braced against the railing.Every muscle taut with anticipation.My eyes burned at the intensity of their combat.

Then two strong arms locked around me from behind.

I sucked in a sharp breath.

Dalkhan’s scent invaded my senses—the same that clung to my skin.I didn’t dare move as he leaned over me to watch the battle.

His scoff rumbled against my spine.“Looks like one of your pets does know how to fight.”

Something inside me snapped.I twisted violently in his grasp, my hip bones grinding painfully on the stone as my back slammed against the railing.

I glared up at him, my teeth bared in a snarl.“They are not pets.”

His voice dropped to a whisper as he lowered his head, his lips dangerously close.“What are they then?Hm?”

He was tense, the veins in his forearms standing out like ropes beneath skin as his grip on the railing tightened enough for it to crack.Flames skittered over the bare planes of his chest.

My heart skipped a beat.

“Is he your lover?”

I nearly choked at the absurdity.The thought alone made me want to burst into laughter.But then something wicked and reckless unfurled inside me.Such a delicious opportunity, how could I resist?

I watched with savage pleasure as Dalkhan’s expression darkened with each passing second of my deliberate silence.

Pure, unadulterated jealousy smouldered in the endless black depths of his eyes.