CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
The city of Solkaris had never looked like this.
Flames danced from every lantern, spilling down the avenues in molten cascades of crimson and gold.
Fire-dancers spun through the streets like living comets, their limbs trailing sparks as drums thundered and flutes shrieked in wild, rhythmic celebration.
The air was thick with heat, smoke, and sweetness—roasted meats turning over open pits, spiced wines warming in copper cups, and moon cherry fritters dusted in sugar that glittered like fallen ash.
Laughter rolled through the city in waves so loud it seemed to shake the very foundations beneath my boots.
This was Ignis’s night.
Zymarra’s veins burned with pure fire.
Ember gleamed beside me, radiant and alive in a way only this festival could ever make her.
Every year she and Jax had dragged me into chaos, laughing until their lungs burned, acting like the world could never touch us.
The memory hit me with the force of a physical blow.
Grief didn’t arrive gently; it flooded.
I stopped walking in the middle of the crowded street, the air suddenly feeling too thin to breathe.
People flowed around me like water breaking around a stone, their joy a blurred, noisy contrast to the sudden stillness in my chest.
“Ava?”
Ezra’s voice came from my side, closer than I’d realized. I looked up at him, and concern had already replaced his usual smirk.
His gaze searched my face, bracing for impact as if he could sense the exact moment my heart had faltered.
“I just… I haven’t been home since…” My voice wavered, fragile and small against the roar of the festival.
Understanding softened his features instantly. No jokes, no teasing—just a quiet, grounding presence.
He didn’t touch me. He just stepped forward when I did, matching my pace and my silence.
Ahead of us, Ember had already disappeared into a knot of vendors, reappearing moments later with a gauzy shawl wrapped dramatically over her head like a wandering desert queen.
She was bargaining aggressively over a basket of dragon fruit, gesturing wildly while Luna sat beside her with regal patience.
“She looks happy,” Ezra murmured, his gaze fixed on her.
A sharp ache pressed unexpectedly against my chest. Not mine. His. Somehow, I knew it was his.
“Ezra,” I said quietly.
He looked down immediately.
I stepped in front of him, grabbing his forearms before I could overthink it.
He leaned closer without hesitation, his auburn hair falling forward into his eyes.
“I don’t know exactly what happened between you two,” I said, my voice barely a whisper beneath the music. “But I know Ember.”
His mouth twitched faintly.
“She has more fire in her than a dragon,” I continued, my throat tightening. “But she doesn’t love easily. She’s a fortress—stone, flame, and barbed wire. And when she finally does love… gods. Even the gods would tremble.”
He went very still.
The festival roared around us—fire cracked, music pounded—but in that moment, it felt like we stood inside a quiet pocket of the night.
“She’s been through things I can’t tell you,” I admitted softly. “Not until she’s ready to tell you herself. But I’ve never seen anyone get under her skin the way you do. You infuriate her. You challenge her. You make her laugh when she doesn't want to. And gods help us all—you make her feel.”
His jaw tightened, his fingers curling into his palms.
And there it was again. That impossible pressure beneath my ribs, carrying the unmistakable weight of everything he was fighting not to feel.
“I can’t give you the answers,” I said, tightening my grip on him. “But I can ask one thing. Don’t give up on her. Promise me.”
The words scraped out of me like a confession. For a heartbeat, his expression shifted.
His pupils darkened, his gaze sharpening with an intensity that made my skin prickle.
He didn’t just look at me—he studied me, as if he were seeing a version of me he didn't quite understand yet.
Then he nodded once. “I promise.”
Relief loosened the knot in my ribs. I smiled, and he grinned back, crooked and reckless as ever.
“Are you two planning on joining me, or are you starting your own festival?” Ember called from ahead.
My head snapped toward her. She was already buried under bags, trinkets, and ribbons.
Even Luna had somehow ended up wearing a tiny festival pouch tied dramatically over her head.
I looked back at Ezra. He looked at me. We both burst out laughing, the sound genuine and bright. Then, together, we followed Ember deeper into the burning heart of the city.
···
The crowd surged around us, sweeping us toward the main square like we were nothing more than sparks caught in a wildfire.
The grand tent loomed ahead massive and striped in blazing red and gold, its towering peaks stitched together with glowing fire runes that pulsed in time with the thundering drums.
It looked less like a festival structure and more like something stolen from a god’s war-camp. Inside, the air was a storm of shouting, shattering glass, and hysterical laughter.
Heat slammed into me the second we stepped through the entrance. It wasn't gentle; it was suffocating, pressing in from every direction.
Bodies were packed shoulder to shoulder, and fire pits blazed in each corner, making the scent of sweat, smoke, spiced wine, and raw magic thick enough to taste.
For a second, my core reacted instinctively. Fire answering fire.
Aether’s presence brushed mine immediately, sharp and grounding. “Careful, Flame One.”
“Gods, I am so excited!” Ember screeched beside me, already bouncing on the balls of her feet like she’d been waiting all year for this exact moment.
“Drinks?” Ezra asked, appearing at my shoulder.
“Please,” I said quickly, my throat already dry from the heat.
Ember just smiled at him—a real smile. Soft.
Dangerous.
He grinned back like she’d handed him the key to the godsdamn world before disappearing into the throng.
I slowly turned to her. She caught my look immediately. “What?” she demanded, grabbing my wrist.
“You know what.”
She groaned, her head falling back.
“Can we not tonight?” she said, her voice dropping just slightly. “Please. Let’s just be like we always are here. Let’s forget everything. Let’s just… burn.”
Her eyes were bright and wild, mischief dancing under the surface—a plea wrapped in fire.
I exhaled. “Deal.”
Her grin returned instantly, sharp and victorious, as she dragged me deeper into the chaos.
We eventually found the rest of the group sprawled near one of the central bonfires, flames licking high enough to kiss the tent’s enchanted ceiling.
Ezra reappeared with drinks, and for about five minutes, we actually relaxed.
And then the alcohol started flowing.
Everything blurred into a beautiful, reckless disaster.
Maddy and Ryven were tangled in a darkened corner, her lipstick smeared across his jaw and his shirt half-open as if he’d forgotten how buttons worked.
They were laughing into each other’s mouths, drunk enough not to care who saw.
Zaria had some poor second-year pinned against the bar, her black-blue hair glowing beneath the rune-light as she teased him with a slow, wicked smirk.
Rhea was spectacularly losing a drinking game, cursing so loudly entire tables were turning to watch.
And Darcy… Darcy was a goddess of destruction.
Her tattoos shimmered faintly beneath her skin as she threw back another shot, her purple eyes daring every male in sight to try their luck. They didn't. Smart.
Then the night truly spiraled.
Ember dared Rhea to eat firefruit straight from the pit; she did and immediately doubled over choking while the crowd howled.
Ryven kissed Maddy so hard she shrieked and toppled off the bench, dragging him down with her.
Darcy arm-wrestled two males at once and won, her glowing ink flaring like victory marks as she slammed their hands into the table.
At some point—gods knew when—I somehow ended up on a table opposite Ezra for a drinking contest.
I only remembered kicking off my heels, the feel of rough wood beneath my bare feet, the roar of the crowd, and the burn of wine sloshing down my throat until my vision blurred.
My pulse thundered. Somewhere between the alcohol and the heat, my core had flared.
An hour later, I was curled on a cushioned bench near the edge of the tent, a heat pack pressed against my stomach while I chugged water like it might fix the damage.
Gods. Fuck this disease.
“You always test it,” Aether judged from beside me, his tail flicking. Luna sat nearby, regal and patient, while Ruin and Havoc lay sprawled on the floor, their heads lifted to watch Ezra.
Ezra and Ember were dancing.
Gods, they were beautiful together.
The music pounded through the tent like a second heartbeat.
Ezra’s hands moved up Ember’s waist, his fingers splaying against her back as she laughed—really laughed.
She tipped her head back, gripping his hair, and fucking licked his neck before biting down in a kiss. Not soft. Fierce.
He groaned and pulled her closer, his forehead dropping against hers. They were falling. Both of them.
My chest tightened.
Fuck. I needed Asher.
Actually—fuck him for leaving me.
My stomach lurched violently.
“Aaaargh,” I groaned, doubling over as pain clenched violently through my core.
“Okay, Hotshot.” Ezra’s voice appeared beside me before I even registered him moving.
I looked up through heavy, hazy lashes. He stood there offering his hand, grinning like a mad cat.
Fucker.
Ember stood next to him, his blazer wrapped around her shoulders, giggling into her hand like a child.
I flipped her off and took Ezra’s hand, trying to stand. My legs turned to absolute jelly.
Before I could even curse, Ezra caught me, l his arms wrapping around me like it was the most natural thing in the world.
The ground tilted. Suddenly, I wasn’t touching it at all. I was slung over his shoulder.
“Definitely a babysitter,” he muttered.
I smacked his back weakly.
Ember snorted beside us, falling into step as we moved through the crowd.
My head lolled toward her; she was still laughing. I rolled my eyes so hard it felt like a headache.
I blinked up at Ezra, and he grinned down at me like this was just another ridiculous adventure.
“Gods,” I mumbled thickly. “I love you guys so much, but also fuck you.”
The words had barely left my mouth before another wave of pain rolled through me.
Exhaustion dragged hard at my limbs, the noise of the festival fading farther and farther away.
Then the world went black.