Page 61 of Hero of Havoc

“Were you not?”

She presses her palm against mine, and I pull.

Standing side by side, she nudges her shoulder against mine as she stares out at the ocean.

I can sense eyes on me, and I glance to my right, finding Baron off in the distance. The shadowed flickers of the campfire dance across his face as he peers at me.

“Hi,” I breathe, my voice little more than a whisper, and he nods in response. A soft smile curls the corner of his mouth, and I clear my throat, impressed that he can hear me, which is useful for the carnage we’re about to create for ourselves. “So the plan is, Meadow, that we’re going to get black out drunk, dance until our bodies ache, and sing out of tune to every single song until we’re dragged home. All so we can pass the hell out in bed, your mate beside you, and wake up in the morning with a heaping of regret.” My gaze is fixed on Baron’s as I speak, and I’m sure I see him roll his eyes from here, but I can’t be sure as Meadow claps excitedly.

“Yes, yes, and yes,” she declares, squeezing my arm, and I smile.

I’m going to regret this in the morning, but I can only hope that I won’t be alone.

14

IVY

Fear burns through my body.

Darkness consumes me.

Endless torture dances across my skin.

Twisted in chaos, I’m suffocating.

Writhing in pain, I can’t shake the confines that hold me captive, but then a scream pierces through the room. My eyes pry open, my heart clenching desperately in my chest as I awaken to fire roaring across my skin.

Horror stiffens my spine as the orange flames dance with destructive purpose while my throat burns, confirming the screaming is coming from me.

Pressing my lips shut, I try to inhale through my nose, but I’m too overwhelmed to control myself when a familiar face appears before me.

“It’s okay, Ivy. I’m here. You’re safe,” Archer soothes over the flickering flames that echo in my ears. He makes a show of taking a deep breath, and I follow him, repeating the motion a few times before I manage to get control of myself.

The fire extinguishes on my fifth deep breath, revealing the fear in Archer’s eyes as I blink up at him.

“You’re okay,” he promises as I drag a hand down my face.

Wordlessly, he tugs my sheets over my body, protecting my exposed skin, and I frown at the material.

“Why hasn’t this been cremated?” I blurt, and he offers me a half smile.

“It’s been threaded with some kind of fancy material to stop it from burning. All of the Fire Protector rooms have it,” he explains, and I nod as if that makes sense. He leans in close, ghosting his finger over my cheek as he takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly as his muscles relax. “Nothing worries me more than your flames,” he mumbles, and I gulp, guilt lodging in my throat as I recall the sight of his burnt hands.

“I’m sorry,” I rasp, and he scoffs.

“Don’t apologize; I just worry.” It’s my turn to reach for his cheek this time, my fingertip running over the scar that remains there. He grabs my wrist. “Don’t.”

My lips part, but before I can breathe a single word, a knock at my door draws my attention across the room. I find the wood flung wide open, revealing the visitor.

Dorian leans against the door frame, eyebrows furrowed as he peers at us. “Is everything okay?” he asks, and Archer waves him off.

“We’re fine.”

“Sorry, I was just… the door was…”

“It’s all good,” Archer interrupts, saving him from continuing to trip over his words.

“See you later,” he murmurs, disappearing without a trace, leaving the door exactly as it is.