Page 53 of House Ignis

Pink ponytail. She was gorgeous—tall, with glowing brown skin and a neckline that left nothing to the imagination. But it was her eyes that stopped me.

They were pink, not pale or tired, but like the last flare of sunset over the Zymarrian cliffs.

I was still trying to steady my pulse when—gods help me—she smiled and waved.

"Hi! I'm Seraphina," she said, her voice airy and melodic. "Sera is fine too. It's so great to meet you, Princess."

She looked genuinely lovely. Fuck. I blinked, awkwardly sticking out my hand. "Please… call me Ava."

Her grip was cool and gentle. As she leaned back, I noticed a three-eyed owl perched on her shoulder, its feathers a misted lilac. The center eye blinked slowly, tracking me.

"Oh! This is Nyssa," Sera said, scratching beneath its beak.

"Wow," I breathed, momentarily distracted from my spiraling thoughts. "She's beautiful."

Sera beamed, her expression warm and open. It was impossible to hate her, which somehow made the twist in my chest even tighter.

Beside her, Asher finally looked up. He was leaning back, one arm draped over the back of Sera's chair, his fingers nearly brushing her skin.

"Morning, Princess," he drawled, his silver eyes unblinking and lethal.

Sera tilted her head, her pink eyes sweeping over me with feline curiosity. "So, this is the one you were telling me about?"

My blood turned to ice. What exactly had he been telling her?

"Careful, young one," Aether rumbled through the bond, his flame-tipped ears flickering white-hot.

"The shadows here are layered."

I didn't answer. I couldn't. I just forced a tight smile and kept walking, the weight of Asher's gaze—and Sera's kindness—burning into my back.

"Come on," Ember muttered behind me, nudging my spine.

I blinked, forcing my feet forward.

Aether and Zya had broken their silent standoff, though the air between them remained sharp—magic pulsing like barely sheathed blades. We found seats near Maddy and Ryven, the wooden bench feeling cold beneath me.

The room hushed as a striking woman stepped inside. Her chestnut hair was pulled into a precise ponytail, and her glasses glinted with a quiet, dangerous authority.

She radiated a beauty that made the entire class sit straighter without realizing why.

"Calm yourself," Aether growled in my mind.

"I am calm," I shot back, even as a sharp cramp twisted in my stomach—the familiar, warning ache of my magic surging too fast.

"No, you're not—look at your feet."

I obeyed and immediately panicked.

Flames were licking up around my sneakers, crawling higher and whispering along my thighs. The professor froze mid-step, then, with terrifying composure, she summoned a sweep of shimmering water magic.

It washed over me in a controlled arc, extinguishing the fire before it could singe my skin.

The entire room stared. Even Asher. His smug grin only widened, his eyes dancing with a lethal sort of amusement.

"Too hot, darling?" he mused, his voice low and pointed.

I shot him a look sharp enough to cut stone, but Sera smacked his arm before I could respond.