Page 171 of House Ignis

"I haven't seen you in a while," Jeremy said, his voice dropping into a register meant only for us. "Not since…"

Since that night. The one where I had been in his arms but my mind had been in the Umbra tower.

That night I was falling for someone else and was too afraid to admit it.

"I know. I'm sorry," I said, the guilt tasting like ash. “It's been chaotic. Training for the Trials… everything.”

His hand stayed dangerously low, a silent claim that felt like a lie.

I glanced over his shoulder.

Asher was still there, a dark statue of ice.

Mavrik was a steady presence beside him, and I could see Ember and Ezra had drifted closer, their movements subtle but protective.

"Jeremy…" I began, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. "I need to speak with you."

His eyes sharpened, the golden-prince mask slipping to reveal creeping suspicion.

“What's wrong, Ava?"

"I—" My throat closed up for a second before I forced the name out. "Asher."

Jeremy's jaw locked. I felt the grip on my waist tighten to the point of pain. "He's gotten to you, hasn't he?" His voice was rough now. Harsh. "You said you'd come to me. You promised we were the future."

The fury vibrating from Asher hit me like a physical wave, nearly knocking the breath from my lungs. The bond wasn't just humming; it was screaming.

"Stand. Down." I said again, my mental voice harsher than it had ever been.

This time, I felt his restraint fraying. The bond pulled so tight it felt ready to snap. Asher was barely holding on.

"I know," I whispered, my voice thick with the weight of years. "But you were gone… and I—I fell."

Tears slipped free before I could stop them, hot and traitorous in the cool night air.

Jeremy looked away, his expression a fractured mosaic of pain and anger.

It was heartbreaking, seeing the male I’d grown up with dissolve into this wounded stranger.

"I said I'd wait," he said, his voice dropping into a quiet, hollow register. "But I don't think I can watch you with him."

He spat the word like it was venom.

That made my blood boil, my guilt giving way to a fierce, protective spark.

"I'll always love you, Jeremy," I said honestly. "But I'm not in love with you anymore."

Emotion surged through the bond from the male standing across the courtyard.

"You were comfort," I continued, my voice gaining strength. "Familiar. Safe. Everything I thought I needed. But I've changed. I'm going to be a Queen, and I need to learn who I am on my own."

"And with him…"

Jeremy's face crumpled at the shift in my tone.

"…I feel alive."

The silence that followed was suffocating.