Page 193 of House Ignis

I whispered back, though my cheeks were burning.

Sera, her own pink ponytails bobbing beside me, leaned over with wide eyes.

"I've never seen him like this before," she muttered. "He's usually a walking void, but today? He's practically preening."

I felt a swell of something fierce and reckless. My fingers found the bond and gave it a mental nudge.

"Do I have you wrapped around my finger?"

His reply came instantly low, heated, and threaded with a darkness that made my knees go weak.

"Gods, love, you have me wrapped around every inch of your fucking body."

I bit my lip, forcing myself to look away before I tackled him right there in the middle of the pitch..

Maddy, Zaria, Ember, Rhea, and I lined up at the edge of the pitch, gold glitter catching the light as we launched into our routine.

The bleachers shook as we launched into our routine, gold glitter flashing beneath the afternoon sun.

Across the field, Asher was already causing a scene.

Shadows curled from his fingertips in thin, teasing tendrils that stretched across the grass toward me like smoke.

It was bold. It was reckless. The crowd went feral for the display, shrieking like he'd already won the game.

"Show off," I muttered, though my lips betrayed me with a smile.

The cheers doubled when the second-years stormed the field, their own cheerleaders flanking them.

At the front of their lineup—Jeremy.

My stomach turned to lead.

His eyes locked on mine instantly, sharp enough to draw blood. His jaw clenched, fury carved into every line of his face.

"He's fucking angry," Maddy whispered beside me, her voice tight.

Anxiety tightened around my throat.

The last time I'd seen Jeremy, Asher had him pinned by the throat against a stone wall.

And now here he was, staring at me like I was the catalyst for his entire downfall.

Fuck.

Jeremy's glare slid past me and landed squarely on Asher.

Our captain. The leader of the first-years.

Asher stood at the head of our team, his grin stretching wide and cocky as sin.

Beside him, Ezra, Ryven, and Mavrik wore matching smirks, their eyes locked on the same second-years they'd traded blows with during that disastrous night out.

“This is going to be interesting,” Rhea muttered, a serpent-sharp smile curling across her lips.

"Déjà fucking vu," Maddy sighed, flipping her ponytail. "Last time Ryven walked away with a black eye. Let's see who bleeds first today."

"Behave," I hissed through the bond, praying he'd actually listen for once.