Chapter 156 THE FORTUNE PAVILION

Chapter 156 THE FORTUNE PAVILION
CHAPTER 156

EMBER

We stepped out of the Labyrinth of Trials into the noisy festival grounds. Bright lights and loud voices pressed in from every side. Lance stayed right beside me, his shoulder brushing against mine.

Lance turned to me. His eyes softened as he studied my face. “What are you going to do now?” he asked, voice warm and full of care.

I shrugged and rubbed my stomach. “I’m famished. I want to eat something.”

Lance glanced around at the crowd. “I wonder where the others are, but I’m hungry too. We can eat and wait for them to find us.”

I nodded. Lance took my hand. His fingers felt warm and gentle as they wrapped around mine. He led me toward a nearby stall. The sweet smell of fried dough and melted chocolate hung thick in the air.

He bought me a big chocolate donut covered in shiny sugar crystals and a cold drink. The donut felt warm and soft in my hands.

While I ate, I noticed Lance staring at me. His gaze stayed fixed, warm and steady.

I turned to him and wiped sugar from my fingers. “Aren’t you going to eat?” I asked.

Lance shrugged and leaned in closer. “Staring at you seems to be filling me up.”

I chuckled and bit into the donut again. The rich chocolate melted on my tongue.

I moaned between bites. “This donut is so delicious. I could literally eat my tongue in the process of savouring it.”

Lance laughed softly. He reached out toward me. “Stay still.”

I froze with the donut halfway to my mouth. “What’s wrong?”

He kept his voice quiet. “Keep quiet. There’s something on your lips.”

He leaned in close. His eyes locked on my mouth. My heart thudded loudly in my chest. He looked up into my eyes for a moment and smiled warmly.

Then he claimed my lips in the softest kiss I had ever felt. His mouth pressed gently against mine, warm and tasting of the festival air.

His tongue moved slowly over my lips, licking the chocolate away. The wet heat sent shivers down my spine. His hands cupped my face, thumbs brushing my cheeks and pulling me deeper into the kiss. A low rumble came from his chest.

I grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer, kissing him back hard. My fingers slid into his tousled hair, gripping tight. My other hand slipped under his shirt, running across the warm, smooth skin of his back.

He made that low sound again, deeper this time. I realized he was purring.

He hoisted me out of the chair and pulled me onto his lap. I straddled him properly, wrapping one arm around his neck to steady myself while the other stayed in his hair, tugging him closer.

He bit my lower lip gently. I opened my mouth. His tongue pushed in, plundering mine. I surrendered completely to him. His hardness pressed firmly against my ass through our clothes.

A moan escaped my lips. His fingers skimmed along the side of my top, sliding underneath. The touch of his warm fingertips against my bare skin made my breath catch.

Heat built low in my belly as his hand moved higher, brushing the underside of my breast.

Just as his fingers were about to touch my breast fully, a loud growl ripped through the air. We broke apart fast, hearts pounding.

I looked up and saw Rowan standing right in front of us, his crimson eyes burning with anger. He had been so close and we hadn’t noticed at all.

Rowan yanked me roughly off Lance’s lap. His grip dug into my arm. He punched Lance hard in the face.

Lance fell to the ground but stood up almost immediately and pushed Rowan back.

I grabbed Rowan’s arm and whirled him around to face me. “What the fuck, Rowan?” I yelled, my voice shaking with anger and shock.

He snarled, baring his teeth at me. “Shut up.”

Lance growled low behind me. I turned and saw his eyes had changed to a splitting brownish-golden color. Oh shit, Gabriel was losing control.

Lance snarled at Rowan. “Don’t yell at her.”

Rowan yelled louder. “I just watched you fucking kiss my woman.”

Lance frowned and looked at me, like he was trying to communicate something without words.

I rolled my eyes and jabbed my finger hard at Rowan. “Get your shit together. I’m not your woman. I already explained it to you and you decided to be a possessive asshole.”

Rowan looked at me. His features softened a bit. “You kissed him, Ember.”

I folded my arms tight across my chest. “I know.”

He shook his head and gave me this look loke he couldn't belive me. and walked away. I turned around and saw the others staring at me. Magnus gave me an unreadable look.

Kael looked everywhere except at my face. Liana’s eyes were wide, full of unspoken words. Ragnar watched me with the same look as Magnus.

I glared at all of them. “Why are you all looking at me like that?” I shouted, my face burning with embarrassment and frustration.

They'd have watched me grind myself seamlessly on Lance. Oh fuck me!

I stormed off, pushing through the crowd and walking with no real direction. My chest felt tight. Everything was spinning out of control.

The back of my neck prickled. I turned quickly. A dark figure shrouded in a black cloak stood there, staring straight at me. I blinked. It stayed this time. I frowned. The figure began moving away.

I followed it, weaving through the crowds, my feet moving fast. People bumped into me but I kept going. Then it disappeared again. I turned around, searching everywhere and frowning deeply.

I think I’m losing my mind.

A hand clamped down on my shoulder. Out of reflex, I waved my arm and pushed with my magic. The person crashed hard into a nearby statue.

My eyes widened when I realized it was Rowan. I rushed over to him. “Are you okay?”

He rubbed the back of his head and winced. “I guess I deserve that for being an asshole.”

“I didn’t do it on purpose,” I said quickly, crouching beside him. “I thought it was something else.”

Rowan looked up at me. “What was it?”

I shook my head, feeling lost. “I don’t understand. It feels like I’m losing my mind. I’ve seen dark figures three times now. I was chasing the third one when it disappeared. When your hand touched my shoulder, I thought it was the figure and my magic just reacted.”

Rowan stood up slowly. “That’s bad. You shouldn’t be wandering around alone.”

I looked at him, then looked away. My stomach twisted with confusion and leftover anger.

He took my hand, his grip gentler now. “I’m just jealous after watching you with him. I acted out because of the bond.”

I glared at him and pulled my hand back slightly. “Keep your jealousy and your bond in check. I’m not comfortable with you acting like a possessive freak around me and hitting everyone.”

He scratched the back of his head and gave an awkward smirk.

I helped him up properly. We started walking back to find the others. Inside, my thoughts kept churning.

The kiss with Lance still lingered on my lips, sweet and warm, but Rowan’s anger left me feeling guilty and annoyed at the same time. The dark figure kept flashing in my mind too.

The group finally reunited near the food stalls. The smell of sugar and grilled meat still hung in the air. Liana stepped forward with a big smile and clapped her hands.

“Let’s visit the fortune tent,” she said, pointing toward a colorful tent glowing with lanterns in the distance.

I frowned and crossed my arms over my chest. “What would we even do in a fortune tent?”

Magnus smiled and shrugged his broad shoulders. “It could just be fun to hear someone predict our future.”

I wasn’t feeling good about the idea at all. My stomach still twisted from everything that had happened earlier with Lance and Rowan. But the others nodded in agreement. Since everyone wanted to go, I decided to go along with them.

We walked to the tent together. The air inside smelled strongly of sweet incense and old, dusty fabric. Dim colored lights hung from the ceiling and cast soft shadows on the walls.

The fortune teller was an older woman with wrinkled hands and sharp eyes. She sat behind a small wooden table covered in cards and crystals. She gave harmless predictions to everyone else first.

She took Lance’s hand in both of hers. Her eyes closed for a moment. “You will be a great lover. Your partner will cherish you deeply for your kindness and strength.”

Lance smiled softly and glanced at me, his thumb brushing lightly over the back of my hand. “That sounds nice.”

Next was Magnus. The seer held his large hand and studied it. “You will be a good protector with a warm heart. This will serve you well in the future when those around you need you most.”

Magnus nodded, looking pleased as he sat up straighter. “I’ll take that.”

Kael went after him. The woman studied his palm longer than the others. “You must let go of your past, or it will keep haunting you. If you don’t, it won’t end well. You might lose the only thing that could anchor you.”

Kael’s jaw tightened. He pulled his hand back quickly and stood up without saying much. “Thanks for the warning.”

Ragnar sat down next. The seer smiled as she touched his hand. “You will become one of the greatest seers the world has ever seen. You will serve an important role in the future.”

Ragnar looked proud and leaned forward. “That’s good to hear.”

Rowan went after him. The woman frowned slightly as she held his hand. “You need to let go of your fears, or they are going to eat you up from the inside.”

Rowan shifted in his seat and stayed quiet, his shoulders tense.

Liana was last among them. The seer took her hand but dropped it fast. Her face went serious. “I cannot see anything. Your life is dark. I cannot see even a drop. The aura and energy around you are very dark.”

Liana laughed nervously and rubbed her arms. “That’s creepy.”

It was my turn. I shook my head and stepped back. “This was a bad idea. I don’t want to do it.”

The guys encouraged me right away. Lance touched my arm gently. “Come on, Ember. It’ll be fine.”

Magnus nodded. “Just try it.”

I sighed heavily and stretched out my hands. The seer took them in hers. Her skin felt cool and dry against mine. Almost immediately, her face went pale. Her eyes widened.

She stared at me for a long moment before speaking, her voice low and rough.

“I see fire… so much fire burning everything. Blood soaking the ground. A world so dark that nothing can grow there anymore. A crown lying broken in the ashes.”

Her hands gripped mine tightly, fingers digging into my skin. She pulled me closer across the table with surprising strength. Her breath smelled like herbs and something bitter.

She leaned in until her face was inches from mine and whispered harshly, “The Fire Queen has already been marked.”

My heart thudded loudly in my chest. I yanked my hands away hard. My face went deathly pale. I stared at her in shock.

The seer looked straight at me and burst into a loud, maniacal laugh that echoed through the small tent and sent chills down my back.

I stumbled backward, my legs shaky. Ragnar touched my arm quickly. “Are you okay?”

I blinked hard, trying to come back to reality. Then I turned and stumbled out of the tent, feeling completely dazed.

My mind kept repeating the words over and over. Fire. Blood. Dark world. Fire Queen. Marked.

What did that even mean? The images she described made my skin crawl. I didn’t want to think about it right now.

Lance and Magnus rushed after me. Lance caught up first and put a hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay? What did the seer tell you?”

I shook my head fast. “I’m not in the mood to discuss it. I just want to figure it out myself.”

Magnus paced behind me, running a hand through his hair. “We should have listened to her when she said she didn’t want to do it.”

The others joined us soon after. Rowan looked tense. “The seer collapsed right after you left. She didn’t say another word.”

I sighed heavily and rubbed my face with both hands. “We should just go somewhere else for the remaining hour we have left.”