Page 66 of Pyre

The meal was forgotten as he closed the space between them, his hands sliding up her thighs, fingers digging in just enough to make her exhale sharply. Their lips clashed, hungry and desperate. The table creaked beneath them, the room spinning as she let herself get lost in the heat of him, her hands tangling in his hair, nails grazing against his scalp.

Her head tipped back, her breath coming in quick gasps as his lips traveled lower, tracing fire across her skin. Fingers fumbled with fabric, pushing, pulling, removing. Her vision blurred until she blinked, and her gaze drifted over his shoulder.

Then, her body went rigid.

A picture hung on the wall. A simple frame. A familiar face. Jonah, his sister, and an older man, all smiling for the camera.

Her blood ran cold.

“Have you ever seen Edward Alden?”

Jonah stilled, his forehead resting against her sternum. He pulled back slightly, confused. “Not really. Just the grainy picture of him. Why?”

Her phone chimed, cutting through the heavy silence, and she seized the distraction, grabbing it from the table. Scanning the message, she swung her legs over the side, pulling her skirt back into place.

“Kavya wants to hang out.” She smiled, but her fingers trembled slightly as she smoothed her skirt.

Jonah frowned, still catching up, but nodded. “Okay,” he said slowly, watching her closely. “Yeah, let’s go.”

Gathering her things, she avoided looking back, terrified to see a face that already haunted her.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

THE TENSION HUNGthick in the car as they drove. Ruby’s fingers tapped restlessly on her leg, her skin prickling with a simmering unease that seemed to pulse with the rhythm of the passing streetlights. She could feel Jonah glancing over at her every few minutes, his brow creased. His fingers drummed on the steering wheel, the silence pressing down on the pair.

After a while, he cleared his throat. “So… bowling, huh?” His attempt at a light tone failed. “Feel like I haven’t bowled since high school. You ever been?”

She forced a shrug, her eyes trained on the blur of lights outside. “No.”

Jonah let out a small chuckle, but worry etched deeper lines into his face. “You know, it’s okay to talk about whatever’s on your mind. You don’t have to handle it alone.”

Her chin tilted up in defiance. “I’m fine,” she choked out. She couldn’t bring herself to say more. Every time she looked at him, that smiling photo came to mind.

They pulled into the bowling alley parking lot, the neon sign flashing in warm pinks and electric blues that flickered across the windshield. Families piled out of cars around them, college kids laughed, and the faint hum of music drifted through the air.

Inside, the bowling alley bustled with energy. The thick scent of popcorn and grease mingled with the stale musk of rental shoes. Ruby stepped up to the counter and picked up her shoes, only to realize they were at least two sizes too big. She glancedback at the long line and resigned herself to shuffling around in them for the night.

Jonah laughed when he saw her trying to maneuver the oversized shoes. “Well that’s just embarrassing,” he teased, watching her struggle to find her balance. “Ruby Murray, inhuman savior of mankind, destroyed in bowling while wearing clown shoes.”

She shrugged as she flexed her toes against the loose fabric. “Please. I could beat you barefoot. Hell, I could probably beat you pushing the ball with my feet.”

Kavya waved from an aisle, already settled into a booth with a plate of nachos and a disposable cup of dark red liquid.

Ruby grabbed a ball from a rack, strode up to the line, and took aim. With an easy swing, she sent it barreling down the lane, the pins scattering with a loud crack. She turned back with a satisfied grin, catching Jonah’s stunned expression.

“You know it was my turn, right?” Kavya deadpanned, sipping from her plastic cup. “And now it’s Jonah’s turn.”

Jonah squared his shoulders, imitating Ruby’s stance, wound up, and slung the ball straight into the gutter.

Ruby snickered, folding her arms as she leaned back against the vinyl seats. “Need the kiddie ramp, Jonah?”

“Maybe I’ll do better with a beer.” Jonah tried to shrug off his embarrassment, but his cheeks had a faint pink tinge as he stood up to go to the concession stand.

Kavya turned to Ruby. “Are we okay?”

Ruby looked around the room, scanning for a threat.“What do you mean?”

“I did what I had to.” At Ruby’s confused look, she clarified. “With Ellie. I just followed protocol. If I made an exception for her, I would have to start considering exceptions for all thermies, and that would be a disaster.”

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