Page 42 of Fated for Flames

I think I might have just found my new happy place.

I turned my attention to the volumes before me, reaching out for an ancient tome bound in weathered leather.

But as I stretched to grasp it, my foot slipped on the rung of the ladder. Panic flared in my chest as I teetered dangerously on the edge of a fall. My fingers scrabbled against the ladder’s edge, but it was too late. Gravity had already claimed me.

A small scream tore from my throat as I plummeted toward the ground. But then something blurred near me, and suddenly my descent halted abruptly. Blinking, I realized I wasn’t sprawled on the library floor as expected.

Instead, I found myself cradled in someone’s strong arms. For a moment, all I could do was stare up at my savior in stunned silence.

Holy mother of goddesses! I’ve just landed in the arms of Adonis.

I clung tightly to whoever had saved me, my heart pounding wildly against my ribs as I took in my beautiful rescuer. Dark blue eyes stared back at me with an unreadable expression, accompanied by sculpted cheekbones, beautiful lips, and dark hair. A shiver ran down my spine that had nothing to do with my fall and everything to do with the sudden proximity to this enigmatic male.

“I’ve got you, little phoenix,” an aristocratic voice murmured, with a slight accent.

I blinked in surprise at the nickname.

He was so beautiful.

Those lips were luscious and thick. He smelled divine, like aged amber. I took in a deep sniff, and…

“What?” I asked when I realized he had asked me a question but I’d been too busy gawking and sniffing.

Did I just sniff him? It was loud and not at all inconspicuous!

His lips were a work of art; he must moisturize every night. And those eyes, so blue and…

“What?” I asked again when I realized for a second time he had asked me another question.

“Do you have a hearing problem?” I finally heard him say.

“You’re a vampire,” I said in awe. I had never met one. Mom had specifically told me to stay away, that they were dangerous, but at this moment, all I could do was stare.

Goddess, he’ll probably think I’m a loon.

“I am,” he replied and smiled.

I gasped. “You have fangs,” I said stupidly.

Like, where did my brain go?

He smiled as if I amused him. “Why didn’t you use your magic to break the fall?”

I shrugged. “I can heal quickly,” I said, then realized I was still in his arms.

As I debated whether to tell him to put me down or to ask if he could maybe hold me a little longer, he gently sat me down.

I frowned.

“Thank you for the rescue,” I said, eyeing the impeccable black suit he was wearing. “Is this your home?”

“It is my home.” The teasing lilt in his voice gave way to a note of gravity. “I moved from the castle when it became too large for just myself. Many of my family had moved elsewhere.”

I gasped, disbelief etched across my face. “The castle? As in, the academy’s main building?”

He nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.

“But…the academy has been here for over a hundred and twenty-five years!”

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