Dancing on the Ashes: The Flames Duet Book Two

by Halcie Dawn

**This is Book Two of a Duet. Do not read this novel without first reading Counting the The Flames Duet Book One.**

Orah
I fell in love with him the night I was supposed to die.

My Hero...

He was the man who gave me my life. And then he stole it from me when he told me no. But I couldn’t forget him. Because I marked myself with Ridge. I walked away from that beach with his blood under my nails and his saliva on my tongue.

I’ve had years of misery without him. And years of gratitude for having once known him. Despite the fear and anxiety that still consume me, I’ve been brave. I’ve been living a life and trying to find happiness, trying to redeem myself from the guilt of my past.

It’s been nearly ten years. Well, if I’m counting numbers and being precise, it’s been nine years and nine months since he saved me. And it’s been nine years and four months since I last saw him. There you have it. For almost a decade, he’s been the invisible ghost lying next to me, filling me with dreams of his breath in my ear and his heartbeat under my fingertips.

And I’ve resigned myself to that. To dreams. After all, dreams are better than nightmares.

But everything changes the second he saunters back into my life.

With his fiancée on his arm.

Ridge
I fell in love with her the night I was supposed to die.

My patient.

My Brave Girl. My Little Bird...

She was my everything. My reason for living and breathing and surviving. But it didn’t end the way I wanted it to. It couldn’t end the way I wanted it to. Why? Because loving her was wrong. And so, I did what I always strive to do; I did the right thing. I let her walk away, and I didn’t chase her.

Even though I should have. Even though I wanted to. With every fiber of my being.

She called me her hero. Nothing could be further from the truth. I’m the genesis of broken promises. The catalyst of pain. I’m the boy in the storage room who doesn’t know what he’s doing. The scared twenty-two-year-old kid who believed the raven-haired girl when she said they could save each other.

Because here it is. Almost ten years later. And I’m not sure I’ll ever be saved.

But I decide to try. I choose to chase my happiness with someone else. After all, I’m never gonna see Orah again, right?

Well, that’s what I think. Until I unknowingly waltz back into her life.

With my fiancée on my arm.

Now, I’m caught between the woman of all my forevers and nevers, and the woman who is supposed to be my always.

And I can’t help but wonder if honor and integrity kill everyone’s destinies.

Or just mine.

**The Flames Duet is a standalone duet in a larger, interconnected parent series of novels and duets--The Hill Family Universe. While The Flames Duet can be enjoyed by itself, the reader will experience a more immersive and pleasurable reading journey if The Reality Duet (Escaping Our Reality & Finding Our Reality) and The Skeptic's Duet (The Skeptic's Playbook & The Believer's Game) are read first. The Flames Duet will contain spoilers about your favorite Hill Family characters and events from The Reality Duet and The Skeptic's Duet.**

473 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 11, 2025

About the author

Halcie Dawn is a happy and blessed wife and mother. She attended the University of Alabama where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. A lifelong avid reader, her love affair with books started with the original The Babysitter’s Club series when she was in the third grade and morphed into a love of all things romantic. After years of thought and countless dreams about the sexy men and strong women of the fictional Hill Family, she penned her first contemporary romance. The Reality Duet—Escaping Our Reality (Book One) and Finding Our Reality (Book Two) released in November 2024. The Skeptic’s Duet—The Skeptic’s Playbook (Book One) and The Believer’s Game (Book Two) released in April 2025. When not writing or reading by the swimming pool, she can be found watching true crime documentaries or Psych (for the millionth time). Halcie lives in Alabama with her amazingly wonderful, funny, kind, and handsome husband and son. And she lives next door to her parents, whose antics often have her laughing so hard she pees her pants. But without a doubt, the star of the home is the family morkiepoo, Princess Doodle Fluffybutt.

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of us is written across both of our bodies. In writing that only we can read.

Review, graphics, and lots of gushing once again for these beloved characters.

[Melanie Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review: 5⭐️
Dancing on the Ashes is book 2 in The Flames Duet featuring Ridge Conway & Zipporah ‘Orah’ Smith.

Nearly 10 years since the tragic day they met, Ridge & Orah are reunited, however the terms of their reunion are less than ideal. Orah who know goes by Amy, is set to help plan Ridge’s wedding to his now fiancee Kimber.

When they first see each other again after so long, the emotions get the best of them both and they end up in a long embrace. Ridge’s fiancee takes offence to it and force them to explain how they know one another.

Kimber seems to care less about planning the wedding only focused on her job, which results in Ridge & Orah spending a lot of one on one time together. Ridge starts to realize that he’s engaged to the wrong women, but he’s not sure how to handle breaking off his engagement.

Eventually he discovers Kimbers infidelity and uses this as a reason to call off the wedding, now he needs to get his little bird back. Orah has been waiting for this moment for 10 years, so it’s no surprise that she falls into him with open arms.

They start out on a journey to their HEA, but they must conquer hurdle after hurdle to get there and many obstacles stand in their way. Will they manage to find their way or will the unthinkable happen ?

I was on the edge of my seat throughout this entire second half the duet! Ridge & Orah’s journey was absolutely remarkable and so worth all the turmoil in the end! I simply couldn’t put it down and im devastated it took me so long to finally finish it.

Thank you Halcie Dawn for the ARC and my apolgoies for the late review! I can’t say enough amazing things about this duet and highly recommend adding it to your TBR!

[Ali (bookishalireads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Orah and Ridge haven't seen each other in ten years, and everything changes when he comes back into her life. Ridge takes matters into his own hands, thinking he'll never see his little bird again, even if it means never truly having that one of a kind love. I loved Ridge he was always trying to make the right decisions. His love for Orah never faltered. These two fit perfectly together their love was consuming. They navigated their past trauma and heartbreak made their love story even more powerful. Let me just say, the wait for these two was so worth it, like, get me some water cause it was getting hot in here. I did NOT see the twist coming. I loved ALL the characters so much and getting to see previous characters makes it even sweeter. It's emotional but in the best way she gives us everything we want and more If you love that small town family feel with suspense Halcie should be on your radar.

[Takara · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75⭐️

[Ashley · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

This book is #2 in the Flames duet. You most definitely have to read Counting the Flames before you read this one.

I may of said it before but Halcie does not let their HEA's come easily! It's been almost 10 years since the tragedy that brought Ridge & Orah together. They haven't seen each other since then but fate starts intervening when Orah is the wedding planner assigned to Ridge & his fiancee's, Kimber's, wedding.

As soon as they see each other emotions come rushing back. Soon enough. Ridge realizes he was just settling by being with Kimber & breaks off the engagement. But let's be honest, Kimber is an absolute horror of a person!!! Ridge & Orah had to navigate a lot of heartbreak, past trauma, current roadblocks & everything else you can imagine to get to their HEA. But honestly, they 100% belong to each other and I was happy to get them finally be together.