King of Fire and Flames (Courts of the Star Fae Realms #2)

Chapter 28

Leaf

Praying the orchid’s magic would keep me invisible, I raced up the tower stairs, then dashed past Raiden and Zaret, who were arguing with two of Azarn’s guards outside the door to my chamber, which, thank the dust, was still ajar.

“And I’ll say it again—you still don’t have permission to enter,” Raiden told them as I darted into the bathroom and ripped my clothes off faster than a bandage stuck to a wound.

I leaped into the now-cold bath water and scrubbed my skin mercilessly, attempting to wash the petal juice from my skin while the argument continued outside.

Boots pounded on the stairs, then I heard the Fire King’s voice, rasping so low I couldn’t make out his words.

“As I said, Zali is in the bath.” Raiden's voice again.

“Move aside,” said Azarn.

Oh, gods. If he entered the bathroom and saw… nothing , I’d be royally fucked.

“Princess Zali, are you in there?” asked Azarn from my bedroom.

“Yes. But I’m not dressed.”

“And she hasn’t left her room at all this morning?” Azarn asked, voice muffled as if he’d turned away.

“Of course not,” Raiden replied. “We’ve been positioned here since before dawn. What’s going on?”

“Did Arrowyn order you to guard her?”

“Yes,” replied Raiden.

“King Azarn, if you tell us what has happened, perhaps—”

“Never mind,” said the king, cutting off Zaret. “Guards, arrest them.”

The sounds of a scuffle reverberated through the walls—muffled thuds, grunts, weapons clashing, then boots scraping as though Azarn’s soldiers dragged Raiden and Zaret down the tower stairs.

“Guard her door until I tell you otherwise,” said the king to his men. “And leave the door ajar so you’ll hear if she gets up to mischief. The Earth Princess is not to leave her room. Understood?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” gruff voices rumbled.

Silently, I climbed out of the bath and dried off. By the time I’d gotten back into my clothes, a quick check in the mirror confirmed that I was still invisible. At least I’d learned something new. Water had no effect on the orchid petals’ magic.

The Storm Court fae were likely imprisoned in the palace cells or held under guard in their rooms. So currently, my options to help them were limited. But before the petal’s effect wore off, I needed to find Estella and beg her assistance. While she had no desire to endanger her despicable son by getting involved herself, the fae of the Star Court wielded significant power. Perhaps she could convince them to intervene.

But first, I had to track her down.

Fortunately, during the last two weeks, I had paid special attention to the royal family’s habits and learned that most days, the queen ate lunch alone in her private garden behind the fire conservatory. According to Ruhh, she never let anyone join her. Not even her precious son, Bakhur.

It was easy to slip past Azarn’s guards, who were busy bouncing fire balls down the stairs to see whose would be the first to ricochet off the walls and back onto the landing in front of my chamber.

I jumped over their beams of magic, essentially hopping down the stairs, and when I reached the bottom, I breathed a sigh of relief to find all my limbs still attached and in reasonable working order.

Passing court servants and a few soldiers, I hurried through the city, thankful no one could see me as I ducked out of the path of merchants' carts and darted away from the spray of erupting fire geysers dotted throughout the gardens.

Before long, the conservatory’s stained glass came into view, glinting under the midday sun. I stopped a moment to catch my breath and admire its captivating beauty. Then I zipped past the guards and pushed through the entrance, blinking in the darkness for a moment until the flames around the bottom of the windows ignited.

Behind me, the clueless guards grumbled about the gust of wind that had blown open the door and seemingly ruined their day.

My footsteps echoed as I ran past tropical plants glowing red and blue in the diffused light, and then skirted around the empty black table that Azarn and his family had occupied four days ago.

A loud whooshing noise crackled behind me, and a quick glance over my shoulder confirmed the seven tanourans had peeled their fiery bodies off the walls and now danced with gusto toward me.

I ran faster until I slammed into the back wall made of opaque glass, sparks from the advancing fire creatures scorching my clothes. The glass shuddered beneath my thumping fists.

“Estella, it’s Zali. Please let me in. I need to speak to you urgently.”

Silence.

The tanourans came so close I could see the gape of their eye sockets and mouths filled with razor-sharp teeth and fire. So much terrifying fire.

“Estella! Please, Azarn is holding Arrow prisoner, and the tanourans are about to burn me alive.”

An opening materialized in the wall. I stepped through it, spinning on my heel in time to see the glass melt closed behind me.

Surrounded by darkness again, I squinted and blinked, hoping my eyes would soon adjust. Slowly, the glow of colorful mushrooms and flowers became visible, growing in clusters below the glittering branches of an enormous weeping willow. On the ceiling high above, stars ranged in an inky sky, as if the sun had no dominion here and it was always nighttime inside these enchanted walls.

Ruhh had called it the queen’s garden, but it was more of a room, glamoured to appear like the outdoors at night. A strange in-between place that thrummed with old magic and I had no desire to dwell in for long.

The remains of a luncheon were laid out on a small table—a crystal goblet on its side, silver plates scattered with bread and cheese crumbs. Behind the table, the queen herself sat facing a pond, her long hair streaming around her like a cape of darkest midnight.

I cleared my throat. “Queen Estella, I’m so sorry. I hope I didn’t interrupt you,” I said, meeting her far-away gaze as her head swiveled in my direction, the movement more birdlike than fae or human.

She smiled and beckoned me over. “The petal’s effect is wearing off, Zali. Parts of your body are flickering in and out of visibility. And you’re not interrupting me. I was merely spying on the Star Court and missing home. I welcome a diversion from my sadness. Please, come sit and tell me what has happened.”

I settled on the queen’s left, laughing when I saw my reflection in the silvery water—my face and limbs wavering like a mirage in the Light Realm desert.

Estella waved her hand, and magic vibrated against my clothes, tickling my skin. “That’s better,” she said, scanning me from head to toe. “Now, I can see you. I’ll give you a piece of jewelry when you leave that will keep you invisible until you remove it in your chamber. It’s more reliable than those wretched orchid petals.”

“Thank you,” I said before taking a long breath to slow my racing heart. “I think Azarn has locked Arrow and Esen in a cell somewhere, possibly Raiden and Zaret, too. And he’s taken control of Ari.”

“The Storm King’s Sayeeda? That was bold of him, but my husband is ever a fool in the pursuit of power. Did they get the orc to safety?”

“Yes, and Bakhur is safe, too. Although, it was a close call. Azarn arrived just as the grymarians were about to make a meal of us.”

“A mother always feels when her children have suffered great harm. I knew Bakhur was well. You were fortunate Azarn showed up when he did. If he hadn’t, you would all be dead.”

“I never thought I’d be grateful for your husband’s interference, but I guess I am. Sort of.”

“Zali, you must get the storm fae out of the dungeon below the moat and help Arrowyn restore balance to the realms. Azarn must die, perhaps even Bakhur, too. I wish things were different, but he has chosen to follow in his father’s footsteps, not mine. As Taln’s heir, he will only seek to destabilize the realms for his own ends.”

A branch snapped overhead, then a snow-white owl swooped onto Estella’s right shoulder, its crystalline wings shining like faceted rainbow moonstone.

“Hello, Feydar,” the queen said, stroking the creature’s head while it inspected me through wide, golden eyes. “I know you dislike traveling in the daylight, but I need you to find Azarn and tell me what he is up to. Also, please find out how the Storm Court fae are faring. Take care, and hurry back with your report.”

With a deep hoot, the owl launched off Estella’s shoulder and disappeared into thin air, the sound of its wings flapping the only sign it flew through the doorway she had opened.

“Don’t worry, Zali. Your friends should be safe. We have time to make a plan,” Estella said, stroking my cheek with cool fingers. “My husband won’t kill Arrowyn and the Sayeeda. He needs them alive to keep Auryinnia in line. Without the Storm King, the auron kanara cannot be fed, the reavers will die without their feathers, and the entire gold trade will grind to a halt.”

“I know,” I said. “Without Arrow, all the realms are destabilized.”

Estella smiled, displaying a row of pointed teeth. “And yet, not long ago, you were scheming to kill him yourself.”

Heat flushed over my cheeks. “I’m far too vengeful. It’s a terrible character flaw. I know it. But I promise I’m working on it.”

Estella laughed. “You and the Storm King are well-matched.”

“Tell me about Melaya’s brother. How do we get to him? He’s the key to defeating Azarn, isn’t he?”

She nodded. “My husband keeps Nukala locked in his apartments, only letting him roam free every now and then to appease Melaya and show his pet off to the court.”

“Can you enter these apartments?”

“Of course, but I rarely do. I cannot bear the sight of him caged. As you have seen, Melaya’s block limits my power, but it is still usable. Nukala has a fetish, a fantasy if you like, about intimacy with humans. He is fascinated by your species.”

“Why?” I asked.

“In this court, he is weak. Most fae don’t realize that without him, Melaya’s power is significantly reduced. Nukala despises being seen as powerless and yearns to control someone weaker than himself. I will tell him that as punishment for the Storm Court’s release of Orion, Azarn has agreed to let him play with you for a short period.”

“He wants me ?”

She laughed. “In truth, any female human would do, and at present, you’re the only one available. I will visit Nukala on the evening of your wedding and inform him you’ll be brought to his chamber just before you say the vows that will make you Bakhur’s wife. He will take great pleasure in the idea of having you before his prince does.”

“Okay,” I said through a grimace, hoping I wouldn’t actually be left alone with Nukala. “Then what?”

“I’ll tell him I’ve discovered that water neutralizes your Aldara mark. I’ll run a bath under the pretense of allowing him to do whatever he wants with you for one hour and convince him to get into the tub to wait for you. When he does, I’ll overpower him and hold him under water for approximately twenty minutes. This will block Melaya’s power but won’t be long enough to kill Nukala. His magic will allow him to breathe underwater for at least that duration of time. Your court will have a small window of time in which your powers will function normally. I suggest you make the most of it.”

“Why not kill Nukala? Wouldn’t that solve all our problems?”

“As soon as Nukala died, Melaya would know it. He’d kill Arrowyn and alert the entire court to your attack. Even with his power reduced, none of you would survive his wrath.”

“But with his twin dead, Melaya couldn’t reinstate the block on our magic. It would be a fair fight between him and Arrow, right?”

“Wrong. Even death cannot sever the mergelyn twin’s connection. Residual magic will flow between them for some time, and the block will likely return for an hour or so before petering away.”

“Shit. So how does holding Nukala under water work?”

“It’s simple. Water extinguishes fire.”

“Oh, I see. And after you let Nukala out of the bath, what will he do to you ?”

“He is always drunk. He will fight badly, but I’ll only kill him if I must. Only in self-defense and after you’ve disposed of Azarn.”

“What you did the day we fought in the arena was truly breathtaking. You could use your cosmic magic to kill them all. Destroy the mages and Azarn. Why haven’t you?”

“At the time of my marriage to Azarn, magical blood bonds were created to ensure that if he was ever murdered, our son’s life force would leech from his body in a slow, excruciating death. I’ve worked tirelessly to rehabilitate Bakhur, hoping I could guide him toward the light of kindness and empathy, never wanting harm to come to him. But now I see there is no other choice.”

“So you’ve put up with Azarn’s tyranny to save Bakhur?”

“Yes, and also, if I killed Azarn and Melaya, the Star Court would view me as a criminal and a traitor to my adopted home. I couldn’t bear returning to them in disgrace. But… if I assisted others who were repressed by cruelty to free themselves and keep peace in the realms, then my people would look favorably upon my actions.”

“All right, then.” I said, sitting up straighter and clapping my hands together. “It sounds like we have the beginnings of a plan. You mentioned enacting it the night of my wedding.”

“To secure his connection to the reaver elves, Azarn wants you to join the family as soon as possible. We will take advantage of that desperation and insist the ceremony takes place tomorrow at the Fire Court’s traditional wedding time of nine in the evening.”

A wave of dizziness washed over me. “Tomorrow night?”

“Yes, and prior to the actual ceremony, there will be at least half an hour of rituals before the vows are spoken—poetry readings, songs. So at approximately nine o’clock, I’ll begin holding Nukala under water. On the dais, you must keep testing your reaver cloak. When it activates, you’ll only have about twenty minutes to get out of Taln.”

“How do we remove the mergelyn anklets?”

“With Melaya’s power blocked, you simply unfasten them. You’d be wise to kill Azarn and Melaya first. And my son if you must.” She wiped a silver tear from her cheek. “I fear nothing less will stop their quest for power.”

“What will happen to the kingdom without the mages? A book I found in the library said Taln would fall.”

“Certain books were written to boost the egos of countless fire kings. If Azarn dies, his power will transfer to a new ruler, and the Sun Realm will stand.”

“And you would willingly rule?” I asked.

“I would cede the crown to Arrowyn and yourself and return to my beloved home.”

“We have no wish to take your kingdom from you, Estella.”

“Which is precisely why you will be its best caretakers.”

“And if you can’t submerge Nukala?”

“I will use my power to subdue him if there’s no other choice.” She shifted to face me. “I apologize for not seeking you out earlier. Marcella told me you wished to speak about the wedding, but I’ve been distracted, wondering how I could get you out of Taln while keeping Bakhur safe. Now it is clear I cannot achieve all my goals, and instead, must help those who will strive toward peace for all.”

“Thank you. How can I ever repay your kindness?”

“By maintaining balance in the realms. Rule with your heart. That is all I require of you.”

“If we do make it out of Taln, I promise we will work tirelessly to weave the threads of peace throughout the Star Realms until its fabric is stronger than Auryinnian silver.” I braced my weight on my palms, preparing to stand up. “Before I go, what did you mean when you said you were spying on your court?”

Soft laughter tinkled, then she cleared her throat and spat in the pond, its surface darkening. “Watch closely.”

Thousands of stars appeared floating on the water’s surface. The queen waved her palm, and an image came into focus. A birds-eye view of a line of shadowy mountains, the sparkling lights of a city in the distance. The view in the pond changed fast, as if we were flying across the sky, then through an arched window into a dazzling throne room.

“Is that your home? It’s stunning!” I squinted at a crimson ball glowing through the glass on one side of the hall. “Strange, that almost looks like—”

“Yes, that is our sun. It’s always nighttime in the Crystal Realm of Night and Stars. Once a month, our moon is so bright that it looks similar to the Earth Realm’s daylight. For a few days, we feast and celebrate Mother Moon, while paying our respects to our dark Father and his children, the stars.”

“You must miss the Star Court terribly.”

“Yes,” she said, another tear slipping down her pale cheek. “But I must stop distracting you, Zali. Arrowyn will be waiting to speak to you. Here, you must wear this.”

Estella removed the smaller of her two pendants, and then held its black stone between her palms, reciting a spell under her breath. “Wear it against your skin, and you will be invisible to everyone, even Ruhh. Put it in your pocket, separated from your body by cloth, any type of cloth, and you’ll become visible once again.”

“Thank you, Estella.”

“The cells you seek are beneath the fire moat. Show the khareek my pendant, and they will grant you immediate access.”

I threw myself at the queen, squeezing her in a tight hug. “Please be careful with Nukala, and thank—”

“No need to thank me again.” She pushed her palm out, emitting a high-pitched note from deep within her throat.

Then everything changed.

The realms seemed to stop spinning, light and sound sucked from existence as a cold, dark void enveloped me.

I fell backward through space and time, my arms wheeling and my mind screaming. It felt like eons, though in reality, it was probably only a few minutes. I spun through darkness until the churning vortex spat me out, and I landed in the bushes outside the conservatory, away from the guards’ line of sight.

I pressed Estella’s onyx pendant against my chest, and then ran as fast as I could toward the kitchen.