Tower of Tempest: A Steamy Fantasy Romance (Stolen Crowns Book 3)

Chapter 8

Three men circled me, a covered cart behind them, likely full of goods they were trading throughout Valoris. They didn’t have wings, but I couldn’t place what court they were from if not the sky court. I quickly shoved Gran’s necklace underneath the collar of my dress, hoping they wouldn’t take notice of it.

Fire crackled from one of the men’s hands. Well that confirmed where they were from: Gilraeth, the fire court. The fire looped in circles like a cyclone, one that would entrap me and burn me alive if I didn’t figure something out.

One of the men smiled, two of his front teeth missing. “What’s a pretty little thing like you doing out here all by yourself?”

Another man leered at me, his eyes close together over a long, narrow nose.

I had no weapons, no magic, nothing to defend myself against these men. I cursed myself for once again forgetting my knife. I’d dropped it when the prince yanked me out the window and forgotten to pick it up. I had been in a hurry. Either way, I would have to use something else to save myself.

Gran often read with me, and when we’d come across different scenarios in books, she’d stop and ask me what I would do in that situation: being attacked from behind, being cornered in an alley, being held down, and so much more. She’d always wanted me to be prepared for any danger that might come our way. Her voice echoed in my mind.

“It’s not all about brute strength, girl. It’s about using your mind, outsmarting those around you. That’s a different kind of strength, one that can wield more power.”

I glanced down at my blue linen dress and muddy, worn boots, then bit my lip. I certainly didn’t look like anyone with power, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t scare off these men.

Fire now blazed in all three of the men’s palms. Narrow Eyes held a ball he could hurl at me, Missing Teeth clutched a whip of fire, and Stubbled Chin commanded a cyclone of embers and ash.

I swallowed and held out my hands. “You don’t want to hurt me,” I said.

Stubbled Chin smiled, and it sent a chill down my spine. “Who said anything about hurting you? As long as you comply, there’ll be no need to hurt anyone.”

“Comply with what?” I asked, knowing I didn’t want to hear the answer.

The man nodded toward my satchel. “Give us all your gold, and we’ll be on our way, no problems.”

My stomach dropped. All my gold. I’d have no way to survive without Gran’s gold coins. I steeled myself, raising my chin. “No.”

Stubbled Chin took a step forward, cyclone of fire whirling closer, enough that the heat smothered me. “Wrong answer.”

“Wait!” I held out my hands. “You don’t want to hurt me,” I said again.

“And why is that?” Narrow Eyes asked.

I thought of all the stories Gran told me about the courts, the Seven Spirits, the way everyone avoided conflict at all costs, not wanting to earn the wrath of the spirits.

“Because Spirit Fire will surely be displeased.”

The men shot unsure looks at each other, and Narrow Eyes’s ball of fire faltered over his hand.

I took a step forward, my confidence growing. “You know as well as I do that the spirits don’t like to see the magic they’ve gifted us misused for ill purposes.”

Missing Teeth grunted.

“The spirits gave us our powers, and you know as well as I do they can take it all away just as easily,” I said, thinking about Gran’s lessons, how afraid everyone was that the spirits would punish us should we misuse our magic. “That’s why we have the laws in place that we do.”

I wished I could name a specific law, but my brain couldn’t come up with one, though I knew they existed. Gran had quizzed me about them at one point. This would have to do. I could use everyone’s fear of the Seven Spirits against my attackers.

Stubbled Chin cleared his throat. “I wasn’t thinking of that.” His eyes shifted back and forth like he was contemplating my words.

“Oh yes,” I said. “And if you know anything about the lore of the spirits, Spirit Fire was the most vengeful of them...” I trailed off, letting my meaning sink in.

Though none of the spirits had been seen in over a thousand years, we knew much about them from historical texts and records. Spirit Fire had a reputation for being hotheaded, unsurprisingly. He had a temper and used it often to punish those who displeased him. Gran had once told me a story about Spirit Fire burning down an entire village who’d been warring for control, so caught up in their conflict, they accidentally destroyed his temple in the process—and earned his wrath.

Narrow Eyes gulped, the sound audible. “Maybe she’s right,” he said, his ball of fire disappearing completely. “Them spirits don’t like conflict. They could smite us from this mountain.”

Missing Teeth guffawed. “You mean the spirits who no one’s seen in over a thousand years? You think one of them is gonna pay attention to simpletons like us because we stole some gold coin?” He shook his head. “I don’t buy it.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, racking my brain for a Plan B. “You don’t know what the spirits are capable of, when they might be watching.” My brain scrambled through tidbits of information, stories from Gran, excerpts from books. “The frost court! They have those awful wildlands growing, creeping over their mountain territories, driving more and more people from their homes.”

A useful rumor Gran had told me—and something Fyriad had no idea how to fix.

Stubbled Chin scratched his head. “You think Spirit Frost has something to do with that?”

My eyes gleamed. “I know it.”

By now, all the fire had disappeared from their hands, but I held in my sigh of relief. Maybe I’d actually done it. I might not know how to use my magic or how to wield a sword, but I had my wits, and that counted for something. Maybe I could actually do this, save Gran, by myself.

Then Narrow Eyes stepped closer, drawing a dagger from his boot. “Looks like instead of using our magic, we’ll have to rough you up in the good old-fashioned way.”

He ran a finger along the edge of his dagger, and my blood turned to ice. So much for my wit. I had no other plan.

“Okay.” I dug through my satchel, heart sinking. “You can have my gold.” I drew out a small pouch, and with a shaky hand, gave it to Stubbled Chin.

He snatched it up and shook it. Coins jangled inside, making my stomach wither.

Missing Teeth tipped his head at me and grabbed the satchel from my arms, then slipped a dagger from his boot.

My entire body grew cold. “What are you doing?” I asked as he pointed it at my neck.

“Didn’t say I couldn’t slice you up a bit. You know how much the wings on your back go for on the black market? Lots of humans and elementals willing to pay a lot of money to hang those on their walls or use the feathers for pillows and blankets. Softest ones in the world, they say. Those made from elemental feathers.”

I stumbled away, bumping right into the back of their cart. “No.” The thought of him cutting the wings from my back made the blood freeze in my veins, an icy fear crackling over me. “I gave you my gold. Just let me go.”

Stubbled Chin and Narrow Eyes came up behind Missing Teeth, and it was clear they had no qualms about what he wanted to do.

I didn’t have time to form a plan. I just acted on pure instinct. With all my might. I shoved my back against the cart, feeling the wheels slide against the road.

“What in the bloody fires are you doing?” Stubbled Chin lunged for me, but I rammed my body against the cart, and it slid farther, creaking and rasping.

“It’s gonna go over the cliff!” Narrow Eyes yelled.

All three men ran as their cart began to roll over the edge, their attention no longer on me.

I didn’t even look behind me as I pumped my arms and legs and ran, hearing their shouts and curses in the distance, and eventually, the crash of a cart falling off the side of a mountain.