CHAPTER 42
“The huntress sword may never fall into the wrong hands. If the one who bears the darkness tries to wield the sword, it’ll scorch them in a blue fire, consuming their life. The souls of those who tried are trapped inside.” - Book of Azure
I RIDE THROUGHOUT THE MORNING after a sleepless night.
Tossing and turning after I felt his hands slide across my dress, his fingers digging into the fabric tightly against my skin. His purposefully-tousled hair, falling perfectly around his jaw down to his shoulder, almost completely making my heart stop beating for good.
I have never hated his hair.
I have always loved it.
My stomach rolls into knots, tightly constricting my lungs as I suck in a breath in remembrance.
My chin lifts upward, letting my hair catch in the wind as a strong gust rushes past me. The golden hues mix in with a soft pastel as the sun slowly climbs higher in the sky.
The Fireninze is swifter than any horse I've ever ridden. Her coat glistens like an ember flake in the night sky. Her muscles ripple with each powerful stride and leap we take over fallen logs. My fingers grip around the golden reigns tightly as we ride hill after hill.
We soar through the rolling lands as if we are the only two left here in this Realm.
The lush grass, filled with a vibrant tapestry of wildflowers, just beyond the castle walls, makes me feel as if there is no war coming.
No battle games. But the beauty is just hiding the violence of what truly goes on in the Realms.
I didn’t need Florian to shift when I left the Kingdom. I clung to her strong neck as she gracefully leaped over the glistening stream that separates the land from the Kingdom. I have never felt such a rush before in my life.
Until this moment.
And with her by my side, I feel I can finally stop Tilly and take down the Wailing Mother.
The horses of the Gods are gifted with strength and speed much swifter than any dragon I have seen.
They might not be able to breathe fire like a dragon.
Some might not be able to fly like a dragon.
But I can feel the God of Fire’s power radiate off of the Fireninze and I know, these horses are meant to be here for a reason.
Unsure if that reason is to destroy the dragons, or fight the darklings and take down the Darklands for good.
I must read the book of Azure. I need the truth.
I take my leather water sack, tilting my head back to let the water glide down my tongue and to my throat as we ride back to the Pyre.
With a swift movement, I toss my leg over the horse's body and slam my boots onto the gravel. Theon and Kaine swoop in with their horses, gliding across the tips of the Pyre’s statues overhead. Their horses' hooves slam into the ground, kicking up dirt before setting into a gentle trot.
Kaine gives me a subtle nod, and I do one back. He seems to be in a good mood, which I am surprised after having his father here in the Realm for the celebration of the chosen.
Most of the men are out riding, Queen’s order, as we are supposed to connect with them deeper before the next game. We need to learn the way they ride, understand their gifts and strengths in order to kill off more of the darklings.
But this year is different—the first time the Fireninze has ever been bonded—so as I learn her ways, so does the Queen. I wasn’t “prepped” like the others. There is no book written by our Gods.
They fear her like they fear me.
And with the two of us together, they should be trembling in their boots if they dare try to come after me again.
Tilly better brace herself for what's coming, and I hope Skydance is watching closely, so he can scurry back to his false Queen like the coward he is.
He is no man. He is no warrior.
A warrior fights for what they believe in. Not hides in the shadows, lurking to wait for another to strike. He would have never made it to the chosen eight if he stayed in the games.
But as I glance around the Pyre, my heart sinks, shifting into a sudden rush of sadness with the thought of Koen still hiding away in his room. I have yet to see Koen leave since I left last night.
Ivker, Zake, and Octavian walk out from the air wing section of the Pyre, securing their daggers in their sheaths as they head towards the Pyre training pit.
Somehow the Queen has allowed them to stay due to their years of service here in the Pyre.
She announced it at the celebration after I rushed out after Koen.
Ten years they have rested here. Ten years of battling in the games and tracking down the Wailing Mother.
Now, they are able to live here as a gift for their years of trials.
Their years of service to the crown.
Only if they please.
And truthfully, if Death and Kaine want me to overthrow the throne, I believe I need these men by my side. They are ruthless, fearless, true warriors. I need them to fight with me. Klayra can help with that.
My hand brushes against the Fireninze’s head before taking my other hand and gliding it down her face.
“Thank you for this morning, I needed it,” I call out to her, yet, I haven’t heard from her since our bonding back at the pit.
She prances besides me, her flames dimming out as she begins to lay by the tall, white-oak tree in the center of the Pyre. I allow my back to beat against the tree, letting myself slide down, exhausted and drained.
I let out a deep exhale, running my fingers through my hair. My chin lifts, and I glance towards her as she rests her head down, never catching a single blade of grass on fire.
“I really thought you’d burn everything.” My lips tug into a teasing grin, noticing her eyes flicker towards me—as if she heard me—before closing them.
“Where’s lover boy?” Kaine hands me a piece of bread, taking an enormous bite out of his.
I side-eye him, shooting a death glare his way as he chuckles with a mouth full of bread.
“I’m teasing.” He lifts his hands as he sits next to me. “I’m surprised your horse isn’t burning this whole place down.”
“I said the same thing.” I glance towards her, twisting the bread in my hands. “It’s quite interesting that the God of Fire never wrote a book for us to understand her.”
“Maybe he only wanted you to understand her.” He leans back against the tree, taking his dark-brown hair behind his pointed ears and letting the sun beat against his skin.
Theon casually walks over, squatting down before lying on his back to rest his head against Kaine’s legs. He closes his eyes, resting his hands behind his head and smiling brightly “Flying in the sky will never get old.”
“Yeah, thank the Gods I didn’t bond with a horse that could fly,” I scuff, taking a bite of my bread before wiping away the crumbs that fall against my suit.
Theon lifts just a tad off the ground, glancing over his shoulder towards me. “Ren… are you scared of heights?”
My brows raise. “My only fear.”
“That’s cute.” He lowers back down, adjusting his body.
“Says the man afraid of little spiders,” I tease, leaning forward to throw a piece of bread against his head, making him jump as his hands flail widely.
“I hate you for that.” His body squirms, and he scratches his head. “There is no spider on me, right, Kaine?”
Kaine scuffs without daring to open his eyes. “There are no spiders, Theon.”
I let out a deep laugh, holding my chest as I enjoy the sight of Theon getting squirmish.
But as I let my watery eyes open, something in the distance catches my eye. A paper, flying with the wind, folded into a paper airplane. My eyes squint, noticing the window of Koen’s room is open and a candle is lit, resting against the window’s ledge.
It soars delicately towards us, swaying sideways as it catches in the breeze.
My eyes lock onto it, watching its every move before it lands right onto my lap. I sit upright, letting my knees fold, and gently take the paper in my hands.
Kaine lunges forward, attempting to snatch it away, his brows arching upward, and I know exactly what he is thinking.
“What if that letter is for me?” Kaine’s eyes glance between the note and towards the window high up on the third floor of the ice wing.
My lips twist into a smirk. “Very funny, Kaine.”
Meanwhile, Theon rolls over, letting out an enormous yawn as if he didn’t sleep at all before he props his head up with one hand, his elbow nestling comfortably in the green grass.
Both of them fix their gazes on me, their lips pulling into infuriating smirks that I feel an overwhelming urge to wipe right off their faces.
My finger points deliberately towards the two of them. “I hate the both of you. You two should have died in the pit.”
“Just remember you would have died without the two of us,” Theon teases.
“I would have survived, don’t flatter yourself.”
Kaine’s tongue glides along his bottom lip, scuffing as he glances towards Theon. “Lover boy is writing her letters now?”
“So romantic,” Theon teases, and I beam the most violent, death stare towards the two of them.
“Well, this isn’t the first letter,” I mutter out, unfolding the piece of paper.
Theon lets out an exaggerated gasp, clenching his chest as his voice is laced with a teasing snicker. “Oh my…” He tilts his head back. “Kaine, did you hear that? This isn’t the first letter he has written to Ren. Is Koen… actually in love?”
My eyes roll to the sky.
Kaine leans towards me, eyes trying to get a sneak into the words of what Koen has written. “I might vomit if I see him writing the word love in that letter.”
My eyes narrow, clutching the letter to my chest. “You two…” my brows rise, “leave.”
The Fireninze lifts her head, blowing hot steam out of her nostrils, making Kaine and Theon’s eyes widen.
“We will see you later.” Kaine lifts from the ground, reaching down to grab Theon’s hand and pulling him off of the ground with a grunt.