CHAPTER 42 #2
Theon flips his hair back, his braids whipping against his back. “Who do you think will win at tonight's race?” He elbows Kaine and begins to mock him. “Someone thought he was going to win last year and who ended up beating him…”
Kaine’s expression shifts to pure annoyance immediately. “Someone just cheated. You started first before anyone else.”
Theon’s hands lift. “I did no such thing.”
My knees pull to my chest, wrapping my arms around it with the note in hand. “What race?”
“The chosen eight always race the night before our final battle game.” Theon rests his arm against Kaine’s shoulder. “I won last year, smoking this guy right here.”
Kaine shoves Theon off as they laugh. “Just wait till this year. You are going down.”
My shoulders lift. “Why race? What’s the point in that?”
“It’s just for fun. We like to see who will lead us into the Darklands.
Normally the one who wins the race is the one that the Queen will gift the Light Stone for us to make our way into the last battle game.
The stone shines a light so bright, the darklings usually are weakened by it.
” Theon crosses his arms. “And the one who kills the most darklings will be our champion, allowing the Light Stone to shine over the victor's Realm, protecting them from the curse for that year.”
I glance over my shoulder, catching sight of the fire horse resting, her head peaceful against the ground as the fire flickers gracefully in the wind.
“What Realm would be granted the Light Stone if I ended up being the champion?” My brows raise, noticing the both of them shrugging with the thought of it.
“I suppose the Queen will decide that.” Kaine grips Theon’s shoulder. “Let's go for another round in the sky.”
I forget this isn’t the first year some of these men are competing in the games. All I know is I will never return. I will never participate in the games again. I vow to myself that this year will be the last year it’ll ever take place.
I will stop the games… for good.
But as my eyes linger onto the two of them, watching them wrap their legs around the horses’ snow-white bodies, I realize every year they live. They never die in the games. Neither does Dryden, the son of the Sea King.
Ivker, Octavian, Zake, all have survived the games for ten years in a row.
Something doesn’t sit right.
My heart skips a beat as my mind rushes with the possibility of the Royals protecting their own in the games, or protecting who they want. But why?
That would mean the others stand no chance when the Royals compete and their lives are taken for what, nothing.
The wings of their horses stretch so wide, I wonder how they even have room to fly out of here.
But as their horses leap into the sky, gusting violent winds down towards me, I let my legs fall and stare at the note in my hand.
I close my eyes for a brief, breathless moment, bracing myself for the words Koen has written for me.
My fingers trace the edges with anticipation, my heart racing madly at the thought that his hands touched this very paper.
That his fingers once delicately brushed across this letter, and I begin to wonder if this might be the closest I'll ever come to truly feeling him again. Which shatters my heart all over again.
My eyes linger on the paper for a few moments longer before opening it, and I pause once I read the words, Hello, my Spark.
I lift my gaze up to the scorching sun, closing my eyes and steadying my breathing.
My eyes glance downward, and I begin to read.
You saved me.
Once again. I would have shifted if it weren’t for you.
You reminded me of the times where life was…
good. A time in my life where I thought love was enough.
You were enough. And let me tell you, you are more than enough.
You are the air I breathe. You are the very thing that keeps my heart beating.
You will be the one that will bring me back from the darkness.
I have fallen so far since you last saw me and I wonder if I will ever be strong enough to climb back up to be the man you once loved.
I pray to the Gods every night that I will be. I beg them to forgive us for loving each other.
And I promise, my little Spark, that when the time comes where we will no longer hurt one another, when we will no longer have the capability of our love killing each other, I will fall to my knees and look up into those eyes of yours.
I will give you all of myself, at last, forever.
And if that time comes again, where I must give you my last ember in order for you to survive. I shall do it without ever hesitating.
I will fight by your side till the day I die because I love you and only you.
My heart shall forever only beat for you.
I know I only gave you the light inside of me that night. The light that the Gods granted us to survive. But damn it, Serene… I would have torn my own beating heart from my chest, offering it up on a bent knee so that yours could pulse with life once more.
I will die, over and over again, in order for you to live. For you to rise and become what you are meant to be.
The God of Fire chose you, my love.
The Gods chose you to become the Scorching Queen. Our true Queen.
Burn anyone, including me, whoever dares to try and stop you.
Yours forever,
Koen.
I wipe the tear that has fallen down my cheek, glancing around to see if anyone has noticed my weakness.
That Koen is my weakness.
And damn him for reminding me of this.
NIGHT HAS COME, AND PURE silence has fallen in the Pyre.
Dryden is keeping his distance from me, which is surprising, and Death is resting against the rocks that create the archway entrance of the Pyre. His arms are crossed, and his foot is upright against the wall as he waits for me.
My hand wraps around my reins, the Fireninze walking beside me as she brightens the darkness everywhere we walk. The fire cracks in the air, popping sounds vibrating as embers float away.
He pulls away with a deep sigh once I walk up to him, whistling towards his horse, the Iycekazie. His horse of ice is adorned with black armor with golden swirls that resemble wings, reminiscent of Koen’s horse from the Ice Realm.
“You waited?” A brow of mine lifts, walking side by side to him as his hands are clasped behind his back. “Your horse doesn't need reins?”
He scuffs, his lips pulling into an amused smirk. “No. My horse doesn’t need reins, neither does yours. You just need to trust it.”
“How the hell do you ride then?”
“Its mane, my gloves…” He holds out his hands, midnight-black leather gloves covering his skin.
“I hold on with these. Trust your horse, don’t let the Royals tell you otherwise.
The horses are smart, and they know who is good and who is not.
If they don’t feel you are worthy enough for you to ride, you will know it. ”
My brows knit inward, slowly unraveling the reins around my hands and lifting it from my horse's head. The Fireninze shakes her head, embers catching in the breeze.
“And Serene, you should know that you won’t burn from the fire, don’t be afraid to hold onto her mane.” He leans towards me. “You don’t need reins to control her, you need your heart to connect with her.”
“Don’t make me regret this,” I tease as I brush her neck and we continue to walk to where the race will take place. “Who will be coming tonight?”
“All the Royals, the Kings from the Realms….” His chin raises. “Florian, Lykia, and Skie.”
“What joy.” My voice drips with sarcasm.
“The Queen isn’t going to let you compete in the final game.” He glances towards me, arching his back. “I overheard her speaking to one of the Kings. I want you to be prepared when she tells you this.”
I halt, anger flushing through me as I feel my body heat. The stones in my arms begin to flash, the dragons can sense my rage coursing through me.
“I’m sorry… what did you say?” I frustratedly growl through clenched teeth. My hands are rolling into fists.
“The Kings have fought against you, and she finally caved, allowing them to decide if you are to join the last game. You will stand back with the Queen, Florian, and the other Royals who stay back to watch the battle against the darklings take place.”
“Absolutely not!” my voice rips through the breeze. “I have come this far, beat the odds of everything against me, and she wants me to stand back and just watch?”
“You are already in the Pyre, you are a chosen. You are one of the eight to survive the games, be proud of that.” He pauses. “You have more important matters to fight against, this is not one. Just listen to her, obey what she says, and we will have our chance soon to leave for the sea.”
My brows lift in shock. “You want me to obey the Queen?”
His eyes shut and an amused smirk escapes from his lips. “Is that too much to ask, just this once?”
“Yes.” I don’t hesitate.
“Just stay back, let the men fight the darklings. No one is able to use their curses to fight the darklings, which means… all you would be able to fight with are your daggers or arrows.”
I scuff, aggressively letting my fingers glide through my hair as the wind catches it. “Of course, you’re right. Let me let the men fight since everyone in this damn Realm believes a woman cannot do such a thing.”
I stride past him, rage prickling against my fingertips as sparks flicker in my hands. I can hear him hollering out for me, but I stride forward. I am too pissed to stop.
I turn out of the Pyre, my boots splashing in the muddy puddles from last night's storm. My teeth clench as I replay his words in my head as if they are a broken record.
Let the men fight the darklings.
I scuff under my breath and my eyes burn with rage as I lock onto the other chosen, sitting upright on their horses. Theon and Kaine are chattering, their laughs echoing in the night sky. The other men are steadily focused on the bridge that is forged by fire in front of them… wait.
No. She promised.