CHAPTER 42 #3
My heart sinks as I pick up speed, desperately trying to find Florian. If she made him shift, I am going to kill her. I won’t hesitate this time.
“Where is he!” my voice rips into a loud scream, catching the attention of all the men ahead. Yet, Koen is not here.
“Koen?” Kaine glances over his shoulders towards me, then down the line of the other men who wait to race. “Is he not with you?”
“Florian!” My eyes burn, the gust of wind picking up the ash that was once on the ground. “Where the hell is he!”
“He isn't here?” Theon's voice is tense with worry. “Are you okay?”
I vault onto my horse, my fingers wrapping around her mane with a fierce grip as the fire within me blazes.
An inferno of rage that demands release prickles at my skin, my stones beaming bright against my arm as I can feel the energy radiating from my dragons.
The power from my horse surges through me, and I feel our hearts beating perfectly in sync.
Her mane erupts into a blazing outburst, snapping violently in the wind.
The men avert their gaze, squinting against the radiant light that sparks from the flames.
“Take me to the damn Queen,” I snarl, spurring the Fireninze with a fierce kick, launching us in a violent charge across the bridge. Her hooves beat against the ground, kicking up embers and ash behind us.
The men follow without hesitation, the thunderous pounding of hooves echoing behind me.
We soar through the rolling hills, heading straight for the top of the mountain cliff where I catch sight of the five flags being held by guards in the distance.
The embers of my horse spark off, disintegrating in the air before catching anything on fire.
From what I saw at the Pyre, her fire doesn’t burn the lands of this Realm, but with my rage connected to her, I worry she might.
And right now, if the Queen went back on her word, I might burn this whole place to the damn ground.
We run like the speed of light through the trees, the others in the distance behind me doing everything in their power to keep up with us. But they can’t.
The pathway on the edge of the hill that leads to the top of the mountainside is right along the edge of the cliff, and rocks trickle off the land and down the rolling hills we were once on.
One wrong move and down we go.
We enter a forest, riding deeper into it before a pathway opens up, and I meet the Royals waiting for us on the highest part of the mountain. The flags whip in the violent breeze, the guards holding still on each side of the royals, their hands firmly gripping the poles.
Queen Antivianna is in the middle, her royal-blue gown glistening in the night. Skie is beside her, in a similar gown, but when my eyes glance towards Florian, rage shoots through my veins.
I dismount from my horse, violently hustling up to them and the closer I get, the more I see Florian’s weary, weak eyes.
A fresh cut is across his forehead, his dark, onyx suit has a few grass stains, and that’s when I notice the wooden cane he grips onto before stumbling forward to catch his balance.
My lips part, eyes widening at the condition I see him in, and the Queen notices.
“You lied!” my voice rips through the air, blood rushing to my head.
“How else are we supposed to get all the Royals to this side of the land, Serene?” Her arms fold across her petite body.
“I should burn you!” I try to catch my breath. “How dare you do this! You promised me you would never make him shift!”
“As long as I needed you, Serene.” Her head tilts to the side, the breeze catching the loose strands from her braided crown.
“Now you are a chosen, your blood is sealed to the fire, which means you are forbidden to leave the Pyre for the year. You are bonded to the chosen now, and if you dare leave, the God of Fire will scorch you alive.”
I stumble back, catching a rock underfoot as my eyes widen. Florian’s head hangs low, gripping the wooden cane tighter by her words. No one told me this.
“You allow her to speak to you this way?” the King of the Sky mutters towards her, his brown, braided hair casually blowing in the breeze. “I’d take her head if I were you.”
“Of course my father would choose death,” Kaine mutters, his boots digging into the ground as he walks up behind me.
“This is what is wrong with the Realms!” I stride towards them. “All you want is bloodshed! This is not what the Deskyiaras wanted! This is not what our Gods wanted!”
“And how the hell would you know this, woman?” The Sky King snarls, his lip rising with disgust.
“Do not speak to her that way, Father!” Kaine lunges forward, his jaw ticking as his skin turns a crimson red.
“I am not your father, no more, boy,” the King bellows, the golden chains with wings beating against his chest as he moves forward with rage.
Kaine scuffs, crossing his arms across his onyx suit. “Yeah, you never acted like one anyways. I’m not losing anything.”
I go to speak, but an arm grips the scaled fabric of my suit. “She just needs sleep, that is all. It’s been a long journey to get here, so let’s start the race.”
Koen.
My eyes glance towards his hand before meeting his emerald eyes. Instantly, the burning desire to destroy these royals vanishes. But the spark that flutters in my chest, begging to kill the Queen, is still there, scorching my heart until there is nothing left but a charred heart. I want revenge.
I beg for revenge.
I am unsure how much longer I can hold this in before I explode.
“Ah.” The Queen pauses, shifting her gaze towards him. “Where did the two of you run off to last night?”
My jaw ticks, chest heaving as my mind races with the thought of unleashing my dragons on her, watching my one of fire burn her to death. It would be so satisfying to watch.
“We went for a walk,” Koen casually says.
Lykia’s lips curl, crossing her arms as her pointer finger taps against her arm. “Good to know, Koen.”
She can’t use her curse, not in front of the Royals. It’s forbidden. But when she is free from their sight, she will stop at nothing to kill me.
“Mount your horses, the race starts soon.” The Queen’s brows raise, eyes locking on to mine as I spit at the ground towards her.
“I should have never trusted you.” My lip rises with disgust, turning to follow Koen and Kaine to the horses.
Skie scuffs at my violent outburst, wrapping her arms around Florian to help him towards the seats where the Royals will sit and watch us compete. Once again.
“Most of you have done this race before…” The Queen stands in front of her dark, charcoal chair, torches mounted on each side. “And you know how deadly this can be. The race takes you through the Realms, but also, the Desert of Death.”
Shit. The sand dragons.
“We have lost a few chosen due to the race, but this proves to us all how ready you are to face the darklings tomorrow. Show us what you are capable of, make us proud.” The Queen nods before she takes her seat.
Skie sits next to her, crossing her leg as her gown sparkles like the night sky.
Florian’s weak body shakes as he sits, and that sparks the rage inside me once more.
“I’m going to kill her,” I hiss, pulling my body over my fire horse.
“Not here. Not yet.” Death leans over. “You shall have your revenge soon.”
I don’t remove my intense glare at her, gripping my horse’s fire mane tighter. But I know Koen is beside me on his Iycekazie. I feel his eyes lingering on mine.
“I don’t want to hear it, Koen,” I breathe out, closing my eyes to focus on my breathing.
“Those Kings can overpower the Queen when it comes to the chosen.” Koen drops to a whisper as he leans over his horse towards me.
“Please be careful when it comes to them, especially my father. If he remembers who you are, the woman who turned away from his son, the true Prince, he will come after you. They all will. The Royals wanted us dead for what we did.”
Ah, shit.
My head shakes. “I’ll burn them before any of them dare try to hurt us. They don’t know I have dragons inside my stones. They haven’t seen the destruction I can do. Only those in the Pyre have. They only think I am cursed with the ability to scorch people alive.”
Koen inhales deeply, pulling himself back on his ice horse.
The flag whips ahead, swaying back and forth as a glistening, silver light begins to sparkle at the edges of the gravel pathway.
“The Gods have chosen the path for you tonight. Follow the lights, and try not to die.” The Queen's lips twist into a sinister smirk as she beams a final glare my way.
If she thinks I am scared of her, she’s deranged.
A guard forces the silver flag down, acknowledging our race has now started.
And then, everything goes silent. Except for the sounds of hooves beating, pounding against the ground as we soar past the Royals.
Let the damn race begin.