Page 104 of King of Fire and Flames

Thunder cracked, and with a smirk, he spun a vortex of storm power on his palm. Threads of lightning whirled so fast they blurred into mini-twisters of blinding light. Neeron turned and ran, and Arrow raised his hand, but his magic just… fizzled out and disappeared.

Frowning, he tried to connect to the storm again. Once. Twice.

But nothing happened.

With a snap, my failing reaver cloak completely slid from my skin.

Shit. Our magic was dead. Had twenty minutes passed since we began our attack? It only felt like ten at the most. Something must have happened to the queen or Nukala. I glanced around the arena. Still no Melaya in sight.

Fuck.

What was going on?

Arrow frowned at my solid body. “Time’s up,” he said, grabbing my sword and running forward, splitting the envoy in half from head to groin before throwing the blade back to me.

I caught it and spun the hilt in my hand. “Nicely done.”

A dark-gold eyebrow cocked. “High praise indeed coming from you.”

“True,” I agreed with a dark laugh, then sobered and asked, “Are we fucked now? As good as dead?”

He shrugged, and we both scanned the arena.

The chaos showed signs of easing. Most soldiers had fled, and Raiden, Zaret, and Esen, their blood-splattered bodies flickering in and out of visibility, were busy helping injured courtiers who’d gotten swept up in the battle.

Where was Ari? The last time I saw the results of her invisible sword wielding, she’d been in the crowd. Icy fear slithering through me, I wiped ash from my face with my sleeve, the smoke from scores of fires stinging my eyes.

I patted my leg. But the pouch containing Estella’s pendant and my remaining orchid petals was gone. Fuck.

The last of Arrow’s storm clouds dissolved. Then, with a loud crack, Melaya appeared in the sky, his body surrounded by flames and crimson wings that I never knew he possessed, spreading wide.

Arrow moved in front of me, then sighed, wrapping a wing around my shoulders as I sidestepped to stand beside him.

“Your king is dead, Mage,” he said. “And the fight is over.”

Melaya landed on the dais just above us. “Debatable. By old Talnian law, if I don’t kill you now, then you’ll become the Sun Realm’s new ruler. Or perhaps you would allow our queen to hold power.”

Arrow crossed his arms. “Whatever Estella wishes, she shall have. Where is she?”

Melaya’s lips formed a savage smile. “I’m more interested in your Sayeeda’s whereabouts.”

Arrow frowned as Ari called his name from the other side of the arena and stepped through a group of fae that she appeared to have been healing. Raiden shouted, but she kept her face averted, shoulders stiff as she climbed the dais steps, not stopping until she stood four feet in front of the mage.

“Stay there, Leaf. Don’t move.” In a blur of wings, Arrow left my side and flew onto the dais, landing next to Ari.

“Give me your Sayeeda, Arrowyn,” ordered Melaya, “and I’ll bind your power to the land, making you king of two powerful realms. Let her depart Taln with me now, and I vow to leave you in peace for now.”

A laugh rumbled from Arrow’s chest. “You think I’m a fool? You can’t have the Sayeeda. She is bound to my kingdom, to our friendship, and her heart is forever linked with another’s.”

“Her heart is worth nothing to me. I need the gold in her veins, not her friendship, and I care not who she’s bound to, lover or king.”

Arrow thrust his hand toward me, the word sword sounding in my head.

Without hesitating, I threw Bakhur’s sword to him.

He caught it one-handed without taking his eyes off Melaya. “Stop talking, Mage, and fight me instead.”

This time, Melaya laughed. “You cannot defeat me. Not without storm magic.”

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