Page 62 of King of Fire and Flames

As we neared the passage that would lead us out of this dust-forsaken place, Orion coughed, then cleared his throat. “Leaf… Only fire fae can… open this…” His words trailed off, his eyes rolling back in his head.

“Only fire fae can open what?” I asked.

“This cave,” he hissed.

Esen grabbed my arm, dragging me into the passage, Orion’s eerie whisper echoing behind us.

What did he mean by only fire fae could open the cave?

Only fire fae could open the—

“Esen,” I barked out as the truth sank in. “What in the fire-fucked dust have you done? You’re one of them now?”

Chapter 19

Leaf

Outside the cave, rain slashed at our faces, our hair tangling together as I pulled her close.

“How?” I yelled over the roar of the wind. “What did you do, Esen?”

Her cheeks flushed red, and she gave a faint laugh. “I’ve always been one of them. I was born a fire fae.”

“What?” In shock, I spun on my heel and started walking up the path. I stumbled on a slab of slippery rock and gripped Esen’s arm for support. “That’s not possible. I’ve seen you wield storm magic.”

“King Azarn planted me at the Storm Court as a spy. I only recently found out. Apparently, it took his mages centuries to find a child whose power was strong enough to be subdued then transformed into storm magic. But they did it. They found me. Killed my family and dumped me at the gates of Coridon.”

Pity and horror churned through my stomach. At such a young age, Esen had been used, abused, and twisted into a servant of the Fire King’s greed. On some level, she must have felt warped, wrong, her true essence incompatible with the lightning magic running through her veins.

A lot of things about her made sense now, especially her bitter personality. As was the way with most hate-filled beings, she’d been damaged at a formative time and had suffered greatly.

“But why didn’t the fae of Coridon notice something was amiss? I mean Arrow’s father must have been—”

“Melaya’s ability to block and repress power is formidable.” Watching me warily, she heaved a sigh, then grinned. “Come on. Let’s keep walking before we drown. I’ll answer all your annoying questions when we arrive at the beach.”

“In this rain?” My boots crunched and slipped over stones as we started down the hill. “Can’t I interrogate you in comfort by the fire in my chamber?” As soon as I said the word fire, my heart clenched, and the image of Orion hanging over the Sentura Pyre assaulted me. His hollow, twisted features. The sweat coating his leathery skin. So much agony. And all because of me.

“I’d prefer to do it out here,” said Esen. “Where the sound of the waves will ensure no one can eavesdrop.”

I tuned into my body, searching for any strange sensations. “Melaya’s not listening in, Esen. I feel no signs of another being’s magical interference. In fact, since I was given the anklet, I’m fairly certain that I never have.”

“Good. But I still prefer to be outside, where the wind and rain will hide my tears.”

Shocked, I shot her a glance. With her tough exterior, it was easy to assume Esen didn’t have any feelings. But clearly, I’d been wrong.

Nearly at the beach, I pointed up the hill. “It would be better if we headed back to the palace. I need to find Estella and—”

She cut me off with a snarl. “Do not tell the queen I took you into that cave. Please, Zali. It will be the death of me.”

“Who should I speak to, then? Who can help me free Orion?”

“No one,” she said, jumping off a flat boulder onto black sand and gesturing for me to follow. “No one can help you do that.”

Wrong answer. Someone had to be willing to help. If there was no other choice, I’d even ask Arrow, which would test his much-professed loyalty and clarify if he was indeed a liar. A matter on which I remained uncertain.

Not a single gull or sea eagle swooped through the slate-gray sky looming over us. Esen’s sobs were audible above the crash of waves and the sizzle of raindrops hitting nearby rocks. My heart broke for her, and I longed to gather her in a tight hug and offer comfort.

With my face upturned and arms spread wide, I spun on the sand, sucking cool air deep into my lungs to clear the horror of the cave from my mind. I stopped turning, my heart filled with compassion, as I took Esen’s hand.

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