Page 90 of King of Fire and Flames

“All that matters is that you pay for today’s crimes. Put him in chains, Melaya,” Azarn ordered. “And while I decide what to do with you, Storm King, you will reside in a cell, and your Aldara will be punished for your deeds. Zali will be my son’s pet, and through her, we shall control you. You will write the Zareen pretty letters and maintain the Gold Accords with Auryinnia. From now on, my court will manage the trade or the human you profess not to care about will suffer. Fight us now, and she will be tortured immediately. As we speak, my soldiers are on their way to find her.”

Beside me, Arrow ground his teeth together.

Shit, shit, shit.

“If you know where Zali is, you had better tell me now,” said Azarn.

“Zali prefers to sleep late. I assume she is in her room,” said Ari at the same time as Arrow said, “This has nothing to do with the human.”

Melaya conjured a red beam of magic, blasting it directly into Arrow’s chest. He collapsed on the sand with a thud.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

He had better not be dead.

I waited three seconds before I saw his chest rise and fall. Then I turned and bolted up the hillside. At the top of the cliffs, I stopped briefly and watched Melaya produce another mergelyn anklet from a ball of flames that spun on his palm before he fastened the damned thing around Ari’s leg.

With loud screeches, the guardians took to the air, and I sprinted toward the palace, praying I would make it to my room before Azarn’s guards arrived.

Chapter 28

Leaf

Praying the orchid’s magic would keep me invisible, I raced up the tower stairs, then dashed past Raiden and Zaret, who were arguing with two of Azarn’s guards outside the door to my chamber, which, thank the dust, was still ajar.

“And I’ll say it again—you still don’t have permission to enter,” Raiden told them as I darted into the bathroom and ripped my clothes off faster than a bandage stuck to a wound.

I leaped into the now-cold bath water and scrubbed my skin mercilessly, attempting to wash the petal juice from my skin while the argument continued outside.

Boots pounded on the stairs, then I heard the Fire King’s voice, rasping so low I couldn’t make out his words.

“As I said, Zali is in the bath.” Raiden's voice again.

“Move aside,” said Azarn.

Oh, gods. If he entered the bathroom and saw… nothing, I’d be royally fucked.

“Princess Zali, are you in there?” asked Azarn from my bedroom.

“Yes. But I’m not dressed.”

“And she hasn’t left her room at all this morning?” Azarn asked, voice muffled as if he’d turned away.

“Of course not,” Raiden replied. “We’ve been positioned here since before dawn. What’s going on?”

“Did Arrowyn order you to guard her?”

“Yes,” replied Raiden.

“King Azarn, if you tell us what has happened, perhaps—”

“Never mind,” said the king, cutting off Zaret. “Guards, arrest them.”

The sounds of a scuffle reverberated through the walls—muffled thuds, grunts, weapons clashing, then boots scraping as though Azarn’s soldiers dragged Raiden and Zaret down the tower stairs.

“Guard her door until I tell you otherwise,” said the king to his men. “And leave the door ajar so you’ll hear if she gets up to mischief. The Earth Princess is not to leave her room. Understood?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” gruff voices rumbled.

---