Page 91 of King of Fire and Flames

Silently, I climbed out of the bath and dried off. By the time I’d gotten back into my clothes, a quick check in the mirror confirmed that I was still invisible. At least I’d learned something new. Water had no effect on the orchid petals’ magic.

The Storm Court fae were likely imprisoned in the palace cells or held under guard in their rooms. So currently, my options to help them were limited. But before the petal’s effect wore off, I needed to find Estella and beg her assistance. While she had no desire to endanger her despicable son by getting involved herself, the fae of the Star Court wielded significant power. Perhaps she could convince them to intervene.

But first, I had to track her down.

Fortunately, during the last two weeks, I had paid special attention to the royal family’s habits and learned that most days, the queen ate lunch alone in her private garden behind the fire conservatory. According to Ruhh, she never let anyone join her. Not even her precious son, Bakhur.

It was easy to slip past Azarn’s guards, who were busy bouncing fire balls down the stairs to see whose would be the first to ricochet off the walls and back onto the landing in front of my chamber.

I jumped over their beams of magic, essentially hopping down the stairs, and when I reached the bottom, I breathed a sigh of relief to find all my limbs still attached and in reasonable working order.

Passing court servants and a few soldiers, I hurried through the city, thankful no one could see me as I ducked out of the path of merchants' carts and darted away from the spray of erupting fire geysers dotted throughout the gardens.

Before long, the conservatory’s stained glass came into view, glinting under the midday sun. I stopped a moment to catch my breath and admire its captivating beauty. Then I zipped past the guards and pushed through the entrance, blinking in the darkness for a moment until the flames around the bottom of the windows ignited.

Behind me, the clueless guards grumbled about the gust of wind that had blown open the door and seemingly ruined their day.

My footsteps echoed as I ran past tropical plants glowing red and blue in the diffused light, and then skirted around the empty black table that Azarn and his family had occupied four days ago.

A loud whooshing noise crackled behind me, and a quick glance over my shoulder confirmed the seven tanourans had peeled their fiery bodies off the walls and now danced with gusto toward me.

I ran faster until I slammed into the back wall made of opaque glass, sparks from the advancing fire creatures scorching my clothes. The glass shuddered beneath my thumping fists.

“Estella, it’s Zali. Please let me in. I need to speak to you urgently.”

Silence.

The tanourans came so close I could see the gape of their eye sockets and mouths filled with razor-sharp teeth and fire. So much terrifying fire.

“Estella! Please, Azarn is holding Arrow prisoner, and the tanourans are about to burn me alive.”

An opening materialized in the wall. I stepped through it, spinning on my heel in time to see the glass melt closed behind me.

Surrounded by darkness again, I squinted and blinked, hoping my eyes would soon adjust. Slowly, the glow of colorful mushrooms and flowers became visible, growing in clusters below the glittering branches of an enormous weeping willow. On the ceiling high above, stars ranged in an inky sky, as if the sun had no dominion here and it was always nighttime inside these enchanted walls.

Ruhh had called it the queen’s garden, but it was more of a room, glamoured to appear like the outdoors at night. A strange in-between place that thrummed with old magic and I had no desire to dwell in for long.

The remains of a luncheon were laid out on a small table—a crystal goblet on its side, silver plates scattered with bread and cheese crumbs. Behind the table, the queen herself sat facing a pond, her long hair streaming around her like a cape of darkest midnight.

I cleared my throat. “Queen Estella, I’m so sorry. I hope I didn’t interrupt you,” I said, meeting her far-away gaze as her head swiveled in my direction, the movement more birdlike than fae or human.

She smiled and beckoned me over. “The petal’s effect is wearing off, Zali. Parts of your body are flickering in and out of visibility. And you’re not interrupting me. I was merely spying on the Star Court and missing home. I welcome a diversion from my sadness. Please, come sit and tell me what has happened.”

I settled on the queen’s left, laughing when I saw my reflection in the silvery water—my face and limbs wavering like a mirage in the Light Realm desert.

Estella waved her hand, and magic vibrated against my clothes, tickling my skin. “That’s better,” she said, scanning me from head to toe. “Now, I can see you. I’ll give you a piece of jewelry when you leave that will keep you invisible until you remove it in your chamber. It’s more reliable than those wretched orchid petals.”

“Thank you,” I said before taking a long breath to slow my racing heart. “I think Azarn has locked Arrow and Esen in a cell somewhere, possibly Raiden and Zaret, too. And he’s taken control of Ari.”

“The Storm King’s Sayeeda? That was bold of him, but my husband is ever a fool in the pursuit of power. Did they get the orc to safety?”

“Yes, and Bakhur is safe, too. Although, it was a close call. Azarn arrived just as the grymarians were about to make a meal of us.”

“A mother always feels when her children have suffered great harm. I knew Bakhur was well. You were fortunate Azarn showed up when he did. If he hadn’t, you would all be dead.”

“I never thought I’d be grateful for your husband’s interference, but I guess I am. Sort of.”

“Zali, you must get the storm fae out of the dungeon below the moat and help Arrowyn restore balance to the realms. Azarn must die, perhaps even Bakhur, too. I wish things were different, but he has chosen to follow in his father’s footsteps, not mine. As Taln’s heir, he will only seek to destabilize the realms for his own ends.”

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