Page 92 of King of Fire and Flames

A branch snapped overhead, then a snow-white owl swooped onto Estella’s right shoulder, its crystalline wings shining like faceted rainbow moonstone.

“Hello, Feydar,” the queen said, stroking the creature’s head while it inspected me through wide, golden eyes. “I know you dislike traveling in the daylight, but I need you to find Azarn and tell me what he is up to. Also, please find out how the Storm Court fae are faring. Take care, and hurry back with your report.”

With a deep hoot, the owl launched off Estella’s shoulder and disappeared into thin air, the sound of its wings flapping the only sign it flew through the doorway she had opened.

“Don’t worry, Zali. Your friends should be safe. We have time to make a plan,” Estella said, stroking my cheek with cool fingers. “My husband won’t kill Arrowyn and the Sayeeda. He needs them alive to keep Auryinnia in line. Without the Storm King, the auron kanara cannot be fed, the reavers will die without their feathers, and the entire gold trade will grind to a halt.”

“I know,” I said. “Without Arrow, all the realms are destabilized.”

Estella smiled, displaying a row of pointed teeth. “And yet, not long ago, you were scheming to kill him yourself.”

Heat flushed over my cheeks. “I’m far too vengeful. It’s a terrible character flaw. I know it. But I promise I’m working on it.”

Estella laughed. “You and the Storm King are well-matched.”

“Tell me about Melaya’s brother. How do we get to him? He’s the key to defeating Azarn, isn’t he?”

She nodded. “My husband keeps Nukala locked in his apartments, only letting him roam free every now and then to appease Melaya and show his pet off to the court.”

“Can you enter these apartments?”

“Of course, but I rarely do. I cannot bear the sight of him caged. As you have seen, Melaya’s block limits my power, but it is still usable. Nukala has a fetish, a fantasy if you like, about intimacy with humans. He is fascinated by your species.”

“Why?” I asked.

“In this court, he is weak. Most fae don’t realize that without him, Melaya’s power is significantly reduced. Nukala despises being seen as powerless and yearns to control someone weaker than himself. I will tell him that as punishment for the Storm Court’s release of Orion, Azarn has agreed to let him play with you for a short period.”

“He wants me?”

She laughed. “In truth, any female human would do, and at present, you’re the only one available. I will visit Nukala on the evening of your wedding and inform him you’ll be brought to his chamber just before you say the vows that will make you Bakhur’s wife. He will take great pleasure in the idea of having you before his prince does.”

“Okay,” I said through a grimace, hoping I wouldn’t actually be left alone with Nukala. “Then what?”

“I’ll tell him I’ve discovered that water neutralizes your Aldara mark. I’ll run a bath under the pretense of allowing him to do whatever he wants with you for one hour and convince him to get into the tub to wait for you. When he does, I’ll overpower him and hold him under water for approximately twenty minutes. This will block Melaya’s power but won’t be long enough to kill Nukala. His magic will allow him to breathe underwater for at least that duration of time. Your court will have a small window of time in which your powers will function normally. I suggest you make the most of it.”

“Why not kill Nukala? Wouldn’t that solve all our problems?”

“As soon as Nukala died, Melaya would know it. He’d kill Arrowyn and alert the entire court to your attack. Even with his power reduced, none of you would survive his wrath.”

“But with his twin dead, Melaya couldn’t reinstate the block on our magic. It would be a fair fight between him and Arrow, right?”

“Wrong. Even death cannot sever the mergelyn twin’s connection. Residual magic will flow between them for some time, and the block will likely return for an hour or so before petering away.”

“Shit. So how does holding Nukala under water work?”

“It’s simple. Water extinguishes fire.”

“Oh, I see. And after you let Nukala out of the bath, what will he do to you?”

“He is always drunk. He will fight badly, but I’ll only kill him if I must. Only in self-defense and after you’ve disposed of Azarn.”

“What you did the day we fought in the arena was truly breathtaking. You could use your cosmic magic to kill them all. Destroy the mages and Azarn. Why haven’t you?”

“At the time of my marriage to Azarn, magical blood bonds were created to ensure that if he was ever murdered, our son’s life force would leech from his body in a slow, excruciating death. I’ve worked tirelessly to rehabilitate Bakhur, hoping I could guide him toward the light of kindness and empathy, never wanting harm to come to him. But now I see there is no other choice.”

“So you’ve put up with Azarn’s tyranny to save Bakhur?”

“Yes, and also, if I killed Azarn and Melaya, the Star Court would view me as a criminal and a traitor to my adopted home. I couldn’t bear returning to them in disgrace. But… if I assisted others who were repressed by cruelty to free themselves and keep peace in the realms, then my people would look favorably upon my actions.”

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