Page 81 of The Kingdom of Flames

Tristien turned to the carriage, unhooking Celestine. She couldn’t believe it. Then he threw her a blanket that he used to sit upon his cushions.

“Cover yourself.”

Celestine took the blanket, wrapping it around her nude form.

She made to step to Aidric, but the Captain raised a hand and stared at Lord Solis. His circlet was ablaze. You could hear whips and screams from his brow.

Thirty, maybe forty guards emerged from hidden places around the manor. Each wore a blindfold.

So they cannot look upon me.

"Remove your covers!” Tristien shouted. They did. Bows readied.

“This will not be allowed, Lord Solis,” Captain Aidric’s voice showed no waver.

He does not fear Lord Solis. He should.

“Leave my lands, do not return. Inform Calendar the Final Bride has made her choice.”

“She has made no such choice.”

Tristien smiled with such cruelty that Celestine had to look away. “She made the choice the moment she came to my lands. I remember no tears cresting your mask when the brides of years past wept and cried out for help as the Lords of Season fell upon them in our hunt.”

“An agreement was made,” Aidric stated. “You must relinquish her.”

“Will you die here to take her now?”

“I will return to remove her, Lord Solis.”

I will return… he does not mean now. Oh gods.

Aidric turned and walked from the courtyard, unbothered by the entirety of the garrison poised to attack him. Whether he was a man, a wraith, or something in between, Celestine admired his poise and courage.

When the end comes, and it will, I hope I face it as strongly as he does.

“Place your covers!” Tristien shouted. He was losing control. Celestine turned, but Aidric was gone. The guards hurried to cover their eyes.

“Give me that!” Tristien spat, ripping the blanket away from her. Celestine covered herself or tried to, but she knew it was too late. Two guards on the parapet attempted to avert their gaze, having dropped their blindfolds.

In a moment, his whip sang out, so long and fast, twice, like lightning striking. Longer than it had any right to be. The men screamed, holding faces that poured blood. They fell blind from the heights in sick crashes.

“Get inside.” Tristien’s face darkened, his circlet humming with power.

Celestine ran up the stairs, her body in agony. When she stumbled from the cramps in her legs, Lord Solis seized her arm and dragged her inside.

“They dare…” he was speaking to himself. “Insolent fool.” He spun Celestine around, eyes blazing yellow. “You will never leave here. Ever. Come now… I want you to meet your sisters.”

What that meant, she had no idea. But she knew her punishment for speaking to Aidric would be terrible. Tristien marched her up the tower, past rows of blindfolded servants and attendants. Save for James, who walked up to Tristien.

“Lord Solis, I hope your outing was pleasant.”

Tristien backhanded James so hard he crashed into the wall. Despite the terrible blow, he righted himself, wincing, head down.

“No one steps foot on this estate without my permission. Not the nobles, not the slaves, not the mirrored.”

“Absolutely, Lord Solis. Absolutely.”

“Bring my masonry tools to the west tower.”

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