Page 113 of Heiress of Fire

“Why do you seem so surprised?” she asked. “You couldn’t possibly think that I wouldn’t be at your trail.”

Davina stopped as Raven stood before her, she quickly dropped her bag on the Bridge and conjured her fists of fire. “What do you want, Raven? I’m not in the mood.”

“I can see that,” Raven quirked, her voice a bit muffled from the mask. “I’m only here to deliver a message to you.”

“Get with it,” Davina spat. Her violet fire reflected brightly over Raven’s iron mask.

Raven hid an arm behind her back, Davina clenched her fists even tighter.

“Relax, princess,” Raven mused.

The Dark Mistress pulled out a white card with gold foiling surrounding it. The card shined under the moonlight.

“How did you get your claws on that?”

It was the invitation card for Val and Beacon’s wedding.

“Let’s say I have my ways.” Raven shrugged.

Davina could almost imagine Raven’s smirk.

“I want you to go to that wedding and I want you to stay there a long time,” Raven sassed.

“What’s it to you?” Davina asked, sensing the presence of six others behind her.

“You’re going to the ceremony and the celebration. I know parties aren’t your thing, but I have plans and I can’t have you ruining them.”

“You’re delusional if you think I’m going to do anything that you ask of me,” Davina deadpanned.

“Because I know how much you care for those creatures you call siblings. And I also know where to find that Mistran freak with the lightning,” Raven said, leaning her elbow on her waist, the card dangling between her long black nails.

Under Raven’s white porcelain skin, Davina was able to glimpse what seemed to be dark ink across her forearm. It slowly traveled from her forearm to her wrist and then colored her fingertips a deep black. The white parchment turned into dark particles above her palms. Raven wiggled her fingers; the wind pushed the ashes into the sea that surrounded the Bridge.

“Do what I asked, and they will be left untouched,” Raven warned. “I truly don’t wish for those children to suffer more than they already have.”

Davina contemplated her next moves.

“I see you have your thinking face on. If you so much as send someone out of the party to spy on me or you try to trick me, there will be consequences. And trust me, I will find out.”

Davina sensed the figures behind her get closer. She pulled both of her star knives out of her holster and threw them into two Main Predator’s chests. Their dark blood splattered on her arm. Davina hissed as their ichor fell over her skin. She then pulled out a small dagger and marched to the nearest Predator. The young female Predator ducked Davina’s slice, Davina used the moment that the Predator was pulling herself back up to lodge the knife into her throat.

She then kicked the other’s neck, causing it to crack under her boot, before giving her full attention to the last two standing Predators. The Basalan Predator came forward and did a right hook, Davina ducked and grabbed the Predator’s face then slammed him onto the stone Bridge.

The last standing Predator wore dark orange clothing, an Aurisan. He had a long sword in his hand and began to slice at Davina. Davina could feel the Main Predator growing tired. The young Captain felt hot liquid drip from her left cheek.

Davina kicked his hand, but the sword remained tightly gripped in his large hand. The burns of the Predator’s blood on her skin throbbed with intensity before the Main Predator made a successful gash across her thigh, she gasped.

She sent a wild blaze at his free hand. The sword dropped from his grip as he groaned and swatted the purple flames that leeched his flesh.

The Captain decided to use her fire and incinerate him completely until he was nothing but ashes. The last remaining Main Predator dropped to the floor with his skin and leathers charred and scorched.

Quickly, she ripped a hidden dagger from a hidden holster and threw it in Raven’s direction. Only to find black smoke where Raven once stood.

Her chest convulsed as she panted and the pain of the gash in her thigh screamed.

Davina pulled onto her fire, her hands becoming enflamed with violet light, but the wounds didn’t disappear like they usually did. She unlit her fire and let it crackle again, but the lesion didn’t heal.

Davina sighed in frustration, tears brimming her eyes as she bit down on her lip, ripping open one of her sleeves and wrapping it around her thigh, almost shrieking from the rupture of her skin which felt like it ran deep into her bones.

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