Page 15 of Heiress of Fire

“Let us see her!” A deep voice raged.

“Get ready Davina,” Leilani whispered.

Valerie pulled out her sword, and Leilani pulled out a dagger.

Davina didn’t have her assigned weapon yet, since she’d only receive it in her Soldatus ceremony. She instead pulled forth her purple fire and watched the five most important leaders of Bellatorm discussing the matters of the attack. Ice crystallized into the hands of Neptulans, and fire and light lit up the dark atmosphere. Winds passed through the crowd of warriors that stood behind Master Abigail and the four Chief Leaders.

She was able to glimpse Basalans with coal-black eyes, inky fingertips, and black goo dripping from their gaped lips.

They stumbled closer to the entrance of Basalt Bridge. The ground below rumbled louder as they seemed to be marching into a formation. A large Basalan man stood in the middle, leading the army of the Predators.

They were looking for more Prey.

Her flames crackled brightly above her palms as she listened intently. Beacon and Caleb pushed through the crowd.

“What are you here for?” Abigail’s demanding voice echoed.

Davina had never seen the Predators in action before. She had only seen the aftermath, the Prey suffering from the calamities that the Predators had caused: hunger, unemployment, orphans, pestilence, death, and darkness.

Her family had not been attacked yet, and she was grateful for that, but she couldn’t help but imagine her family being the ones suffering. A sort of indignation sparked in her being each time she saw children suffer the consequences of the attacks.

“I seek the one named beloved,” a voice boomed. All of them speaking at once, moving as one. Their dark eyes searched the other side of the Bridge, into Castellum. Davina watched them through the gaps of the throng that surrounded her.

“Beloved?” Davina whispered.

“Who is this beloved?” Abigail asked.

That was the meaning of her name.

“The girl born of violet and fire,” they rasped.

Davina turned to Beacon as his alarmed look confirmed what she was thinking. The crowd of Soldiers and Apprentices slowly turned to her, blinking with widened eyes.

Valerie and Leilani looked at Davina with worried creases between their brows.

“Why would they call you?” Caleb asked.

“Did you do anything? Anything that could cause them to think of you?” Leilani asked.

“Nothing. I haven’t done anything,” Davina stuttered.

She could hear the Predators growling from where she stood. That was when she noticed the drool that covered their grimy tunics.

The multitude of her fellow companions of war parted in the middle, allowing her a clear path and view of Master Abigail and the Predators on opposite sides of the Bridge of Basalt.

“Come forward, girl.”

Davina cringed at the number of pupils that gazed at her, all of them with questioning looks.

She wished for someone to tell her what to do. She hadn’t known whether to hide or face the Predators. What did they want from her? What could she possibly give to them? A Bellatorman Aurisan girl with unusual fire powers, who was she anyway?

Her ears rang before they became completely silent and all she could hear was the oxygen that traveled in and out of her lungs. She could not hide, she had to face this. She had to be brave. She had to, for Micah, Genevieve, and Emmy.

Taking one step forward, Beacon brushed past Valerie and grabbed her arm. She turned to him.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked.

“I have to go.” Davina motioned toward the Basalan Predators.

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