Page 17 of Heiress of Fire

Davina jolted backward, away from the Predators. Her eyes froze on the Predators’ bodies that jerked in violent contortions.

“Quick, Davina. Get behind me!” Abigail shouted. Davina’s frozen limbs obeyed the Master’s command. Beacon, Caleb, Leilani, Valerie, and Snow stood near the Chief Leaders, their hands motioning for her to hurry off the Bridge.

“The blood of Bellatorm will be on your hands.”

Davina watched their formation carefully.

“The ichor of your family will be your responsibility.”

She furrowed her brow as she stood behind Master Abigail. The Master twirled her sword in hand. Davina observed her friends that surrounded her, their jaws were tight, fingers curled around the hilt of their knives and swords.

“Your King will not save you, he has abandoned you completely.”

Davina’s hair flew as she turned. The Predators stood in their place. Dark spumes formed inside their mouths as they shook uncontrollably, the dark coals in their eyes were replaced with their usual green and brown, and a swift panic flashed through their gaze.

Their bodies dropped to the stone floor, never removing their stare from Davina. She knew that she was staring into the eyes of the real habitants of those Basalan bodies.

The Basalans had retrieved consciousness while they were struggling against the force that was making them violently tremble across the floor.

“No,” Davina whispered, her eyes stinging with tears. Davina ran toward the Bridge. Strong arms wrapped around her, carrying her back onto the shore of Castellum.

“Beacon, let me go!” she struggled in his arms. She set her foot on the ground while curling her fingers inward. Heat emanated from her fists. Her punches collided with his arms and chest. He gasped and released her.

Beacon looked at the red splotches on his arms, she’d burned him. His alarmed eyes met with her bright purple as she breathed heavily through gritted teeth, heat dancing along her fingertips.

She faced the twitching bodies on the Basalt shore.

“Davina,” he began. Davina snapped her gaze to him. Beacon gulped as he stared into her violet eyes, and she was able to see the slight hesitance in his demeanor.

Davina turned back again to the people who were lying on the ground, their life was coming to an end. Their breathing was beginning to slow, their shudders were growing weaker.

The intensity of her fire grew at her fists, her chest, and her brain. She felt it racing through her veins at rapid speed. She had to find out who was behind the Predators. Who had this person been? Why were they doing this? What did she have to do with everything?

She’d known already that the Predators would die almost immediately after enunciating an attack against the others. She’d known and heard about the effects this dark magic would have on the bodies of those who were possessed, but she had never seen someone die before her eyes. Davina had never felt responsible for these deaths until now, until finding out that this person, this villain, was using the Predators to look for her, to call for her attention.

What if all those people died because she never stepped forward before?

She hated the feeling of guilt that wrapped around her heartstrings. People were dying, children would have to live without their parents. Husbands and wives would continue a life without their beloved. Mothers and fathers had to live through the unnatural death of their own flesh and blood.

Could it really be her fault? What if Micah, Genevieve, and Emmy were next? What if her parents died? Who would sustain the children? She didn’t have a prosperous job.

“Davina, look at me,” Leilani began. She reached for Davina’s shoulder, her finger grazed over Davina’s light brown skin. Leilani snapped her hand back as a hiss followed immediately and a red spot appeared over her fingertips. Caleb appeared beside Lani and examined her blistered hand.

Snow, accompanied by Valerie, approached her. Valerie went to inspect Beacon’s sizzling chest and Snow grabbed Davina’s arm.

“I don’t care if you’re going through a mental breakdown right now, but you cannot allow them to see your weakness. Snap out of it,” Snow muttered, pulling her away from the Bridge, their skin sizzling smoke at the contact. Davina watched, through her purple vision, Snow’s eyes were glowing a bright silver.

An icy spike rushed from her hand into her chest. The cold against her heat was calming, dimming the fire that appeared within her eyes and had heated her skin.

Davina sighed as she lowered her chin, shoulders slumping. Snow released Davina’s arm.

Snow was right, the others would start to talk. If only Ron was here. She couldn’t help but wish for the comfort of his embrace, and the ring of his soothing voice.

She raised her eyes and looked at her friends. In unison, they exhaled in relief. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare any of you. I just—” she began.

“We understand,” Valerie interrupted.

“I can only imagine what you’re feeling right now, D,” Caleb said with a small smile. Leilani and Beacon nodded in agreement as Snow avoided eye contact with Davina.

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