Page 98 of Heiress of Fire

A marriage plan was never something she dreamed about. Not when she grew up in the home in which she lived. Davina believed that when the time would come, with the man that she loved, she’d pick out all those options without a second thought and be happy about it. But she wasn’t.

Davina closed her eyes, pressuring herself to turn off all the emotions that were flooding into her chest.

Silence filled her mind once she focused on the beat of her heart, the air that was traveling through her nostrils, and into her lungs.

She had to focus on her fiancé.

After slowing down the palpitations in her chest, she decided to head for the training rooms of the fortress to blow off all the negative energy she had bouncing around inside of her. Best it be with a sandbag than with anyone else. Possibly even Ashira now that she thought about it.

Davina was walking toward the steps of Castellum when two figures by the Mistran Bridge caught her eye.

She’d never mistake his dark hair with anyone else’s. Her breath hitched.

It was Ron with Ashira. Caleb had told her that they were a couple, but this was the first time she had seen them with her own eyes. She didn’t want to believe it, but there it was. The basket that Isaiah had given Davina sat above the sandy floor.

The little blonde knew about Ron and Davina. Everyone knew. Yet, Ashira always acted so innocently whenever she was sent by Isaiah to give messages to her. The Captain wondered which of her secrets did Ron tell the girl. Which of her vulnerabilities were known to the world because of him?

Ron had his alluring smirk over his face as he looked at Ashira who was wearing a smile that seemed to be a little too perfect. Her blonde hair ran in waves, similar to her power of controlling water element. She was everything Davina wasn’t. Long blonde hair, blue eyes, thin, and sweet.

Jealousy pierced Davina’s heart.

Ashira pulled out a cloth from her satchel. Brown little stains covered parts of the rag. Davina’s eyes grew dark as she smelled the butter and chocolate from where she stood. Ashira dared to bake him chocolate chip cookies, their favorite. Exactly how Davina used to.

The blonde girl laughed.

Davina focused on the white fabric in Ashira’s hands.

A smirk appeared over Davina’s face when she saw the baked goods turn hard as rock and black as Raven’s soul before they fell out of Ashira's hands and onto the sand.

“I’m so sorry, I don’t know what happened. I swear they weren’t like this when I took them out of the oven.”

Davina gazed upon the flowers that Isaiah had gifted to her and decided to do just the same. Smoke began to smother the basket as the roses wilted and died in color. Ashira shrieked and began to fan the flowers.

“These were for Miss Davina. I’m going to get punished,” Ashira cried.

“It’s okay, don’t worry. We’ll see what we can do about it right now,” Ron reassured her as he kneeled to help pick up the burnt cookies from the sand, setting them back into the white towel.

As he dusted off the sand from the white fabric, Ron looked around before he locked eyes with Davina. He shook his head as disappointment flashed through his eyes.

Her smirk remained on her lips as she lifted her hand and slowly waved. She could almost hear him sighing as she turned and walked up the stoned staircase.

The victorious moment she rejoiced in ended when several Neptulus Soldiers ran out of Castellum and toward the Neptulan Bridge. Davina’s smirk fell slowly as their boots clicked over the graveled steps. She rushed to the nearest Neptulan Soldier, grabbing the woman’s arm.

“What happening? Why is everyone rushing to Neptulus?”Davina asked.

The woman’s blonde braids whipped as she looked to her native Bridge and then at Davina. “The Dark Mistress sent Lowly Predators to Neptulus. I’m sorry, Captain, but I must go.”

The Neptulan freed herself from Davina’s grip.

“I’m going with you!” Davina yelled.

“It’s best you don’t. We were told to head to our island to identify the deceased Lowlys,” the blue-uniformed Soldier explained before running after the rest of her Neptulan neighbors.

Davina sighed before rubbing her eyes. “Magnar, help me.”

TWENTY-SEVEN

Night reigned among the islands of Bellatorm. Davina observed the moon and its craters through the branches of the tree in which she was hiding, amazed by how beautiful the moon could be even with its imperfections.

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