Page 114 of King of Inferno

“I’ll be waiting.”

Seraphina gets to her feet and shakes her head as if to clear it. I stalk to her right as she begins to move to my left. I punch at the air and a ball of fire flies at her.

I’m taken by surprise when she opens her palm and absorbs it. I nod to myself as I note that something has changed. I’m not going to underestimate her.

“You weren’t expecting that, were you? My parents have unlocked my true powers just for me to kill you and your mate,” she cackles.

I shrug and change course. I run at her, moving lightning fast. Then, I throw a few blows up close. I land a punch to her face and two body shots. From the look on her face, she wasn’t expecting the force behind the blows or how fast I came at her.

I grin at her and dance back before she can counter. She growls and charges at me, bringing out that whip of hers. I have my chakrams holstered at my back, but I don’t reach for them just yet.

Instead, when she lashes the whip at me, I catch it with my palm and wrap it around my hand, yanking her toward me. She falls forward. I use that momentum to spin her and pull her back into me.

When I have her close, I wrap the whip around her neck and tighten my hold with both hands. However, she manages to slip her hands between the whip and her neck.

I don’t let up. I keep tugging as I place a knee in her back. The scent of smoke hits my nostrils and I realize too late she has burned her way through the whip.

I release it and go to shove her forward, but she manages to elbow me first. I groan and stumble back. Chiding myself for bringing her in too close, I shake it off and remind myself that this hall is huge. I need to take advantage of the room.

“It’s not so easy to defeat me all by yourself, is it?” She taunts me.

She flashes before me, but I flash across the room before she can attack. I can tell flashing is new to her because I can read her before she does it. We both begin to flash around the room as she tries again. Her tell gives her way each time.

I decide to go on the offensive and attack the next time she tries to flash at me. She walks right into an uppercut. I knock her on her ass and pounce.

I get on top of her and begin to bang her head on the stone floor beneath her. She wraps her hands around my wrists, trying to pry me off her, but I don’t let go.

She goes to elbow me in the ribs again, but I release her and flash across the room. This time, when she gets to her feet, she begins to resort to her old methods and starts to throw fireballs at me.

I knock them away with my bare hands. I’m beginning to grow tired of this and I still need to help free Bradan. I can feel his agitation.

To my surprise, Seraphina begins to use her palms like flamethrowers. I throw up a shield just as the flames roar toward me. My rage begins to rise. She could hurt my babies with all this bullshit. I want her gone.

Remember.

The word floats through my head as I’m bombarded with memories of Bradan training Api Kecil. I remember her fire wolf coming to life and the power that coursed through her.

As I remember, power begins to rush through me. More power than I’ve ever felt before. It’s greater than the power I felt when I transformed into a flame for the first time.

This is something different. I begin to feel like someone else entirely. Seraphina throws a fireball, trying to break my barrier as she continues with the flames from her other palm.

The barrier does crack as my focus is split. “Taylor, what’s going on?” Bradan’s voice breaks through my head.

“I don’t know. I feel strange,” I reply back.

“Baby, you’re peaking again. Go with it. Don’t fight it. Listen to the words that come to your heart. They will guide you to what’s next.”

Just as he says the words. I begin to feel like I’m going to come out of my body. More memories open up. This time, training with Kendrick fills my mind. I remember my proficiency with the chakrams. I remember the fierce determination that superseded my skills.

I now have the skills and the power; I just need to demonstrate that heart and fierceness. It’s like someone whispers in my ear. I know the words to speak, and I understand what they mean.

I feel them in my heart just as Bradan said I would when we stood together in this very place. I repeat the words that come to me.

“Ben kraliçeyim.”

Seraphina

My eyes grow wide as this bitch transforms before me. Behind her stands a replica of the little bitch. It raises its head and stretches as it comes to its full height as if awakening from slumber.

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