Page 2 of Hearts on Fire

Zenada shifted from foot to foot impatiently.

“I should take these to the kitchen.” She placed the bread platter on her shoulder. “If Mother has any news from the king for us, she’d announce it inside. You probably should come with me if you want to hear it.”

I didn’t feel nearly as eager as Zenada to hear what the king had to say. After that tragic and turbulent first week at the Sanctuary, life here had finally settled into some routine. Despite the back-breaking labor it took to simply survive in these harsh conditions, the slow pace of life here appealed to me. My body had all but healed by now. And my soul had grown numb enough for me to go on in relative peace.

I wasn’t looking forward to any potential disruptions of this quiet existence. But I followed Zenada to the main hall of the Sanctuary to find out the news.

We weren’t the only ones there. Almost all of thesalamandrasof the Sanctuary had already gathered by the stone perches around the statue of their goddess. The Sanctuary was small enough for the news of the cloud owl’s arrival to have spread almost instantly.

Mother exited from the semi-darkness of the inner rooms. The snow-white owl was perched on her shoulder. With its wings folded, the bird wasn’t as big as it had seemed before.

“Get ready, sisters,” Mother said, tilting her head in a dignified manner. “King Edkhar wishes to see us in the Bozyr Peak. We’re leaving tomorrow, right after sunrise.”

A wave of whispers rustled between the women. Some seemed excited, like Zenada, who clenched her hands to her chest, her eyes alight with anticipation. Others looked worried.

“How many of us will go this time?” someone asked.

“Everyone,” Mother replied.

“Me too?” I blurted out, unsure how I felt about going.

Mother rested her stare on me. Long and unblinking, it sent a shiver of unease down my spine.

“You too, Amber,” she said somberly, then moved her attention to the others. “We’ll all go. The Sanctuary will be locked for the time being.”

Zenada took a small step forward. “We can’t leave right after sunrise. The dragons won’t have enough time to come get us.”

Mother pursed her lips before replying, “The king is not sending anyone to get us this time. He wishes for us to walk.”

“All the way to the castle?” someone gasped.

“Yes. All the way to his castle on the Bozyr Peak.” Mother’s gaze hardened. She clenched her hand around the lizard pendant over her chest. “That is his punishment for harboring a venomous one.”

The memory of the day when Isar was taken resonated painfully in my heart. Getting his hands on the woman clearly wasn’t enough for the vengeful king. He also wished to punish all those who had shared the Sanctuary with her.

Someone said softly behind me, “This won’t be the end of the punishment, I fear.”

I whipped around to see who had said that. Everyone in the group of women behind me, however, stared straight ahead with the same expression on their faces. Their mouths shut. Their faces serene. Resigned to their fate.

“Amber,” Mother said on her way to the exit to release the messenger owl. “You don’t need to use the scarlet root paste for your hair anymore.”

She went out into the courtyard, leaving me puzzled.

What did she mean? Did she want me to let my hair grow now? After making it clear how dangerous it was?

I knew I didn't trust Mother. Only now I wasn't sure which version of her I should trust less, the one that wanted me bald or the one who didn’t.

A weight pressed on my chest. At least now I knew how I felt about going to the Bozyr Peak—I dreaded it.

Two

AMBER

We’d been walking for hours along the snow-covered passage between the mountains, hours that felt like years. By now, I could hardly remember when the world around me was not just endless black rocks, freezing snow, and bitter cold wind.

I fell behind our line of women in red. Zenada stopped, waiting for me to catch up.

“Not long now,” she said, grabbing me under my arm.

---