Page 127 of Shrine of Fire

“You are a liar and a cheat, and no son of mine,” Father snarled. “You will hang for this atrocity. Seize him!”

Maybe I had been too hasty when I assumed my father valued a blood heir.

In that moment, I had never loved Stefan more. He stood there, proud of being a beta and shoving it in his father’s face.

I could have kissed him, but the court guards were hesitantly walking toward us.

“Is this how you do things here?” I snapped. “Your Crown Prince has brought you riches and glory and you repay him by sending us to the gallows?”

“He is a beta. A liar and a cheat,” the King snapped. “He has no place on the throne.”

“Because he’s a beta?” I glanced around the room. “You’re saying betas aren’t worthy of ruling?”

“Only alphas can make the Royal Pack, so when he gets a whelp on you, I’ll know it’s mine.” The Ember King glared at me.

“That’s the stupidest thing I ever heard. This is how countries fail, you know. They allow tyrants like you to rule with their ego.” I made eye contact with the gathered nobles glancing between us and the king with fear. “I was here three months ago with Zara, begging for resources to stop the omega from breaking the Shrine of Everlasting Fire, and you laughed in our faces.”

The mutters around us got louder.

“The Shrine broke, as we told you it would. I arrived to repair it and pledged myself to your son in good faith.” I linked my arm in Stefan’s. “During my time honoring your customs, I’ve fallen in love with the Crown Prince. We offer nothing but strength to Ember Island, but you would throw it all away because we didn’t bond a man who wished to swindle you?”

I made my disbelief ring through the air, to force the nobles to see the life they were living.

“Because it is law,” the king snapped. “Guards, do not disobey me again.”

I stepped closer to my pack, as Lord Baylin and his courtiers pulled away from us. I glanced at Lady Pelissa and her group. They wouldn’t even look at me, like I was already dead.

So be it.

“If this is your decree, then I will take my pack to the Shrine of Everlasting Fire, and you will be dealt with as a hostile nation.” I glanced at the guards, like they were bugs beneath my notice. “We have the backing of the Omega Sanctuary. Other nations saw the wisdom in making agreements with us, so they will have some say over how spirit magic will shape the future of our world. If you choose to be part of the dark ages, then so be it.”

I stepped back, as though we were about to walk out of there.

I wouldn’t let them hurt us. Worst case scenario, we would head straight to the Shrine of Everlasting Fire.

“You’ll do no such thing.” The Ember King stood up. “That Shrine is mine to—”

Cold anguish blasted over the room.

People shouted. Some of the guards fainted. Torches in the wall sconces flickered and died, sending the room into a malevolent gloom.

Hella Mora appeared, hovering over the throne. Her white shroud was torn and tattered, her black hair hanging stringy around her waist.

The King stared at the spirit and turned fishbelly white. “That’s…what is…”

“Well, shit.” Hashir tapped my shoulder. “I don’t think we’re going to get another chance.”

It had been a beautiful plan. Too bad we didn’t get to use it.

“We have the seals,” Stefan said. “Let’s do it now.”

Hella Mora raised her hands. “Soon you will all die.”

She shrieked, and people around us dropped to the ground, crying. The room went grayish white with mist, and the Ember King fell to his knees.

“Please spirit, spare me. I am a great king, from great lines. Do not turn it to dust.”

“It will all turn to dust,” Hella Mora wailed. “Give in now. This will all be swallowed by the sea.”

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