Page 141 of Fear the Flames
If they make it over here, they’ll tie me to the bridge before I even have the chance to jump.
“You said I am the Daughter of Flame and Queen of Fire. What did you mean by that?”
“Your soul is forged in flames and blessed by the gods. You’re the only person that can share a link with those dragons. The fire of the gods resides in you,” the priestess answers.
I’ve never been much of a believer. Whenever I prayed to the gods and pleaded for them to alleviate my suffering, I was ignored. The priestess may believe the fire of the gods resides in my soul, but she’s wrong. I rubbed the stones together and set my soul ablaze years ago.
Cayden and Finnian tread backward on the grass and are getting closer, but their attention is drawn to the people they’re arguing with.
The fire of the gods does not reside in me—my own flames do. My flames were not given to me on a whim; I’ve been tending them for years. I bow to nothing other than my crown and kneel to no god.
I am the Daughter of Flame.
I am the Queen of Fire.
I push myself onto the banister and swing my legs over, planting my feet on the small ledge while holding the railing behind me. Anxiety floods my senses as I look down at the rocks below me.
“Elowen!”
“Stop!”
“No!”
“Please!”
Four voices rise from behind me, and footsteps pound against the grass. I sneak a glance over my shoulder and take in the four people I practically went to hell and back with. It wasn’t supposed to be like this; I wasn’t supposed to become attached. We’re just five people with a knack for surviving against all odds. I’ve found people to survive with, but I’ve also found people to risk myself for.
I won’t let them die in this war, knowing I could have done something right now to give us an upper hand. If I don’t do this, then we would have gone to Imirath for nothing. I take in their stricken faces. Finnian pumps his arms so fiercely I wouldn’t be surprised if he flies off the ground. Terrified tears leak from Saskia’s eyes. Ryder clutches his side as he forces himself to keep going. Cayden…Cayden looks like he’s about to rip the earth apart to get to me faster.
“If I die,” I swallow the lump in my throat, “tell them it’s okay. Tell them to win this damn war and that I’m thankful for every minute I spent with them. It was the greatest gift I ever received. Tell Cayden I forgive him and that he’ll be a wonderful king.” Cayden’s betrayal still stings, but I won’t let him live with the agony of an unresolved argument.
I don’t wait for the priestess to answer before I release my hold on the railing and fall forward. Wind rushes through my ears, drowning out any cries I’m leaving behind. My wet hair whips behind me.
Where are the dragons?
I call on the bond, but I can’t grasp anything. The only thing that fills my chest is a sharp sense of panic. My stomach twists and I feel like I need to scream, but I can’t get enough air in to produce one. I’m falling fast, and nobody can save me now, only the dragons. I don’t hear a roar, not a rustle of wings, nothing other than the finality of my decision whipping through me.
I’m halfway down the waterfall, and there’s no sign of them.
Maybe Cayden was wrong; maybe the dragons don’t want me anymore. I left them when they needed me, so why should they come to my aid when I need them? I’m gaining on the sharp rocks below, and I know there’s nothing I can do to help myself; no dagger can get me out of this. I slip my eyes shut and let memories play behind my lids.
My first memory is when Finnian came to Aestilian. That day changed my life for the better. Nothing has brought me as much joy as Finnian has. Saskia dress shopping and beaming my way. She welcomed me into her life from the first day I met her. Ryder’s belly laughter in the tavern while he clutched his pint like his life depended on it. Lastly, my brain snags on Cayden, laughing under me when I tickled him in my bed. It was the first time I ever saw him truly smile without restraint. Then it flashes to Cayden kissing my tears away while we bathed together. Nobody ever made me feel as wanted as he has. I wish we had more time. I wanted to experience so much more with him, with everyone. Time is cruel, you don’t know how much you have left until the end is staring at you in the face and you’re powerless against it.
Water sprays from behind me, and a solid winged figure appears below me. My stomach lands on a hard, scaled back, and I’m whisked into the air. I let out a shriek of relief and wrap my arms around the dragon’s neck.
Venatrix, the name is whispered in my mind.
She throws her head back and screeches into the night air, and four other screeches echo in her wake. I slowly sit up and slide my legs on either side of her body to glance behind me; four dragons follow her. Venatrixstays level, which is goodconsidering I’ll fall off if she maneuvers herself in any other way. She does a lap around the castle before screeching again.
Despite everything that has happened tonight, a smile makes its way onto my face, which transforms into a full-blown grin until I’m laughing in shock while riding a dragon. The wind whips through my wet hair, but the cold is the last thing on my mind. My stomach fills with butterflies that make me throw my head back and stare up at the moon and stars. I’m doing what no other person has ever done; I’m riding a dragon. All those years in the dungeon were trying to steal me away from this, but I’m still here, and I’m flying. I look down and see the lake dance in the moonlight, I watch my friends hug each other on the grass, and I hear the cheers of the people of Vareveth below.
I’m not playing at being queen; I’ve just become a different kind of queen.
The Dragon Queen, Elowen Atarah.
Venatrix gradually dips her flight path and plants her claws in the earth by the lake. The other four dragons follow her lead, and we sit at the point of their pyramid. My chest heaves as I take in the crowd before me.
Ryder is cheering with his fist in the air, and Saskia’s tears of strife have turned into tears of joy. Finnian has his hands clasped together, offering a prayer to the gods. Cayden clutches his chest and looks at me with the sincerest form of relief and pride I’ve ever seen. I feel his gaze in every fiber of my vibrating body. My blood sings from the short flight, and I crave more.
