Page 82 of Caress of Fire
Marielle watched, her mind still rebelling, as Silva turned to her. Disdain was set on Silva’s features as she cocked her head, staring down at Marielle like she would at a cockroach.
“We looked everywhere for you.” Marielle couldn’t stop looking at the young girl, her mind in a blank. “What are you doing?”
Silva’s disdain morphed into mockery and she scoffed at Marielle.
“Just like a human, too dim-witted to understand.” Silva’s soft words hit Marielle like a blow. “You are a disease and I am the cure.”
Silva motioned to the Knat-Kanassis soldiers and they began corralling people into the middle of the courtyard. Marielle tried to look away but she was unable.
A Knat-Kanassis soldier stepped closer to Marielle, and Beral moved in front of her. The young guard’s arm shook as he raised his sword. The Knat-Kanassis soldier swiped his blade in a lazy arc and Beral parried, but his face was set in lines of terror.
Another lazy blow and Beral fell, screeching as his blade clattered to the stones. He held his arm in front of him as blood trickled down over his sleeve.
Then he fell to one side, his body wracked by convulsions. Marielle moved to him, but the Knat-Kanassis soldier blocked her way, an evil smile on his fanatical face. All she could see of Beral around the large man’s hooded form were his legs as they shook uncontrollably.
“Silva, please.” Marielle spoke breathlessly, her words more for herself than for Silva. She couldn’t look away from the young man, not until his legs stopped moving. “You don’t know what you’re doing.”
A laugh, musical and cruel, sliced the air as Silva tossed her head back, then looked down at Marielle with perverse amusement.
“Poor, desperate, pathetic Marielle.” Silva lifted a finger absently to the Knat-Kanassis soldier and he moved fast, surprisingly fast for one so large. The soldier grabbed Marielle by her upper arms and dragged her for a couple of steps but stopped once Silva clicked her tongue in an impatient gesture. “You don’t understand. I was not turned by the Knat-Kanassis. Iamthe Knat-Kanassis.”
“Dominus Puritatis. The Lord of Purity.” Marielle’s head swam and if it weren’t for the guard’s bruising hold, she would have collapsed. “Lord Aldric killed him in Katanie two years ago.”
“Lord Misrael was a fool lured by his ego.” Silva shrugged and her lips lifted in a conspiratorial grin. “Between you and me, I was glad Lord Aldric got rid of him. The man was a thorn in my side from the first day. He had an interest in me, interest which I found repugnant.”
Marielle tried to move away when Silva came closer, but all she could do was dig into the Knat-Kanassis’ hard chest. She wasn’t confused anymore. Her fear was being replaced by something else. Something a thousand times stronger and way more dangerous. A white, pure form of anger was rising from the depths of Marielle’s mind. White, flashing hot, and focused on only one person.
That small girl Marielle had been trying so hard to protect from everyone, including her own mother.
A girl who was perverted past the point of redemption.
“It was you. All this time, it was all you.” The accusation burned her tongue and Marielle’s hands clenched into fists. “You killed Lord Aymond, then tried to have the blame put on me.”
Silva laughed in response. Marielle’s vision tunneled, blotting out the world around her and its horrors to leave only the girl. This girl who was responsible for so much pain, so much grief.
“You’re the one who set Ignio Marula on us.” The revelation left Marielle numb. “It’s because of you that Rela and Devan were tortured. You let your mother get imprisoned for this. You are a monster.”
“You are the monster!” Silva suddenly lost her girlish, happy demeanor, and for the first time, Marielle saw the madness within, the scalding ugliness that stuck to her soul. But immediately, Silva regained her composure and looked upon Marielle with cold eyes. “You and your kind are an abomination. Once I cleanse you and the likes of you from this world, the Draekons’ curse will be lifted and dragons will soar through the heavens by the thousands.”
Marielle opened her mouth to speak, to ask more, ask so much more, but Silva turned on her heels. The young Draekon walked away, followed by her golden dragon, then spoke harshly in Delradon to one of the Knat-Kanassis soldiers, who turned to Marielle with dark eyes.
“Bring her to the throne room. Leave the others out in the courtyard. If she tries anything, kill her.”
Somewhere far to her left, an old woman began to cry, and Marielle knew she was going to die.
* * *
The hooded manshoved her roughly forward and Marielle fell to her knees on the polished stone floor of the throne room. She gathered herself on her knees, refusing to cry. Her eyes were obstinately cast down, but still she could feel Silva’s glare bearing down on her with triumph.
Marielle wasn’t going to give her the pleasure of begging for her life. It wouldn’t make any difference anyway.
No, their only hope was that Fedryc would come back and save them.
But he’s not going to come back. Silva has won.
The thought hit her straight between the ribs, sharp as a blade through her lungs, making her breathing grow fast and shallow, painful.
No. He’s alive. I can feel it.
