Page 2 of Fate and Flame
I shrugged. “She didn’t tell me. I can’t feel it the way you can. It’s different. There’s so much.” I pressed a palm into my temple as I tried to concentrate. The pressure continued to build, and soon, I’d burst no matter what. There was no need to reach for it, to let it build, to search within me. It was ready. Waiting.
“Just release a tiny bit. See what happens. Focus.”
I tried. Gods help me, I tried. But that tiny bit ripped a gaping hole into the barrier I was using to hold it back. I clamped my eyes shut as magic poured from me like water through a broken dam. My veins, my mind, my very skin came to life as the purity of the first king’s gift of power exploded from within. I fell to my knees as pain washed over me and lingered, reminding me that magic is dangerous.
“Are you still alive?”
“Fucking barely,” Kai answered.
I peeked one eye open as Fen helped me to my feet and placed his hand on the small of my back, bracing me for what I had done. A boulder dropped into the pit of my stomach as I took in The Mists. Or the lack of them. They were completely obliterated.
If not for Fen, I would have stumbled backward.
My feelings were mirrored on the faces of our familiar companions.
In place of the famed Mists, there was just a massive expanse of absolutely nothing but uninhabited flatlands. The compacted dirt didn’t budge in the still air. No birds flew overhead. Not even a cloud in the naked sky.
“Thank the gods.” Wren rattled me from shock as she plowed into me. “I was so worried.”
“Tell me you did that on purpose.” Greeve’s dark eyes watched me like a trained hawk as I pulled from Wren’s arms and stepped away.
I opened my mouth to confess, but Fen took my hand and tugged me away. “She did. Let’s go home.”
“No hello? Nice to see you? Sorry you’ve been sitting in The Mists for hours?” Kai asked, stomping behind us.
I let go of Fen so Kai could shove him around.Males.
Wren nudged me with her arm and wiggled her eyebrows. “How’d it go?”
I jerked to a stop. “You knew Fen was my mate and didn’t tell me.” The betrayal stung. I’d thought we had established a bond while we traveled, but her loyalty was to her prince. I couldn’t blame her, but it didn’t change the way it felt.
She paused, hiding her face behind her chocolate hair as she looked away. “I didn’t think it was my place.” Her shoulders relaxed with an exhaled breath as she turned back to me. “I warned him you weren’t going to take it well.”
“That’s the understatement of the century,” I mumbled.
“That bad, huh?” She bit her lip as her eyes fell to the barren ground.
“Yes. So, next time you learn some life-altering shit about me, a heads up would be nice.”
She smirked. “You know what this means, right? You’re basically the princess of the Flame Court now. Your words are just as powerful as his.”
The world went silent.
All those times he’d called me princess . . . I thought he was only mocking me for calling him prince. I jerked my head to Fen, who had Kai pinned to the ground. Fear trickled from him. For whatever reason, I hadn’t even considered that. But he had. Of course. He thought I’d tuck tail and run, leaving him behind again.
Rather than using words, I sent him a mental picture of his arms wrapped around me. I wasn’t sure if it would work until a beaming smile spread across his beautiful face as he shoved off of Kai. He was stuck with me.
We spent the entire day walking through the desolate lands heading toward Lichen. The air was lighter. Our hearts were lighter. Greeve and Fen used their magic to pick on Kai for over an hour until he threatened to chop their balls off in their sleep if they didn’t stop. Then Greeve got bored and wind cleaved away, promising to hunt for dinner.
By nightfall, our limbs hung heavy, and our feet ached, but we happily arrived at a nice warm fire with searing hot coals and a spit impaling some unfortunate mountain beast. I ate more than I had eaten in days, weeks even. I think we all did. Belly full, I leaned comfortably against Fen’s chest as we sat huddled around the fire.
He bent down and whispered, “I never thought I’d wish to be home so badly. I’ll never take a locked door for granted again.”
I chuckled, and he sent a wave of his fire magic. In turn, I sent the memory of being pressed against him, moaning during ourmagic lesson. He growled in my ear and everyone looked at us.
“How is it that there are four of us and two of you and somehow I still feel like a third wheel?” Kai asked.
“Their mating bond emerged.” Wren laughed. “These two need some privacy, like yesterday.”
