Page 17 of Kingdom of Flames & Flowers
We sprinted toward the balcony, all of us looking like ghosts with our white shifts and pale faces.
Heat billowed into the sitting area from the open balcony, and Ivy was the first to dart outside. I wanted to see as well, but survival instinct kept me inside. I remembered how thin the dome was closest toward the castle.
“IVY! COME BACK!” I shot a glance at Freesia, who seemed to know oh-so-much about everything. There was a flash of fear in her eyes, and she was staying away from the balcony. I took a step toward the balcony and called out. “Ivy! I don’t think—”
Oleria grabbed me and yanked me back as a blast of fire hit the balcony so quickly all we could do was scream and dive away. Heat scorched my skin, even as I rolled and put a couch between myself and the flames.
“T-thanks,” I muttered quickly to Oleria, who gave me a knowing nod.
Just as quickly as the fire came, it was gone. I darted up, terrified. “IVY!”
No answer.
I took two steps toward the balcony.
“Don’t.” Leilani put a hand on my arm, stopping me. “It’s still too hot. Just give it a minute. Make sure it’s gone away.”
It made sense, but Ivy was out there, actively dead or dying. The dragon roared again, but this time it was faint and distant. From the corner of my eye, I spied the heavy door to our suite open and close.
At least Zariah got out.
I hurried onto the balcony, the others behind me but keeping a healthy distance. Dawn was just peeking out over the horizon, the pink link filtering through the dome to announce the next day’s arrival. I grit my teeth and looked around. The white marble floor and pillars were remarkably untouched by the fire, but the heat burned through the soles of my shoes. Ignoring the pain (which was significant to my injured foot), I made my steps as quick and light as possible as I scanned the balcony.
There! Halfway down the steps, crouched between the balcony’s railing was a charred body, devoid of hair or any other distinguishing characteristic. I turned away, my stomach lurching at the sight.
“Is she alright?” Heather called from the living area.
The sound of flesh hitting flesh followed, along with Freesia’s snide tone. “Of course she isn’t alright! She took dragon fire to the face!”
I rounded the corner just in time to watch Wisteria land a vicious punch to Freesia’s jaw. My lips parted in shock, but silently I cheered. I shook my head to get the image of Ivy’s charred body out of my mind. She’d been crouching behind the railing, which meant she’d had enough time to realize death was coming for her.
“Stop! Stop it!” I yelled at all of them. Wisteria flexed the hand she hit Freesia with a few times, then scowled and went to her bedroom.
Freesia was still rubbing her jaw as I numbly sank into a cushion. The bottoms of my feet hurt, but the numbness of my mind overruled any physical pain. “When a dragon gets aggressive like that, youhide,” Freesia announced to us all. “It’s looking for someone to roast or munch on!”
I stood at that, the pain in my feet only egging me on. I took two steps toward Freesia and grabbed her by the neckline of her thin shift, balling it in my fist. She was taller than me, but for a split second, she cowered as I held her, Wisteria’s punch already beginning to bruise on her skin.
“You knew all that and let her run out there?” Anger made my voice a low growl.
The flash of fear in her eyes felt good, but she quickly replaced it with indifference. Freesia remembered she was taller than me and swatted my hands away. She pushed me hard in the chest and sent me flying into Leilani.
I knocked the smaller girl to the ground, and she let out a cry of pain. I rolled off her and immediately helped her to her feet. “Leilani! I’m so sorry. Are you alright?”
The smaller girl’s split lip spoke for itself. Ok. Now I was furious.
I whirled back around to face Freesia, who had the nerve to smirk at me. “This is a competition, mud girl.”
I was going to beat her face bloody, and show this stupid pampered stone girl what happened when you flapped your mouth on the mud streets.
Before I could so much as raise a fist, a heavy bang sounded on our door. Everyone jumped except for Freesia and me, still locked in a stare down.
The door opened, and the queen stood before us, her expression put upon in her finery as she gazed upon our terrified, exhausted faces. Oleria poked her head out of the room, eyes wide at seeing the queen.
“I see you’re all up and about. Wonderful.” Her eyes darted between us, brow furrowing. “There are eight of you. Where’s the ninth?”
Mutely, I pointed out toward the balcony. The horror on our faces must have said the rest.
The queen smoothed down the purple silk of her gown and tilted her head toward her fireguards. Two peeled off and went onto the balcony. I stared at her dress, covered in silver with bright gems on the bottom to give the illusion the hem was covered in sparkling drops of water in the morning’s sunrise.
