Page 31 of Kingdom of Flames & Flowers
Moisture gathered on my palms as I realized I was next. My ‘talent’ would seem common and dirty after such a magnificent display. I shot a look at the queen, who was already smirking at me.
Speaking of bitches …
My throat moved as I swallowed heavily.
“I cannot wait to see what our final girl has for us.”
I stood automatically as the queen’s voice picked at me, barely noticing Leilani’s whispered ‘good luck’ as my feet carried me to stand in front of the throne. Elio had planned for this. I grabbed at the three ties holding my dress up; one at my neck, one at my waist, and one on my back. I pulled them hard, and the dress fell to my feet in a glittering pool.
The crowd gasped at the cheap trick, but I didn’t pay them any attention. The fighting leathers that had been under the dress this entire time felt strong and flexible as I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.
“Well?” the queen demanded, tapping one fingernail against the wood of her armrest again. It seemed to be a habit for her.
“For my talent, I would like to fight a fireguard.”
The queen laughed, tension bleeding from her body as she assured herself this was a silly, pointless task. “How predictable. Very well. Why not make it more …interesting?”
She leaned in from her throne toward me, doing her damnedest to intimidate me.
I refused to back down. “How so?”
The queen put a dramatic hand to her breast. “In the past we’ve had girls … try to run away. None have truly been fighters. If you are sincere in this ‘talent’ of yours, then let us seal the match with blood. That way, I assure my court you won’t try to cry or faint your way out of it. It will be a blood match. If my fireguard wins, you are disqualified.”
How inspiring. “And if I win?”
A slow, sick smile spread across her face, as though such a thing were laughable. “I suppose I’d have to relinquish my crown if such a thing were to happen.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Is the fight to the death, then?” How utterly predictably of her.
The queen tittered, trying to sound like a bird. To me, she sounded like a cawing crow. “How barbaric. First blood will suffice.”
My hands tightened into fists at my side.Yeah, first blood, which may or may not be a deadly blow.If the guard killed me, then she wasn’t at fault becauseshehadn’t directly ordered it. It would be impossible to prove otherwise.
That was alright. I had a plan.
“Fine,” I agreed.
The queen stood. “Step forward.”
I approached the dais as she regally descended, the train of her silver dress trailing behind her in a swatch of glittering fabric. She held out a hand, but I refused to take it. She rolled her eyes in disgust. “Karthus, if you would?”
The captain of the fireguards stepped forward from his post near the dais, eyeing me with distaste. I glared back, refusing to forget how he and his men had stood aside as two of the girls drowned in the bathhouses.
Bastard.
He drew a dagger from his belt and I flinched back, but he seized my wrist in an iron grip. “What are you doing?” I yelled.
“The only reason I willingly shed my blood is so yours can bleed out on the marble floor,” she threatened, her voice nothing more than a low whisper. “The blood magick will ensure you can’t back out of this, and neither will I.”
Blood magick? The queen could domagick? I didn’t have any more time to absorb such startling news. The captain made a swift cut across my entire palm, and I reached up with my other hand and gave him a rude gesture. He ignored me and instead gave the queen the tiniest of pricks in the middle of her hand.
“To the first blood!”
The crowd echoed the sentiment, and the strange ritual was over. The captain daintily cleaned the queen’s nonexistent wound and made a grand show of binding it. He ignored me once again.
I curled my injured palm into a fist. Fine, I’d bleed all over the floor then. I should have rubbed my blood on her dress. The captain turned to face me, putting away his dagger and reaching for his sword.
I smiled, which was the last thing the queen expected me to do while facing down her captain. I directed it straight at Zion, who frowned.
