Page 116 of A Storm of Fire and Ash
“You once said you were a guardian of a gate. Where spirits pass…”
“That is correct.”He stated.
Misun was a guardian of the spirit realm. I’d read about it once inLegends of the Flame—the Gate of Eternity, a portal said to lie between the living and the dead. Dragons were its wardens, their wings the barricade, their fire the seal. No soul passed unbidden—neither escaping death nor invading life. It was supposed to be a myth, a tale to frighten children. But here Misun stood, his voice rumbling in my mind like thunder, and I knew the truth. The gate was real. The dragons were real. And one of them was bound to me.
“For ages beyond counting,”Misun’s voice rolled through my mind like the slow grind of mountains,“I have stood where the veil thins. I have watched kings and beggars alike take their final steps. I have burned the shadows that would steal the dead from their rest, and I have shattered the claws of the living who dared to tear them back. The gate does not open for the unworthy… and it does not close for the willing. And you…”
His words carried the weight of every soul he had ever judged, every flame he had ever unleashed.
“…You are worthy.”
My chest ached. Not just from Misun’s approval, but for the first time, I knew I was worthy. I didn’t need a god to tell me.“I want to see her again. Can you help me?”
A pause, heavy as a held breath in a tomb. Then, Misun rumbled,“Only for a minute.”
The black faded, replaced by sunlight so warm it hurt my eyes. The wildflower field stretched in every direction, petals swaying in a gentle breeze. And she was there.
Her hair lifted in the wind, her eyes soft as she reached for my face.“Mother!” My voice broke as I stumbled toward her, tears burning.
“Shhh,” she whispered, cupping my cheeks. “It’s alright, my sweet girl. We don’t have much time.”
I nodded, afraid to blink.
“You need to forgive yourself,” she said, her voice as warm as the sun. “What happened to me was not your fault. It was no one’s. It was fate. I didn’t feel a thing—nothing but your love when I left.”
She smiled, and I saw true peace on her face. “And you know what? It’s beautiful here. I’m with your father again.” A sob ripped through me. “He and Landen both say they’re proud of who you’ve become.”
She pulled me into her arms and hugged me tightly. I never wanted this moment to end. “Some people… need to chase the darkness to find their light,” she whispered.
She pulled away from our embrace, her thumb brushing away my tears. “Don’t let the darkness fool you, sweet girl. All lights turned off can be turned back on.” She leaned in, her forehead touching mine. “The magic cannotleave you when it is you. Take what is your birthright, Elara. Take what you were born to do.”
My voice shook. “Y-you left me too soon. You haven’t even seen the real me.”
Our foreheads stayed pressed together, her voice breaking into something almost like a whisper carried on a final breath. “I never left you, Elara,” she murmured. “I’ve been watching all along. I am so proud of you,” she kissed my tear-stained cheek. “But you cannot stay here with me—you have to go back. Let your magic soar, Elara. Light it up. You have a team cheering for you here.”
I sobbed.
Her hands lingered in my hair, tucking it gently behind my pointed ear like she had a thousand times before. Her eyes held mine—warm and fierce—until her lips curved into that familiar, heart-aching smile.
And then she said it. The words she’d always said when I left the house, words I never thought would be our last or even hear again. “I’ll save you a seat.”
It shattered me—because I knew now she meant in a place I couldn’t follow yet.
“I love you!” I blurted out. But she was already gone.
The wildflowers swirled into shadow. Her touch faded. I woke with a gasp. My body still ached, but my skin… it wasn’t as raw. The burns were tighter, faintly healed. Misun’s magic was still in me, working.
You need to forgive yourself.I thought to myself.
A flicker of darkness slipped past the doorframe, a silhouette that sent a shiver down my spine. Peering throughthe narrow crack, my heart sank as I recognized him—King Aymon.
His presence was both imposing and sinister, a twisted smile curled on his lips like a serpent ready to strike. “I have your little friends,” he drawled, his voice laced with a chilling blend of amusement and malice. “And your love. They’ll all meet their doom soon enough, once the town finishes gathering outside the castle. I’ll put their pretty little heads on spikes, too. Soon, my castle will be lined with heads of everyone you’ve ever loved. Even my son’s.”
My eyes went wide, my stomach knotting in disbelief. “You’d kill your own son?!” The words scraped out of me, half-shock, half-rage.
A cruel smile pulled at the corner of his mouth before it twisted into a snarl. “I would burn my own blood to ash if it meant securing my throne. I will rule every kingdom, and I will slaughter anyone—family or not—who dares to stand in my way.” His spit had hit the floor between us, sharp and final, like a blade being driven home.
My blood ran cold, but I forced my lip to curl. “Fuck you. I’m going to kill you, you bastard!”
