Page 124 of A City of Flames

No, it can’t be true, no—

“He was my first successful weapon, and he does everything I say.”

Nausea clutches my throat and I fight to hold it down. “Stop.”

“I ordered him to kill your father, I made him attack you that night in the forests because it was our chance to see if the thief would appear, if he’d sense you were in danger, and we were right—”

I stumble against the brick walls, blocking Erion out as memories ring in my head. The creature’s gaze on me the day my father died was the same as that night Darius took me back to his house. The scar on my hand… It can’t be Lorcan, it—

“I did warn him you would be nothing but trouble for us. Such a waste of my time.” Erion’s forceful chuckle brings me back and his tone lowers with a cruel twist as his gaze wanders from my head to my feet, repulsed. “Although—” A thoughtful look “—you might just be what I need.”

I don’t need seconds to realize what he means by that as he bares his teeth and runs his tongue along a growing fang. My eyes widen and it all happens too fast as he lunges for me.

I barely dodge him, pressing the button of my blade as I raise it to defend myself. Erion cracks his neck to the side as I pant, waiting for him to turn and face me. “If you have any humanity, you wouldn’t do this to Freya.” As much as I want to thrust this blade into him, end him for everything he has ever done, he is also Freya’s father and the only parent she has left.

A slant of light slashes across Erion’s eyes as he twists. Anger cascades down his face and I know that anything I say will do nothing to him. I snap my head to the stairs and charge toward it when Erion grips the back of my cloak, making me almost scream as I’m thrown against the bars of a cell.

My vision quakes as the blade drops, and the side of my head stings. Regaining composure, I rush for the blade, grabbing it in the nick of time before the general’s arms come round me, trapping mine to the sides. The grip is so tight, my lungs feel as if they are slowly crushing together, I can’t breathe and I try to move my hand as much as I can.

“Let’s see what your brothers will think of their new sister,” he says and as soon as he mentions my brothers, rage seeps into my veins and I clutch the blade harder.

His fangs skim across my neck and just as he lowers them onto my skin, I jam the dagger through the side of his thigh.

The pressure of his arms loosens on me as he lets out a low grunt of pain, and I slam my head back against his. I hear him shuffle backwards until there’s a deafening smack against the wall followed by a thud onto the floor.

I choke on my gasp, hunching over as the blade quivers in my grasp. Blood drips from it as I allow myself to recover and then slowly, I turn and drag my gaze to the general on the ground. His chest rises and falls, he’s still alive but I don’t know how long it will take him to wake up.

Sheathing my blade, I spot a set of keys gleaming by his belt. I’ve been down here too long and now is my only chance. With caution I reach down and grab them as I look at the cells one last time, at the men, women, Adriel, all part rümen. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper because I know I can’t save everyone.

I take off, gripping my free hand against the walls to steady myself as I make it out onto the main passageways.

He was my first successful weapon, and he does everything I say.

The general’s words chase after me and I’m overcome with every emotion searing my insides into nothing but dust. I don’t even know how I got from one point of the dungeons to the next.

I ordered him to kill your father.

I shake my head and slam into the gates.

I made him attack you that night in the forests.

My hand curls into a fist against the cool steel and I force myself to bring it down to pull the lever. When I do, Darius is there giving me a weak smile of relief, but I stalk up to him, breathing harsher than ever as I fumble the keys between my fingers.

He says, “Goldie,” but I can’t answer him right now as I fit one of the keys to the lock, twisting and turning it but to no avail—it doesn’t work. Frantic, I look for another one and a strangled noise leaves me when it also doesn’t fit.

Nothing is going right.

“Nara,” Darius says, his voice commanding me this time to look at him but instead I try another set of keys. “What’s wrong.” He’s not asking it like a question he’s saying it because he knows something is wrong.

I shake my head. “We don’t have much time—” I stop as the shackle unlocks, blades pull back and his arm drops.

As much as I want to relax at that, I can’t. The blood pools down onto his hands and the crescent before I run to unlatch the other wrist and his knees slam onto the ground. He almost takes me with him as I place my arm under his and struggle to raise him up. “Darius,” I whisper like his pain radiates onto me. “Please…”

He stares up at me and I know he can see the urgency on my face. Nodding, he lifts himself off the floor and I clutch his hand as I drag it over my shoulder. We stagger out of the gates, and I don’t bother to close them as prisoners start jeering at us.

“You’re healing my wrist?” Darius says, half confused and as I shift my gaze to where my hand is holding him, I realize it is just how I’d done with his back, no more blood, no sign of blades having lodged inside his skin.

“I—” I look at him and his eyes draw me in. “I don’t know how—”

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