Page 130 of A City of Flames

I don’t let that word affect me, I don’t need to hear it from her or from anyone. I’m tired of it.

She waves a hand with such daintiness. “shifters are all the same.”

There’s an underlying tone of hatred in her voice. I think of Aurum, every one of the Rivernorths she’d slaughtered, taking that crown, this castle, this kingdom. None of it belongs to her.

“Erion,” she says. “Inform the city and trainees that the trial has been moved up to tomorrow.”

I suck in air.

Tomorrow.

No.

Lorcan steps forward, shaking his head. “That is too short—”

“I’ve made up my mind.” Sarilyn’s tone manages to stay graceful yet authoritative as she doesn’t even glance back once.

My eyes flick to Lorcan’s as he drops his head and retreats into a guarding position. Disappointment rakes through me, aiming more at myself for believing for one second, he might have tried to do something. His cowardice has always been there since the start. I was too blind to see it.

“And you Naralía,” Sarilyn says and I blink out of that misery I feel to look at her, “Will participate just how you’d intended to unless of course… you’d rather risk the ones you love.”

I raise my chin, indignant at her manipulation. She can do whatever she wants to me, anything, even if it wrecks me, picks apart at any strength I still have as long as my brothers are safe.

“In the meantime—” She smiles like a predator smelling fresh blood and clicks her fingers in the air. The venators that had walked with me and the general over here come at her command, grabbing me by each arm “—to make sure you don’t attempt anything, you will spend the night in the dungeons, I’m sure you are familiar with them by now.”

I’m hollow, not even fighting back when I know it’s no use. I can only hope Freya did as I’d asked.

The queen dismisses us, like I’m just dirt she wants to get rid of. It unravels something in me and I clench my fists as she saunters back up the dais.

“You know Sarilyn?” I call out to her, and she turns. “I feel sorry for you, I truly do.”

She raises her brows with a complacent smile, like anything I say will be a simple joke to her. “And why is that?”

I narrow my eyes, saying it so everyone hears, “because you are so full of hatred that you’ve lost yourself throughout all these years and ended up becoming just like the person you despised yet… loved the most.”

Her smile drops and I delight in it as she clutches the side of her gown so tight, she might rip it. She storms down the dais and grips my chin with force, I try not to wince. “Say that again,” she grits.

“I don’t have to,” I say as neutrally as I can, glad I’ve wiped that malicious contentment from her face. “You already know what I mean.”

The pupils of her eyes seems to quake the longer she stares at me. Her face tight with such an unfamiliar expression that for one small moment, she looks vulnerable.

“Your majesty,” a small female voice interrupts from the doors behind me. “The Phoenix warriors have arrived.”

Sarilyn doesn’t answer, doesn’t move, she keeps her eyes on me, and I do the same, not backing out on anything I’ve said. Another second goes by and then she releases me. “Tell them to come through,” her voice doesn’t sound like hers, it’s as if she’s fighting for that control she has again.

I’m being taken away by force as the queen signals for us to leave but I look over my shoulder. She’s dazed as she makes her way back to the throne and I drag my gaze to the general, face dripping in smug superiority, before it lands on Lorcan unable to even glance at me.

Memories float around me, every single time I’d spoken to Lorcan; when he walked away from me after Adriel and Oran’s attack. When he’d ignored me among other venators and the general… when we’d kissed for the first time, and he listened to the general as if I no longer existed.

I can almost hear the crack in my chest, leading toward my heart and I snap my gaze away as we make it out of the throne room.

“He’s not worth it,” I say it so quietly not even the venators beside me hear it and I close my eyes, thinking of my life before the city.

* * *

I slam my palm against the stone walls, looking for a loose piece. It’s a useless thought that there’d be one but the venators hadn’t even bothered to throw me in a normal prison cell, they’d taken me to where I’d found Adriel.

Knowing this is where they sent me should fill my stomach with dread, instead I’m restless, taking my cloak off as if that is viable enough to work as a weapon.

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