Page 24 of Queen of Fire

“Oh, but Your Majesty, we still have to discuss —“

“Nothing that cannot be left for another day, Cirro.” I smiled at him, stepping around my chair and pushing it underneath the table. I stopped beside Kira’s chair, holding my hand out for her to take. She looked up at me with wide eyes, her mouth slightly open. “Come, Sweetheart. It is too nice a day to be stuck inside.”

Kira hesitated for a second but slid her hand into my own and stood from her chair. I grinned at her, helping her step out from where she had been sat and leading her from the room. The distinct sound of Cirro’s voicefollowed us, but I let the door close behind us with a heavythunk.

Leading Kira through the busy castle hallways, I nodded at a few staff members as we passed them by. I recognised two of them straight away, as they had been in the castle since they were children. The third woman, however, took me another second to recognize. And when I did, my stomach sank.

I stopped in my tracks, tugging Kira to a halt beside me, and looked back towards the woman in the corridor. She wore a long, black, flowing robe with the hood pulled down. Her black hair was tied back in an intricate braid, and she stood staring out of the adjacent window. I followed her gaze, finding Calliope in the gardens down below. Cursing, I tugged on Kira’s hand.

“Cyrus?” She asked, her tone grating on my suddenly short last nerve, “Where are you going?”

I ignored her question, storming back along the corridor in the direction of the woman in the window. Her eyes travelled from the window to my face at the same time a small smile made its way onto her lips.

“Hello, Your Majesty.” She said softly, “I was told you were in meetings.”

My jaw clicked closed loudly, and I winced at the sharp pain that went through my teeth at the contact. Kira looked between the two of us, her eyebrows furrows in confusion as she tried to work out what was going on.

“Yes, well, they finished earlier than expected.” I ground out, letting go of Kira’s hand and stepping to the side so she was slightly behind me. The last thing I needed was her having her sights set on Kira and ruining everything I had been planning. “What are you doing inside the castle?”

“Oh, just observing my nieces and nephews.” She smirked at me then and went back to staring at Calliope out the window. The eldest of my two sisters, Calliope, was lounging on the grass, her head resting in the lap of one of the castle healers, the two girls grinning at each other and laughing as they enjoyed the sunshine.

“We do not want you here.” I snapped, pulling her attention away from Calliope again. My Aunt grinned at me, her teeth sharp and her eyes the same ice blue as my own.

“Oh, come now, boy, that is no way to talk to your only aunt in front of your lovely bride-to-be.” She peered around me, her smile stretching even wider as she took Kira in. Kira stepped out from behind me, and I threw out my arm, keeping her back.

“She is none of your concern.”

“Cyrus!” Kira put her hand on my arm, “What is wrong with you?”

I glared down at the red head next to me. Her cheeks were flushed pink, as though she were embarrassed bythis whole exchange.

“Trust me, Sweetheart, you do not want to know this woman.” I tried to soften my tone, but as my gaze fell upon my aunt again, it was incredibly difficult to do. “I will get a guard to escort you out. Goodbye, Saffron.”

I took Kira’s hand and nearly dragged her off her feet as we turned away from the woman in front of us, her voice following us down the corridor.

“You will need me one day soon,Cyrus.”

Kira did not question me as I sped through the busy corridors, her hand clasped tightly in my own as I seethed.

My father’s sister, Saffron, had been exiled from the castle before her twentieth birthday. She had gone to my grandparents and declared that she no longer wanted to be royal and had joined a local coven of witches. My father had tried to talk her out of it, but it had been to no avail, and less than a week after she had made her announcement, she was stripped of all her royal titles, and escorted out of the castle by a full guard.

She had turned to dark magic less than a year later, and her arrival was always followed by a series of bad luck. I cursed her internally, pushing open the door that led from the castle into the west gardens. Kira kept up pace with me surprisingly well as I dragged her across the dry grass, straight to where Calliope and her girlfriend were sitting.

Calliope looked up from her spot on the grass, shielding her eyes with her hand, and the smile on her face was quickly wiped away when she saw the look on my face. She scrambled to push herself upright and met us halfway across the garden, her chest heaving as she breathed heavily.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, her eyes flitting between Kira and myself.

“Saffron is here.”

Calliope cursed loudly, then covered her mouth with her hand as Kira giggled.

“Sorry,” She winced as she apologized, then looked back towards the castle. “Where is she?”

“She was on the first floor. I have no idea where she will be now, but will you do me a favour?” I eyed Calliope closely, and she nodded her head, her short hair bobbing around her chin as she did so. “Will you please escort Kira to her lessons with Leo?”

“Of course, we can bond.” Calliope grinned, reaching out a hand and taking Kira’s hand from mine, linking their arms together. I knew Calliope and Kira had not yet gotten to spend time together, and as much as I tried to avoid leaving her alone with either of my sisters, I could not risk leaving Saffron loose in the castle by herself.

Kira looked at me, wide eyed, and I leaned forward toplace a kiss on her forehead. I did not say goodbye before turning on my heel and sprinting back towards the castle.

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