Page 13 of Court of Dragons and Ashes

Xandry touches my arm, stopping me from running away, and all I can focus on is his hand against my bare skin, the burn of his touch. “I heard male priests aren’t allowed to touch females unless they are healing them.”

He doesn’t remove his hand. “Breaking the rules seems to be a theme for you and me today.”

My heart pats hard in my chest, surprising me. I haven’t felt anything like this before. “Hope, you should make sure Lysander looks after you better. Armed guards or some shit a king can order. Letting you be attacked like that is not fitting for a future queen.”

I blink. “Lysander has nothing to do with me anymore. We’re not together.”

Pure surprise laces his eyes, but he doesn’t say anything. He never says anything. Xandry drops his hand from my arm, and he walks away from me, like he did all those years ago. Yet I still feel as bitterly angry as I did back then, maybe even worse. Why does everyone walk away from me like I mean nothing?

CHAPTER 7

Idon’t know what exactly I expected from the Fire Court, but walking in, it’s like being in a sauna. It’s boiling hot, like walking into a desert where it never rains and the heat threatens to engulf you with every breath. I instantly regret wearing tight, armoured leather trousers and a black top with long sleeves. The Water Court symbol is all over my clothes, and I feel very out of place in the Fire Court all of a sudden. At least my hair is up and off my neck, where a sweat is already building up. The high ponytail moves with my every step, the end of the braid hitting the small of my back.

The Fire Court smells like ash, blood, and wine. I glance at Lysander at my side, who looks a thousand times better than he did in the test. Now he is back wearing his usual tight-fighting clothes, and his blue crown is nestled in his thick red hair, which he has cut shorter. A blue sword is on his back, one I’ve not seen before, but his expression is familiar. There is a look of pure and utter vengeance on his face as he holds my hand as we walk down the long room towards the fire throne.

The fire throne room itself is simpler than I would’ve expected Arden’s throne room to be, but there is blood all over the black tiles, mixed in with the flame outlines. A giant stainedglass flame is behind two simple seats with an entire domed window room at the back, again filled with stained glass, all brilliant and vibrant reds. It makes the entire room glow in an eerie red-orange haze.

There are benches, rows of them on either side of the pathway, filled with the Fire Court people. They are dressed smarter than us, in short red tube tops and long red skirts, and the men are in dark red shirts and matching shorts. The Fire Court nobles at the front look terrible, and most of them are crying. There are no children here again, and I wonder where they locked them up this time. In front of the Fire Court people are dozens of enchanted guards, clarifying that the people can’t escape even if they tried.

I look around them for just a moment. My eyes flicker across each of them, seeing the same desperation, panic in their eyes. The same shared wish that they weren’t here, that anything else was happening, and they watch me with a mixture of curiosity and hope. Pulling my gaze forward, I try not to focus on their looks of hope that seem like stars in a dark sky. I might not be able to help them, because I made a deal with the gods for the men I love, and I could have cursed everyone in this world by doing so. I refuse to let my head drop when I see my dragon kings, even if my heart feels like it’s left my chest and is in my stomach now.

I remind myself I’ve done something good with Lysander, at least. The Water Court is safe, and I saw my family only this morning before we left for the Fire Court, two days earlier than Aphrodite demanded we come. I briefly saw my mother and grandmother, only for a moment, while Lysander’s mother and brother came back to the court. My grandmother has had no luck waking my mother up. She’s just as still and just as peaceful as she was before. Livia has gone home, Arty and Hope are safe in the Water Court, and for a moment, I felt like I might actuallybe able to do this. That was until I came here. I need to ask Ares exactly what he’s done to my mother. He must be aware by now that I’ve taken her.

The Fire Court is so much different from my memories as a child, running about with Arden. Neither of us knew, the next time I’d come here, he would be a prisoner and I would be fighting for him. He was just the annoying boy I didn’t much like as a child, and now he is everything I want. Everything I need. Ares and Aphrodite are seated on the thrones, on plush red cushioned seats, leaning away from the open pools of lava on either side of the thrones, which are spitting up embers now and then. Aphrodite has a different red dress on now; this one is full of gemstones in a corset and a short miniskirt.

“You’re early.” Her melodic voice rings out. She stands up when we stop, and walks to Arden. My hands tighten when she makes him stand, and she leans into him, pushing her entire body against his. She runs her hands up his arms, and I take a step forward, shadows pooling at my feet. I’m going to fucking kill her for touching him. Lysander grabs my arm, pulling me to his side. “He would never want her. Trust me, I would know, considering how much he fucking loves you is a constant annoyance to me. It’s the spell, not him. She is teasing you into attacking and giving her a reason to hurt him.”

I try to listen to Lysander’s warning, but I feel like I can’t breathe until she finally leans back, sighing and walking back to the throne. Arden takes several steps toward us before dropping on his knees in front of the thrones, that red haze all over his eyes. He looks thinner than before, but there seems to be no new bruises, no fresh blood. Emrys and Grayson are so still, the red tint of magic glowing in their eyes, and it takes more strength than I thought I had not to go to them, shake them, and beg them to snap out of it. “We’re here for your test. Didn’t want to leave my friend’s court in your lovely hands for too long.”

Arden looks straight through me like I’m not here—like nothing’s here, for that matter. I try very hard to pull my eyes up to meet Aphrodite’s. She grins before winking once. “I don’t feel like having a long conversation with you today. I’m tired. It was a long night with the company of the Fire Court. They sure do know how to throw a party.”

Ares looks bored, running his hand over his staff. He really loves that thing. “Just get straight to the test. It will be more entertaining than listening to her rant on.” He meets my gaze for a second.

I smirk. “I agree, I want to get back to my family.” His eyes turn into slits full of indignation.

Aphrodite raises her hand, a portal opening to our left. She looks far too confident. “Go on, lovebirds.” She clicks her fingers at Arden, and he rises to his feet like her puppet. I grit my teeth, trying not to say anything. Lysander is still, but I can feel the fury rolling off him. I wonder if our mating bond makes him feel my emotions too, how livid I am, until it becomes a part of his own emotions.

Arden moves like a robot to the portal. Each step is absolutely controlled, and I watch the man I love with a desperation fuelled in my heart. Arden’s muscular body moves tensely, like he is fighting back against the hold, and I can’t do anything but watch this beautiful man. His shoulder-length dark hair is wavy, and it only highlights his perfect jawline, high cheekbones and how stunning he is. He takes my breath away, and I know I could stare at him forever, always finding something new to admire.

He walks through the portal, to the other side, which is all red from what I can see. Aphrodite’s words from the beginning of the test come back to me. She spoke, “In the court of Fire, flames burn away any lies.”

What does that mean? Lysander tugs me with him through the portal, and it snaps shut behind us. The blistering, sweltering heat sticks to me here, far worse than the Fire Court, and my throat feels like it’s burning with each breath. We’re on a rock in the middle of the volcano, lava in every direction around us, and I can barely see the edges of the volcano we are standing within. The ground gently shakes, loose pebbles tapping on the rock, by my feet.

“You’re here, princess.”

Arden. My gaze fixes on him as he stares back at me, and his eyes don’t have that red haze anymore. My feet are moving before my mind has caught up, and I close the space between us, throwing my arms around his neck, squeezing him tight. “You’re okay. You’re really okay.”

He cups my face, running his eyes over me. “What are you doing here, and why are you not on Earth?”

I lean back, out of his touch. “We can have a long discussion later about the fact that you decided it was a great idea to leave me on Earth after everything that happened. I’ve already told Lysander how much of a royally fucked-up idea that was, and I am so, so furious with you all. I thought…” I pause, my heart racing. “I thought we were in this together. If you fall, if Ayiolyn falls, I will be at your side and nowhere else. How dare you decide if I want to be here or not.”

“We decided because we love you and know you. You’d fight, with every breath you have, and die. You had no powers, princess, and?—”

I fling my arms out. “There is being protective and there is crushing someone’s soul in the name of protecting them.”

Lysander moves to my side. He looks uncomfortable. “We will have this discussion later, but not when we are in a test and close to burning in lava.” He looks at the lava with pure disgust,like it’s the most horrid thing he has ever seen. Water king through and through.

I cross my arms, frustration bubbling in my chest. “I’m not discussing it repeatedly. When all four of you are together, we’ll discuss everything.”

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