Princess of Fire and Smoke (Forbidden Court Book 1)

by Stephanie Bell

  “I had a similar situation last year when someone tried to assassinate me,” I say with a wince. “It didn’t end very well for them.”

  Her eyes widen slightly at the news of my attempted assassination, but she focuses on my burns instead.

  “Interesting. Let me help you and we’ll figure it out.” She holds her hands out to me waiting for my approval.

  I keep my hands placed firmly on the ground. “That might not be a great idea. My magic doesn’t like other people very much and I need to tell you something anyway.”

  “Adeline, you won’t hurt me. I healed your stomach earlier, it was fine, and I already know what you're trying to tell me about our parents. But I'm not ready for the details yet, okay?”

  I nod my understanding and place my hands in hers. Her tan fingers wrap around my pale hands. That soft gentle magic flows through my body again focusing on my burned and blistering skin. I take a deep breath and relax when the jasmine and vanilla scent surrounds me. Within minutes the pain fades and my skin is back to normal.

  “Wow, you’re good.” I admire my hands and arms. There isn't even a mark where the burns had been. “I wish you had been here a few nights ago.” I pull the neck of my shirt down and show her the scar on my shoulder. “Someone shot me with an arrow and my body decided to burn it out.” I roll my eyes at the ludicrous situation.

  “Someone shot you? I knew you were in pain, but I didn’t know someone shot you! Wait, your body BURNT it out?” She clasps her hands together like she is trying to resist the urge to reach out and heal it too.

  “It’s a long story. How did you know I was in pain?” The last thing I want to do is explain how I’ve spent the last few days.

  She turns towards me and crosses her legs. Her previously joyful eyes grow serious. “Three nights ago, I was teaching a group of young healers. In the middle of class, I experienced what I could only explain as a vision. I was back in the throne room at Centralia laying on the floor. Everything was dark and fuzzy as if I was looking through a tunnel. Our parents were dead, and I could feel your terror. While I might not have seen everything that night, I understood that you were hurt and in danger. That someone had betrayed us and that you needed help. I left immediately and I’ve been searching for you ever since.”

  Our parents were dead… The words hit me like a punch to my stomach. But I won’t let it show, I can’t. If I let myself grieve, it will destroy me. So, I focus my attention on the only thing I know will keep me going. Revenge. I can grieve after I avenge my parents and I’m Chadonia's new High Queen.

  “Is that another one of your powers? You can see into people’s thoughts like our mother could?” I bite back a sigh as a quick burst of envy courses through me. It looks like my sister got all the normal magic.

  “No, Adeline. I thought it was your magic that called to me. Has that ever happened to you before? Have you ever heard anyone’s thoughts?” The way she's looking at me with a combination of hope and excitement has my envy vanishing.

  I chuckle darkly. “Not hardly, sister. My magic is a bit more sinister and temperamental than that. I couldn’t even get it to work in the throne room.”

  I shove up onto my feet and walk towards the river. I need some air and a plan.

  I need to make sure the guards didn’t take Emerson. I shouldn’t be worried about him, considering I was planning on leaving him behind. But I can’t just leave him to be tortured or killed by my uncle.

  As I walk, I inspect our safe haven. An outcropping of rock juts out of the cliff, shielding us from the torrent of rain falling into the river. There isn’t much to look at. Our little beach is barely large enough for us to lay down on. It’s filled with sand, weeds, and driftwood that the river has collected.

  I might be able to get a fire made if any of this wood is dry. All in all, not a horrible place to wait out the storm. But there’s only one way off. We’ll have to swim.

  I look closely at Aileen as she shivers in her spot on the sand. I haven’t noticed how cold it is. My core still feels like it is on fire. While it isn’t a comfortable feeling, it keeps me plenty warm. I walk over to inspect the driftwood.

  “How did you find me anyway?” I ask her absently.

  “Well, that’s the other part of my magic…” Aileen smirks as she stands up, walks over to the river’s edge, and dives straight into the water.

  “Aileen!” I drop to my knees and search the water. Panic grows in me as minutes pass and she doesn’t emerge. I am about to jump in after her when a familiar form pops out of the water a few inches from my face.

  A startled scream escapes me as I fall backward trying to get away from the creature. Its eyes shine wickedly with delight and it’s pointed mouth opens to show an intense set of sharply pointed teeth. I am up in an instant searching for a weapon when I hear a gurgling sound coming from the creature. Slowly, I turn to look closer at it, and realization dawns on me. It’s laughing at me.

  I walk to the edge of the sand and squat down in front of it, studying it. Its green eyes twinkle at me and when I look closer, I see that they are flecked with gold. “Aileen?”

  The creature nods its pointy head and I can’t stop the laughter that bubbles out of me. She turns her fish-like body to the side and shows off her impressive form. She is longer than I am tall. Rows of spikes cover her from her gills to her tail fin and multiple fins line her sides. She swims away and dives back under. A few seconds later, she jumps out of the water arching through the air. She is threatening and graceful, the ultimate water predator.

  “Alright, show off!” I yell laughing. “You win the ‘which twin has better magic’ competition.”

  She swims back up to the bank and golden magic swirls around her. When it fades, she's standing in front of me in her human form. Shivering and shaking she climbs out of the water.

  “So, you’re a healer and you can shift into a giant monster fish?” I ask incredulously. I’ve never heard of someone with two forms of magic before.

  She looks down at her hands for a moment, but I can feel the excitement pouring off of her. “Well, I’m not just a fish shifter…”

  “You can shift into other things too?” My voice comes out in a squeak.

  She nods her head grins at me, “I can change into anything I’ve seen before, person or animal.”

  “That’s impressive. Father would have been so proud.” I tell her as I give her a hug.

  “Is that why we look so different?” That’s another question that’s been bothering me. Excluding our eyes, we look nothing alike now, when we were identical twins.

  A wry chuckle comes from her, “Well, looking exactly like the High Princess wasn’t doing me any favors as a child. I needed to disguise myself to fit in with the healers and this magic came in handy.”

  I can feel the cold seeping off her and she’s shivering even harder now.

  “How are you so warm?” Aileen asks me. “Your clothes are already dry.”

  I look down at my trousers and blouse. “Huh. I guess they are, aren’t they? I don’t know how but I’m always warm. It’s like a fire is trapped inside of me. It doesn’t hurt, but it’s always burning.” I shrug it off and go back to assembly driftwood in a pile.

  “It’s your magic! You said it responds to fire, right?” I nod distractedly. “What if you tried to light the driftwood? Could you create fire? Very few people can.”

  “What if I destroy everything around us?” I ask quietly.

  Aileen looks around our small beach. “Well, there isn’t much to destroy, is there?”

  I let out an annoyed sigh. She isn’t going to let this go anytime soon. I might as well show her what a disaster my magic is. Then maybe she’ll leave it be. “I doubt I can do it, but I’ll try.”

  I take a deep breath and focus on the driftwood.

  Come on magic. She can turn into a freakin fish. Do something. Anything.

  I feel the burning in my core getting stronger. It flows through my body and down my arms.
Then it stops at my fingertips, refusing to move any farther. “I can feel it flowing through me, but it refuses to do anything.”

  My sister walks closer and reaches her hand out towards me. She hesitates when her hand is inches from my arm. “Will you try again? I want to see if I can feel what’s happening.”

  “Sure, why not.” Again, I focus on the burning feeling in my core and aim everything I have at the pile of wood. It flows harder and slams into my fingers, refusing to go farther.

  Aileen frowns at me. “It’s not your magic, Adeline. There is something blocking it. Or trapping it inside you.” She takes both of my hands in hers and studies my fingers. “I can feel it in your fingers, but it can’t get out…”

  She touches the small ring on my finger and yanks her hand away. “Where did you get that ring?” Her eyebrows draw together and a slight frown forms on her face.

  I scowl down at my hand, trying to remember. I’d worn it for so long, I’d forgotten it was there. “That? I’ve had it forever. Mother gave it to me when I was a child. Shortly after the maze, I think.”

  “And do you always wear it?” She asks me.

  “Of course, I do. It was a gift.”

  “Take it off. Right now.” She orders as she drops my hands.

  “Excuse me? I’ve lost my parents, my kingdom, and everything I hold dear. Why would I want to lose this too?” I press my fingers against my chest and guard them with my other hand.

  “Adeline, that ring is made of iron.” She scowls at me.

  “Okay, why does that matter?”

  “Iron is what our ancestors used to imprison magical beings. It's extremely painful and drains people of their magic. You've been wearing that for twelve years? How are you still alive?”

  “Mother wouldn’t give me a torture ring. You must be mistaken.”

  I want to be confident in my words, but I’m starting to remember exactly when she gave it to me. It was shortly after the destruction of the maze and she promised me nothing like that would ever happen again.

  “Maybe I am mistaken. But maybe I’m right and that’s why your powers can only come out in a short burst when you desperately need them.” Her eyes narrow as she places her hands on her hips and dread fills me. She's not going to let this go.

  After everything my mother did for me. It feels like a betrayal to take the ring off. But still, I can feel my curiosity peaking. Is my magic more than I had thought? More than just self-preservation and destruction? Maybe I’m not the monster I always thought I was.

  With tears in my eyes, I reach down and gently caress the little ring. Then slowly I slide it off my finger.

  A tingling starts in my hands and spreads down my arms. Adrenaline spikes through my body and hits my head with such force, I nearly stumble. I vaguely hear Aileen gasp in excitement, but I can’t get myself to focus on her.

  The power that has been trapped inside me isn’t there anymore. Instead of fighting me, it courses over my skin, ready and willing to obey my commands.

  I open my eyes and look at my fingers, they are covered in fire. The delicate rose flames dance over my arms and around my stomach until they cover my entire body.

  “Try lighting the fire now, Adeline,” Aileen tells me in a hushed whisper.

  Focusing my attention on the pile of wood, I concentrated on one word. Burn.

  Euphoria shatters through me and everything around me erupts in fire.

  Chapter Seven

  The power that washes over me is almost unbearable. Light blazes throughout our small alcove and I blink several times trying to understand what I see. Fire is everywhere. It dances across the walls, spins across the sand, and it even flows across the top of the river. My magic is finally obeying, and it feels amazing.

  It isn’t until I hear a scream that I snap back to reality. I spin towards my sister and gasp at the fire that’s covering her too. While it’s gentle on my hands, it is hot and burning her.

  “Aileen!” I try to pull the magic back inside of me.

  Stop burning! Come on magic, stop burning.

  Terror claws at me and the fire grows hotter. It’s gentle red and orange flutters transform into fierce blue flames. The heat increases until I'm sweating.

  Aileen's screams stop as she slides to the ground with the blue flames dancing across her unconscious body.

  I grab the ring and shove it back on my finger. The flames thrust themselves back through my fingers and down into my core. I cry out and fall to my knees.

  The pain is too much. It feels like I am being burned from the inside out.

  I crawl over to where Aileen lays on the floor. The fire is gone, but smoke still billows off her body. Her tattered dress hangs loosely around her, and I can see large burns covering her body. She moans in her unconscious state. A painfully pathetic sound that tugs at my heart. I gingerly reach out my hand and place it on her back.

  Please. I beg my magic. Please, let her be okay.

  I can feel my magic flaring back up. Slowly a prickling starts in my fingers and fire spears into my hands as it pulls the burns from her body.

  I notice the burns disappearing from her hands first, then her arms. Her skin is left smooth and unblemished.

  But with every burn that vanishes, the heat within me doubles. The pain is nearly unbearable as it washes through my fingers and back into my core. My back arches and I scream.

  I hold out as long as I can. As soon as the last burn disappears from her body, I collapse down next to her.

  I try to fight the blackness that comes for me, but my body is weak.

  My mind wanders and I lose control of the walls I’ve built up inside my head. Slowly the terrors find their way to me, and the nightmares rush in.

  “Sir? What about the girl?” The deep voice spoke, and my anger surged through me. “Should we kill her too?”

  “Not yet.” The man who stood above my parents' dead bodies smiled down at me with a mad glint in his eyes. “That would ruin the big picture. Adeline, get up.”

  The pain in my shoulder was so bad I thought I might throw up, but I forced that back and made myself stand.

  “I promised your mother I would let you go. But you should know, I will send my favorite general after you. One who has a reputation for being cruel, vicious, and always getting the job done.” His deranged laugh echoed throughout the throne room and my world continued to crumble around me. “So, run girl. He’ll be after you soon enough.”

  There was nothing I could do in that condition. I needed to find help and get my shoulder healed. Then I'd come back and kill them all.

  I glared at him, slowly turned around, and walked towards the door.

  “Oh, and Adeline dear, one more thing…” I fought back the tears as I turned to look up at the man my parents had trusted more than anyone. The man who had helped raise me and betrayed us all.

  My uncle smiled gleefully at me. “I wouldn’t go looking for help anytime soon. My dear friend here used your mother’s magic to create an illusion inside every servant's head. They all saw you assassinate your own parents.”

  ∞∞∞

  “Adeline! Are you okay? Wake up.” I open my eyes and see Aileen kneeling over me. Her brown eyes sparkling, and her smile beaming. “I knew you could do it! That was amazing. Everything was on fire. I’ve never felt anything so powerful before.”

  I'm slowly coming out of my nightmare and all I can do is stare at her in shock. I can’t believe what I'm hearing.

  “Aileen,” I mumble trying to get her attention, but she just keeps talking. “Aileen!” I force my voice louder.

  “What?”

  “You do realize you almost died, right? You were on fire. My fire. I almost killed you!” Her smile fades at my words.

  “Well, yes. But you’ve got so much power, you just need to practice. You’ll be able to master it in no time, I’m sure. Next time we’ll need to be smarter.”

  “Next time? You want me to do that again? You’re insane.”


  “Well, of course, you have to do that again. How else are you going to learn to master it?" She asks slowly as if she’s talking to a child.

  I compose my face until I'm sure I'm projecting confidence while I climb slowly to my feet.

  Taking a deep breath, I let my voice ring with finality. "I won't be pulling that ring off again unless it's to kill our uncle."

  The echo of that memory flashes in my head and I can't help but shiver at Maximus' words. The last thing I want is to meet his ruthless General.

  We spend the night eating fish Aileen catches and talking about everything that has happened the past three days.

  I tell her about Emerson and how he insisted on coming with me. A small part of me is worried about him, as much as I don't want to admit it. She promises that she will fly around as soon as the lightning ceases and see if she can spot him. She agrees with my plan to travel to Aith and says she’s coming with me. I happily agree.

  The next morning, after the storm has passed, Aileen takes to a slew of animal forms.

  First, she helps me out of our hiding place by turning back into her river creature form. Then she changes into her hawk form and watches as I climb up the cliff face out of the river. Climbing has always come easy to me and now that my shoulder is healed, I make the climb in record time.

  Aileen let’s out a loud screeching sound as she circles around me and flies off to look for Emerson.

  As she does, I glance across the river at the willow trees, willing Emerson to appear. When he doesn’t, I turn and follow the river south.

  I pick up my pace, determined to make it to Arklow, a small village in Tyndrom, by nightfall. Arklow is in the middle of nowhere and the best place to find Aileen some new clothes.

  I've been traveling by myself for a few hours when a brown hawk flies in low and lands on a tree branch. I look into her sad green eyes and know she hasn’t found any sign of him.

  After watching me walk along for a while, she surprises me by turning into a large black panther. She rubs against my leg in a comforting gesture and I carefully brush my hand across her fur. It’s as soft as silk and as black as the darkest shadow.