Heirs of War, Crown of Flames

by Mara Valderran

  He sighed, wounded by her dismissal. He didn't like this cold distance forming between them. He missed her warmth. “Can I trust that you'll stay here?”

  “I’m not going to run off and try to save Zelene. I’m not a complete idiot. I'll just…practice getting a fire going or something.”

  He hesitated and then shook his head. “I'd rather you didn't. Not until I'm back.”

  Ariana's temper snapped and she shoved his chest. “Stop doing that! Stop treating me like I'm completely helpless. I'm supposed to be one of the most powerful people in the worlds, and you treat me like a friggin’ invalid.” She flicked her wrist out and a flame automatically appeared. “See? Not incompetent.”

  He rubbed his chest and chuckled. “Actually, I was more concerned that the smoke from the flames might lead someone to you when I'm not here to defend you.”

  She closed her fist, snuffing out the flame in her palm and deflating. “Fine. But hurry back.”

  He bit back his retort and headed into the woods to find dinner. He used his connection to the wildlife around him to search out the best hunting grounds. He reached a clearing along the way and settled down in front of a tree. He picked at the grass in front of him, disgruntled by the sour turn his relationship with Ariana had taken.

  It wasn't that he didn't want to save Zelene, if she was indeed in trouble. He just had so little to go on, and had no way of knowing if Ariana's visions were real or if it was some new trickery Kellen was using to lure them back. He tossed the blade of grass on the ground and closed his eyes, shifting his gift away from hunting and back toward Ariana.

  When he peered out through the eyes of a chipmunk perched in a tree near their camp, he found Ariana pacing the clearing and muttering to herself. Sometimes she would stop and wrap her arms tight around her abdomen, and he wondered what dark place her thoughts had taken her to. He longed to go back and hold her, give her comfort of some kind, but he knew it wouldn't be welcome. Not when she was this angry with him.

  He opened his eyes, then immediately cursed his carelessness. Four blades were pointed directly at his throat. He lifted his gaze slowly, traveling the length of one of them until it rested on the emblem the man directly in front of him wore around his neck.

  It was the symbol of the moon passing over the sun. It was the sign of Kellen's guards.

  “Gentlemen,” Alec said with a curt nod of his head before slowly rising to his feet. He assessed the situation carefully, trying to formulate some plan of attack, but the hard truth was that he didn't think he could take them all at the same time. He didn't doubt that he would be able to survive whatever they threw at him, but he knew it would hurt a whole lot too. Most likely, he'd be left incapacitated and struggling to heal, giving the surviving men time to find Ariana and take her away.

  “Where's the girl?” the one in front of him asked, clearly in charge.

  “What girl?” Alec asked and casually leaned back against the tree. “I haven't seen a girl in ages. That's why I escaped, you know. Kellen never really afforded me many opportunities to enjoy the pleasures of the opposite sex in her dungeons. Do you have that problem to? I can show you a great brothel I found on my travels—”

  “Enough,” the soldier to his left snapped. “We know you have Ariana. Tell us where she is, and this doesn't have to get ugly.”

  Alec clapped him on the shoulder. “I hate to tell you, but it got ugly the moment you arrived on the scene. You should really get a helmet.” Alec expected the blow that followed. It was nothing he couldn't take. “You gentlemen do remember what I am, right? You can't kill me.”

  The one in front of him gave a knowing sneer. “Tell me, Alec. When was the last time you had a good meal? You look awfully run down, mate.”

  ***

  Isauria was having the best afternoon visiting with Terrena and Tate. They had both decided to drop by on their own, and their visits ended up overlapping. Isauria was happy for the company and insisted they both stay. Although it was a little awkward at first, they both complied and sat around her table catching up. She kept grinning to herself, thinking about how glad she was to be getting more visitors. Bianca made a point of stopping by every day since Isauria had freaked out over Zelene, but her duties as paion kept her busy and cut those visits short.

  Zelene was the current topic at hand for the group as Terrena relayed their encounter the other day. “She should know better than to go gallivanting around like nothing could touch her,” Terrena fussed. “Her own boyfriend was taken and is now presumed dead. She should be more careful. I only wish Solanna had been stricter with her.”

  “Kyle wasn't Zelene's boyfriend,” Tate corrected. “Not anymore. And from what you said, it sounds like Solanna laid into her pretty good. Cut her some slack.”

  Terrena scoffed. “Like the slack she cuts us and the Duillaine? Do you know she had the nerve to accuse them of doing nothing to save Ariana?”

  Tate's thick lips pressed into a hard line of disapproval. “Well, they still don't have her yet. And whatever Solanna said to Zelene must have gotten through at least a little. She actually came to a lesson yesterday.”

  Isauria sat up straighter. “She did?”

  He nodded. “Just a history lesson on saoires, but my mother is hoping to work with her one-on-one with the whole magic thing. She still can't connect to the elements.”

  “She isn't trying,” Terrena huffed.

  “I can't connect with the elements either,” Isauria said meekly. “I don't even know what that means. Not really.”

  Tate leaned back in his chair, his arm resting across the table they were seated around. “I should have thought of that by now. I'm so sorry, Izzy. Things have been so crazy.”

  She patted his hand reassuringly. “I understand why you haven't been by to visit yet. I'm just glad you're here now. I've missed you.” She turned to Terrena. “Both of you.”

  Terrena tilted her head, puzzled. “We'd never even met before a few weeks ago.”

  Isauria shrugged. “I felt like I knew you. This might sound stupid, but you're sort of my oldest friend.”

  “I know. It's odd to think about how much you know about my life already.” Terrena cleared her throat. “All of our lives, really. I suppose, in some ways, you have the upper hand. You might not even need the same lessons as Zelene with all you know.”

  Isauria could see the question in Terrena's face, and did her best to give her answer. “I try to keep what I've seen with my gift to myself. Now that I know it was all real. And I don't know, the lessons might be fun. I don't know everything.”

  “I might be able to fix that. Let me discuss it with Bianca,” Tate offered.

  “You know, I think I might come to these sessions as well,” Terrena said brightly. “I've been looking for a better way to connect with you all. I feel so . . . ”

  “Lonely?” Isauria smiled sadly when Terrena nodded. She understood that feeling all too well given that her days consisted mostly of watching Ariana and actually interacting with very few people beyond Bianca. She sat forward when an idea occurred to her. “You should help Bianca in the leigheas.”

  “It's not a bad idea,” Tate agreed. “I don't know if you guys heard, but Nolan just got back from investigating rumors of an illegal fighting ring, and he brought a few survivors back with him.”

  “Illegal fighting rings?” Isauria repeated scandalously, thoughts of Fight Club coming to mind.

  Terrena looked ill over the idea. “They were all over the place in the Western regions. They tried to recruit Kenward a number of times.”

  Tate whistled. “Someone would earn a lot of money having an Athucrean fighting for them. It would be brutal.”

  Their conversation was cut short when the door opened and Sylvanna entered like she owned the place. Isauria supposed she sort of did, being the eldest Duillaine and all.

  Sylvanna's disapproving gaze rested on each of their faces, landing on Isauria's last. “I wasn't aware you were having a party, Isa
uria. Have I come at a bad time?”

  Isauria fidgeted nervously, unsure whether or not Sylvanna had posed a genuine question to her. “Not at all . . . join us?” She gestured to the empty chair across from her.

  Sylvanna ignored the request. “What is the purpose of this meeting?”

  “Meeting?” Terrena repeated with a furrowed brow. “We're only being social, Sylvanna.”

  Sylvanna nodded slowly. “That's exactly why I came by. I had the most disturbing conversation with Adelphi a few moments ago, and have come to realize that people outside of the Duillaine Banair know much more than they should about Ariana's predicament.” She narrowed her eyes at Isauria. “I believe there is far too much socializing and gossip going on right now, and I intend to put an end to it.”

  Tate sat rooted in his chair and flexed his jaw before speaking. “Forgive me, Banair Sylvanna, but I do not understand your meaning.”

  “Neither do I,” Isauria said, though she feared what Sylvanna’s answer might be.

  Sylvanna stepped forward and leaned on the table across from Isauria. “Then let me be clear. I will not stand for all the gossiping and plotting that is going on behind closed doors as of late. The four of you are under our care and are future rulers. As such, you will start acting like it. You will follow our commands, you will not second guess us, and we will know where you are at all times.” She paused and shifted her glare to Tate. “And you will not trouble Isauria with these visits to get information anymore. Aside from their lessons, which I have recalled your mother for, you will go nowhere near the girls and certainly not in private. You have a job to do, as do they.” She turned back to Isauria. “You should be focused on your sister and her alone if you are so intent on finding her. Only Bianca will be granted access to you from now on, and together the two of you will uncover as much information as possible about this boy Ariana is with. Isauria? Are you listening to me?”

  Isauria shook her head slowly, feeling the thread connecting her to Ariana pull violently at her. She looked up to Terrena, her eyes wide and full of fear. “Ariana's in trouble.” Then she closed her eyes and let herself slip away into her gift.

  ***

  The men Kellen had sent after Alec and Ariana had been trained well. They knew exactly how to deal with his kind, which is why he found himself pinned to a tree mere moments after they attacked. The men had known exactly where to strike to weaken Alec. He had a gash down the length of the scar on his chest, and right below the hilt of the sword-shaped scar, a real sword had been driven through his sternum to pin him to the tree. Two others had been driven through the palms of his hands and into the trunk behind him.

  Then the beating had begun.

  Alec was amazed at how easily he had forgotten the pain inflicted on him for so long. He hung limply from the tree, his body sliding further down the length of the sword the more he sagged. He glared up at his captors.

  “Is that the best you've got?” He coughed. “Why do you want Ariana, anyway? You've already got Zelene. Don't get greedy.”

  “We don't have Zelene,” one of the men crowed. “The only thing Kellen wants from the other girls is their death, which you know.”

  Their leader stepped forward, shifting to the side. He was a big man, so until he moved, his frame had blocked Ariana from Alec's view. He saw her now and his eyes widened. It was too late—his fleeting look of horror had been enough for his attackers to notice. They turned to her in unison, and Alec's heart threatened to leap from his chest.

  Ariana stood behind them with her hands held out in front of her as if to take aim and a scowl of determination on her face. A flicker of doubt passed behind her eyes, and she pressed her mouth into a hard line of concentration.

  Alec could see what was happening. She was trying to conjure something to save him, but the elements weren't responding. Before she could think of another course of action, one of the men was on her. He grabbed her by the hair and threw her to the ground, growling something about having the audacity to attack them. Alec didn't hear. He couldn't hear or see anything beyond Ariana and the whimper of fear she let out. That was all it took for him to snap.

  He bellowed loudly, a mix of anger and pain as he pulled himself forward, letting the blades slide deeper into his body until the hilt met skin. With a strength he didn't realize he'd had, he wrenched himself free of the tree he was pinned against and pulled the swords from his hands. Alec didn't see their faces when he launched his attack. He simply grabbed the closest Cahiran guard and snapped his neck with one hand, then grabbed the blade from the soldier as he fell and used it to slice open the other two coming at him. One slash across the second one's neck, the next ripping open the belly of the third, all in one fluid movement almost too fast for the eyes to see.

  He relished in the last strike. He knocked the man that had attacked Ariana to the ground, then gripped his hair and ran the sword through his neck. He let him drop to the ground, glaring around for anyone else who might attack. Satisfied that the danger had passed, he pulled the remaining blade from his chest with a grunt. He turned to Ariana, his shoulders sagging from relief and pain, but her wide and fearful eyes were on the bodies spread out around her.

  “Ariana?” he asked and knelt down in front of her.

  “You killed them . . . all of them . . . ” Her gaze moved from each corpse and then up to Alec's face.

  The look of fear she wore ripped him more than the swords had. “I had to. They were going to take you back to Kellen, and I promised you that I would never let her touch you again.” His words didn't move her. “We need to get moving, Ariana. There's bound to be more Cahirans in their hunting party. Can you walk?”

  She nodded slowly, not giving him much confidence in her answer. He hesitantly reached for her and pulled her up with him as he stood. “Sorry.” Ariana truly looked at him now, assessing his injuries. She placed a hand over the wound in his chest. “You're hurt.”

  He drew in a quivering breath, happy that she wasn't recoiling from his touch or finally seeing him for the monster he was. He placed his hand over hers. “It will heal.” He took her hand and pulled her away from the gruesome scene.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Running. They were running again. Ariana felt like that was all her life consisted of lately—running through the trees. Alec dragged her along, his grip on her hand so tight it hurt. His pace had slowed over the past hour, with increasing breaks of walking, which only caused her concern to grow.

  She still couldn't believe what she had seen. Fear still welled in her chest from viewing Alec pinned to the tree like that, and even more from witnessing him pull himself away, letting the blades slip deeper into his body. She knew he'd heal. She'd seen him do it before. But he had been able to sleep then, and now they were running, expending more energy. Energy he needed to recover.

  “Alec,” she struggled to say over her panting and tugged his hand. “We need to stop.”

  He shook his head. “I'll carry you if I have to, but we are going to put as much distance between us and them as possible. I'm not going to risk them catching up and getting their hands on you again. Are you okay?” he asked once more.

  Ariana pulled to a stop. “I'm tired, and I'm covered in blood. No, I'm pretty far from okay.”

  He turned toward her, but didn't look at her directly. “We'll rest for a few minutes. That's all we have.”

  Ariana stepped closer to inspect his wounds. “Are you okay?”

  He moved away from her. “I'll be fine. Don't worry about me.”

  “Of course I'm going to worry about you, Alec. Why do you think I came running?”

  His head snapped up. “What?”

  She nodded. “I saw it. I told you my visions are real.”

  He gripped her arms hard. “You saw that I was getting attacked, and you came running? Are you insane?”

  She tried to wrench free from his grip, but he was too strong. “They were hurting you—”

  “I can take it,” he shouted
. “How am I supposed to protect you if you insist on running head first into danger? Are you so willing to lay down your life? Because that's exactly what will happen—”

  “Yes,” she yelled back. “If it means saving you, then yes. And don't you dare sit there and tell me it should be any other way! We are in this together. We protect each other. Do you expect me to sacrifice you for myself?”

  “Yes,” he answered solemnly. He closed his eyes and slid his hands up to her face, then rested his forehead against hers. “I would gladly give my life to keep you safe, Ariana. I can't stand the thought of anything happening to you. Don't you get that by now?”

  She wanted to believe him, believe that she truly meant more to him than some prophecy or duty. But she knew better. “Yeah, because I'm one of the five. I get it.”

  He shook his head, still pressed against hers. “No, you don't. If that was all it boiled down to, I'd be trying to save Zelene too. If Kellen kills her, all hope is lost. But I don't care about that. I only care about keeping you safe. Only you. If I thought giving myself up to Kellen would keep her from you, I'd do it in a heartbeat.” He winced and clutched his chest.

  Ariana could tell he was trying to put on a brave face. “Well, we know she doesn't have Zelene now. We should get you cleaned up. How close are we to the river?”

  He shook his head and grimaced in pain. “We can't go back there. That has to be how they are tracking us.”

  Ariana stepped closer and laid her hand on his cheek, wiping away a smear of blood. She didn't know whose blood it was, but she didn't want to think about that. She'd never seen anything like the violence that Alec had displayed. She knew he was only trying to protect her, but it had shaken her.

  “Why didn't you defend yourself? Why did you let them hurt you so badly?”

  He put his hand over hers as it caressed his cheek. “I didn't think I could take them. But then I saw you . . . and he touched you . . . and I lost it. I'm sorry.”