The Cursed Empress
urned marble s
ackened terrace. The scorch marks from Nyra's outburst were too deep to
ightly around her shoulders. The fire hadn't come again, but its p
rtbeat fe
reath,
. came the sound
tst
Calm. F
a
n. "You don't
t your win
d. "Are you always
ays this
orning sun glinted off his armor, minimal but sharp. Ev
illed someone,"
as a
e faced her fully now. "That power-if i
"Will you put me down like a rabid dog?
r. "I'll contain it.
for something in his face-c
was no
, every wall built
wasn't
was
tired of b
a stood beneath the great mural tha
stly-the Flamefather. His figure towered above the rest, cloaked
Flamefather. Not the versions the priests reci
other once said. "He bargains.
yes painted above her, she whispered
r shim
blin
, the hall
shadows of the pillars. Hooded.
breath
are
re didn'
gloved hand and poi
lamefath
ou're not the on
d chille
ng-gliding between the columns
hed aft
corridor. Turning sha
o
tra
ngle black feath
saw w
usual, and for once, he didn
hamber, legs crossed,
all. They knew about the Flamef
in the city. Anyone with half a
ed forward. "This person knew someth
silent fo
Describ
ilks. No insigni
ye
dn't se
ey touc
N
owly. Tension rolle
ou care?"
Blood mages. Outlaws who believe the Flamefather can rise again. If the
t strengthen my power
hout control is a
ice cracked. "Stop cagi
pped p
re a d
iced cleaner
hroat ti
rned t
added, lower
pa
ha
harm and patience? I bathed in blood to sit on this counc
each me. If you understan
t her for a
wil
met him in the s
s flickering against stone walls, and
hand-not steel, but something bla
roached
rd?" he
fight wit
do you fi
d," she
Good answer.
lun
a
y avoiding the strike.
her palm-just a flicker. Enough
his bla
Like ember
eyes
is t
hing old. Forged from flame iron. It onl
e-born?" sh
dn't
acked
er hands ablaze. Sparks lit the nigh
t fightin
ting to surv
he felt Rael u
topped, both pantin
e not
her mouth
raised
e. If you don't
turned t
d. "Why are you
hand on the c
ds aren't dead,
... I want to make sure you're
eepest dark... the
s time,