The Cursed Empress
rt was a fore
mony. Instead, the air shifted around her like smoke clinging to silk. Every n
. Some curiou
eply, but her hands tr
reading. Th
st, they
e-bo
e-tou
he terrace wi
voices in
d fans and goblets
e felt the fear coiling off their
ly. Let them fear me.
ng courtyard. They hadn't spoken
ds were
ds exc
f torches flickerin
rame taut with tension. Silver tattoos snaked along h
her a prac
"This time, I
dded
toward his shoulder. He blocked it easily, spun her off balan
ned. "I
aid. "You'll
She slapped it away a
ircled
ld me sooner," sh
you
some cursed princess-I'm the vessel
ade. "Would you
ould've hit
ound so rare, it
as b
re
back. "You
ou're not be
locke
t, the worl
t politics.
t t
os
cl
ed away
he said
, Nyra cou
ary call
d scrolls, tomes bound in stitched hide
e candle wax dripping onto her fing
n she f
covered volume. A prophecy written in Old Tongue, barely
of fire weds
fracture, the w
shatter, anot
of ash shall aw
omach
d of
of
. R
ge wasn't
delib
. Or worse-by some
page and ran f
't in his
ord wa
s his
ed note lay
it, fingers
Dust. The Flamekeepers ha
alace. Trust
touch the
R
wallow
ce was three days south,
ld he l
arn her a
nock at
fr
shar
ot hesitant.
ned it
e, cloaked in red. Deep s
igh Priestess invites you to the eastern sa
idn't
l echoed in her head
ly. "Tell the High Priestess
owed again
, and bolted for the hidden s
s goin
he c
walls pulsed
they were
ere th
s filled
ed chamber, heart ha
ill sat at the ce
ac
ing l
touch it
, she w
y m
ce stretc
red-not aloud, but
you bear
chose to bury
aggere
ho buri
ey broke Me into fragments a
pered. "That's
when you're angry? Why d
pped to
but they sizzled off
't just
as a
r, the ai
pun a
a
o
d-robe
e, her eyes glo
twisted into
re," she said, her voice echoing
backe
ant," she said. "Y
aid calmly. "We walk wher
raised
-hot magic spir
nd fire explode
oom i
rown backward i
smoke cleared
de
t g
Nyra collapsed ont
ter lay wait
. No si
it with n
ince i
reached t
is yours no
e does
umbling ruin of white stone, a man
awake
her b