She taps a few buttons on the screen. “You know, I heard a rumor that crowns and kings and queens were going to become obsolete in our realms.”
“Where did you hear that?”
“From rumors and whispers.”
“Sounds ridiculous, if you ask me.”
“Does it? Because, personally, I think it’s ridiculous that such old positions exist. There are better ways for the realms to be controlled, and I have a feeling the change will be happening soon.” She smiles. “Now, how does next week sound for your appointment? Say yes, and I’ll tell you your payment.”
I didn’t want to, but knew I had to agree. And that’s where the burns came from. But at least I got the appointment.
I hadn’t thought much about the other things she said at the time. Elise was known to be crazy and full of shit most of the time, so I figured she was just spreading some gossip she had heard. But then the fire had started, and I thought of all those books she had in her office and how she spoke of kings and queens no longer existing. And somehow, I just knew …
Elise knows about Hadley and her impending title as queen, and mine and my brothers’ impending titles as king. This fire was her attempt at getting rid of us. I’m still not positive why she did it, but I figure it had something to do with what she was saying about kings and queens needing to become nonexistent.
This is all speculation, of course, but it won’t remain that way. I’m going to get the truth out of that bitch, even if I have to torture her to near death. This is a new feeling for me, but I can’t stop it from pouring through me.
I shove my way through the cluster of creatures that are out in front of the club. A lot of them are wounded; some are lying on the ground with wounds covering their flesh, while others are staring numbly at the building that is engulfed in smoke and flames. Ash is fluttering from the sky like snow, and the air smells smoky and of rotting flesh. It’s a god-awful scene, and I want nothing more than to leave, go back to Hadley and my brothers, and make sure they’re all okay. But I need to find Elise, so I continue moving through the chaos while latching on to the sensation buzzing through the sealing spell that all of us are okay.
It takes me a while, but I manage to find her a ways up the street. She’s leaning against a shop and biting her nails as she watches the fire. She’s nervous for sure, but I can detect a twisted wildness in her eyes.
She’s getting off on this.
She spots me a few steps before I reach her, and when a smirk curls across her lips, it makes any ounce of self-control I possess snap.
“Looks like you survived,” she says, pushing away from the building.
Her fingers start to spark, hissing red light.
She’s about to use magic on me, and the red color symbolizes something deadly. Before she can, though, I throw my own magic at her.
“Ad somnum cadere,” I whisper, lifting my hands and launching my power at her.
It sails from my palms, streaks of pale blue and black, and slams against her chest. The red sparks from her fingers dissolve as she slumps the ground in a heap of dead weight.
Yet, she’s not dead, even though I wish she were. I need to keep her alive so I can question her.
I’m honestly kind of surprised my magic worked before hers. During mine and my brothers’ banishment, our powers weakened to the point where we couldn’t do much of anything when it came to magic. But returning to our land has clearly helped. I know that’s not the only reason, though. No, the reason why I’m not currently lying dead on the cobblestone from her spell is mostly because of one thing.
A beautiful creature that saved us, even if she doesn’t realize it.
And now I’m going to save her.
Because I know for a fact that the everlasting fire was started to destroy her. And the answer as to why may very well be currently lying unconscious at my feet. She won’t give up the answer easily—I know that—but a little torture can go a long way. It’s not my thing, but to protect Hadley, I can let the vicious side of my reaper nature finally arise.
I bend down to pick Elise up, but right before I can grab her, her eyes fly open.
“He’s going to kill her, you know,” she whispers shakily.
I pause. “Who’s going to kill who?”
A manic smile spreads across her lips. “Your cursed fire reaper. At least that’s what you idiots think she is. But she’s so much more. You’ll never find out what, though, because he’ll kill her first. And I promised I’d do everything in my power to help him.”
I’m processing her words when I notice the red spark in her hands again. I move to launch my magic at her , but she slams her hand against her own chest and sends her own magic coursing through her body. A piercing scream erupts from her lips, and then her body ignites in flames.
I stumble back as she quickly burns to ash, shock coursing through me. And not just from what she said about Hadley. No, part of my shock is from the fact that I just watched Elise take her own life, I think to protect whatever secrets she has about Hadley.
And that drastic of a measure …
This is bad.
Really fucking bad.
Chapter 13
Alex
It takes us ten minutes to get to the healer, and I’m panicking the entire time. And that panic doesn’t subside even when Liam—the healer—starts to work on Hadley. He’s currently looking her over as she lays on the sofa in his house. He won’t heal her here, though. No, to do that, we’ll have to go to a place that carries more magic and is more secluded. Which is fine and probably safer. Well, it is as long as Hadley’s fake father doesn’t track her down.
Fuck, we really need to take care of that problem, but right now, making sure Hadley is healed is the number one priority.
“She’s just unconscious from the smoke, right?” Jaxon asks Liam as he sits in a chair across from where Hadley is lying, restlessly bouncing his knee up and down.
Blaise is slumped in the chair beside him, his eyes barely open, his face as pale as the light in this room.
“I’m not sure yet,” Liam replies, his voice a whisper that floats around the room.
Healers are old creatures, mostly made up of ash and embers, and mists of smoke constantly radiate from their bodies. I can only imagine what would happen if Hadley woke up now and the first thing she saw was Liam.
Jaxon starts bouncing his knee more while clutching his head, his knuckles white as he grabs at his hair.
“Hey.” I place a hand on his shoulder. “Everything’ll be okay.”
“You don’t know that,” he mumbles. “And considering how things usually work for us …” He doesn’t finish, but I know where his mind’s at.
Usually, things aren’t fine when it comes to anything that has to do with us.
I fall into silence as guilt clutches my chest. We never should’ve taken Hadley out with us tonight. Not when we know creatures are after her.
“The smoke has really done a number on her lungs,” Liam abruptly says, turning toward me. “But she should be able to heal. It’ll take longer than normal. Let me give you some of my blood and a healing slab. I’ll also get some for Blaise. His healing process shouldn’t take as long.”