Page 9 of A Broken Promise (the Freckled Fate #1)

9

I was half asleep when a loud knock woke me up. I quickly sat up, hissing, as a wave of pain rolled over me. The bright sky outside was now turning soft coral and the shadows thickened. A tall soldier walked in. It was the same man that carried me here. Orest.

He was still dressed in full armor, though his helm was off, exposing a full head of messy, dark burgundy curls reaching just the tips of his ears. Though he was large in stature, his face was young. He was young, more of a boy than a man.

“You are expected in the throne hall.” He nodded slightly in greeting. His voice was deep, yet youthful and soothing. I gasped as I took a wrong step and tumbled. He quickly closed the distance between the door and my fallen body. His well-built arms gently raised me on my feet, stepping away from me a second later.

“Your dress is undone,” he noted.

Though I was back on my two feet, I felt as low as the ground I was just laying on a minute ago. I muttered through my teeth.

“I can’t...reach it.”

“May I help you?” he asked without making a single move. I narrowed my eyes on him. But he had asked, and I nodded defeatedly. He quickly tied up the rest of the dress, though I could see him pausing as he saw the scars. Something about this soldier was different. He was a Destroyer, no doubt, yet he radiated comfort and care that for a second there, felt good. I felt secure. A part of me was grateful for that kindness, yet I didn’t thank him, nor did I take the hand he offered to walk me down the stairs.

“This way.” He opened the already familiar large doors for me and let me in.

The walls of the throne room were already lit up with large torches, the chandelier lighting up the rest of the room in the mid evening light. Small oil lamps stood between the skull vases. The large, wooden table was now covered with all manner of dishes. A lone violinist was playing softly in the background some sad tune.

A few of the Destroyer soldiers were positioned along the perimeter of the room. Lord Inadios and the Destroyer General were deep in conversation, sitting in the only two chairs by the table. Both glanced over me as I walked in, though the General’s eyes lingered on me for too long. As I lowered my own eyes away, he swiftly turned back to Inadios a second later.

“Rumors of the Rebel forces are growing even this far West, my Lord Master,” Lord Inadios said, sounding concerned. “I have had to send additional forces to the villages to monitor and clean out any traitorous scum who spread such atrocious rumors.”

“And what do you do with those Rebel sympathizers then?” the Destroyer General asked, putting another grape in his mouth.

“Some of them are sent to the Rock Quarries, some of them are executed immediately. Based on how useful they are with providing any information,” Lord Inadios said, putting on a determined smile. He was clearly pleased to see the Destroyer General interested in what he had to offer.

“Hmm,” Destroyer replied, motioning him to continue.

“Well, we’ve come to find out, General, that Rebels are gathering in the North.”

“Do you have a specific location?” he asked matter-of-factly.

Lord Inadios screeched a little before quickly mumbling.

“I am sorry, my Lord Destroyer General, but not yet. So far, we have yet to catch an actual Rebel. Just sympathizers, and they run on limited information.”

“How unsurprising, yet still deeply disappointing, Inadios. Again, you’re offering me a gift but giving me only the wrapping,” the General lazily said as his eyes slid back to me, pausing on my bruised arms.

He turned back to the puffed-up, sweaty Lord sitting across from him. “Unlike you, Inadios, we operate based on actual information and not skimpy rumors. But, I applaud your pathetic efforts to keep Rebels at bay. They are indeed pests we must not tolerate.”

“Much appreciated, my Great Lord,” Inadios whimpered, slightly nodding.

“As you do get more solid information, I will await your full report.” The General paused, taking a sip out of his gold goblet. Like an eagle and his prey, his eyes clawed to me. Lord Inadios turned nervously to me too. “What do you know of the Rebels, mage?” the Destroyer inquired.

With my head still lowered and eyes firmly on the floor, I replied as softly and pleasantly as possible, “Nothing, my Lord.”

He scoffed.

“He is no Lord to you, you senseless, stupid girl. He is the great Lord Destroyer General, you filthy scum!” Inadios barked at me.

The General’s face lit up with a wicked smirk. He gestured to Inadios, silencing him, as if a dog.

“Forgive me, my Lord Destroyer General,” I replied and nodded low, flinching from sharp pain in my side.

The rage inside of me filled up to the brim, like a fuel ready to spark in flames with a single match. Anger within me overflowed the longer I stood there, motionless. Helpless. But I stood there still. For Viyak. For my promise. For me.

What’s the point of the dragon inside, if you keep it on the chain? My mind raged but I kept it still. Restrained.

Lord Inadios fidgeted, trying to ease the tension.

“My high Lord, not sure how long you are staying with us this visit—” One look at the Destroyer’s raised eyebrows and Inadios jumbled over his words to continue. “Oh no, my Lord Master, we are the utmost blessed to have your presence among us and will be delighted to host you and your soldiers as long as you wish! Forgive me, my Lord, for my words sometimes come out all wrong. All I meant was to invite your high presence to visit the Crystal Bridge over the Dniar river. It’s not quite finished but you’ll be delighted to see much progress since your last visit.”

“Perhaps. Given your history of disappointments, Inadios, I doubt I’ll be delighted from this visit after all. But I shall accept your invitation. We will head out tomorrow then.”

“How blessed! We are forever grateful, my Lord Master. Perhaps a day after tomorrow? My High Lord, local royalty and devoted servants of the Queen have awaited long to meet their most valued Destroyer General and Queen’s great protector! Plus, it would give us enough time for preparations since the Crystal Bridge is a long journey from here.”

The Destroyer General took another sip of wine. His expression was cold as ice and yet his dark brown eyes burned bright.

“Inadios, do you know that Destroyer’s raw fire can turn things to ashes in a blink of an eye?” he said while swirling wine in his big goblet and looking at the painting on the wall.

Inadios nervously wiped droplets of sweat off his forehead.

“Oh, my great Lord, I have heard wonderous things about the Cleansing Fire!” Inadios exclaimed.

The General, ignoring him, continued.

“And yet, Destroyers are taught to reel that fire in during their training, to simmer it down. Do you know why?”

Inadios blinked, tripping over his words, not finding an answer. His knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists stressed.

Because swift death is mercy, and Destroyers are merciless.

I spat out in my mind. As if reading my thoughts, the General’s prying eyes went back to me. I bowed my head low until my neck cramped, but an invisible hand grabbed my chin and jerked my head up until our eyes met. I instinctively moved my eyes down .

Meek and obedient . But then I saw the fire-like hands holding my jaw. My eyes widened. Frozen mid-breath, I attempted to reel in the sheer panic rising in my chest. The fire hands jerked my head up again, tightening the grip until my eyes met his. Something primal in my body roared and clawed at the sight of fire on my skin. It didn’t burn, yet I could feel the heat of my anger lighting up, my blood on fire.

My heart pounded against my chest faster. Breathe , I willed myself again.

Breathe.

Inhale.

Exhale.

The General stared at me oddly. My mind was rancid.

Breathe, I cried out, though my chest closed off, unwilling to let the air flow.

Like a swine, Inadios squeaked back, bowing his head a bit.

“Sorry, my Lord, but your humble servant doesn’t know the answer.”

A low chuckle came out from the Destroyer General. That sound alone raised hairs on my arms.

“It is because, Inadios, we have to be taught restraint young, so the world doesn’t burn at our sight.” His eyes sharply slid down my neck, to my bony chest, to my bruised arms, fire intensifying around my face as he continued, “Yet some days, even the most patient of us are unable to resist.”

Dead silence fell in the stuffy room. Even the violin paused. My muscles locked, not able to move even an inch. Terror settled in me as the white flames circled around my waist in a thick tight loop.

“Sit,” was all he said, and with a swift motion of his hand, the fire loop now enthralled me in a cocoon of fire. I screamed, but no sound came out. It took my mind a minute to realize that the fire didn’t burn my skin. Painless, yet I could feel each ember of white and silver flames prickling my skin like a thousand needles.

I was trembling, my heart pounding loud, hands thrashing against the cold fire encircling me. I gasped for air with no luck. My vision darkened. Passing out was a mercy before my lungs collapsed, the air sucked right out of them. With another swift motion, the fire sphere moved and within seconds, disappeared completely as it dropped me straight on the throne.

Through my teeth I swallowed the loud screams that wanted to rip from me. I clenched my jaw and bit my inner lip until it painfully bled, but it did nothing to stop the traitorous tears rolling down my cheeks. I tried to get up as Inadios angrily huffed.

“Sit,” the General repeated. “What do you think, Inadios?” The General jerked his chin to the fuming Lord. “Doesn’t she look like a proper Queen?” He mocked him.

Inadios was seemingly upset by this. A slave, a Magic Wielder, sitting on his throne. His face turned almost purple at the sight of me.

I ignored it all. The fire was gone, yet the tears wouldn’t stop. My body shook uncontrollably as if those sobs I stifled poured through my limbs. I sunk my teeth even deeper, biting my inner lip, focusing on the iron taste in my mouth.

“My Lord Great Master, this throne has been in my Royal family for generations.” the Lord started, steam almost coming out from his ears. Before he could finish, the General sharply cut him off.

“And now there is Creator scum sitting on it. Isn’t it rather fitting?” The General stood up. His entire focus was now completely on me as he strolled past Inadios and walked up to me. His calloused hands gripped both sides of the throne chair. His large body bent close enough that I smelled his pine and smoky ash scent. I could feel his cool, steady breaths on my burning skin. I closed my eyes, trying to calm down the quiet sobs that went through my body with each breath. His large body towered over me even as he lowered his hand to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear, to slowly wipe away my tears with his thumb.

He lowered his head all the way down to me until his lips were almost touching my ear.

My vision turned to haze, my body was shutting down, from fever or fear —I wasn’t sure. But fighting the haze, I sharply opened my eyes, seeing his exposed neck so close to my mouth, so close to my teeth.

I might look meek and broken, but I would not be his prey .

I didn’t have a chance to think, but the tears stopped rolling down my cheeks. He opened his mouth to whisper something in my ear but within a second, I sunk my teeth as hard as I could into his neck.

The overwhelming taste of his blood—almost bitter, so different from the regular iron taste—made me instantly sick.

Fire ropes tied me tight to the chair, this time exuberating heat from them, melting my flesh raw.

With a flip of a switch, pure anger took over my panicking brain. Deep inside I knew there was no turning back. No act of meekness and kindness would redeem me from what I had done.

I sentenced myself to death.

Truth was, I was doomed from the start.

At least now I knew for myself how it would end.

In a complete act of defiance, I raised my eyes to face him, snarling, his blood dripping down my chin. Sheer astonishment flashed on his face, but it was quickly replaced with a stone-cold look. Icy fire played in the irises of his dark eyes. Rage or anger or shock? I wasn’t sure. I hoped that he would incinerate me before I had to find out.

“You will have to try harder to get rid of me, Creator .” Like a cold knife, his voice sliced through me. The dark red blood from my bite trickled down his neck, down his white shirt.

“In this life or the other, I will kill you; I promise .” I scowled at him. My fevered brain was clawing in a desperate attempt to survive.

Inadios was in complete shock with his mouth wide open, trembling.

“My Lord. My Great Destroyer General...” he pleaded, dropping to his knees.

“Quiet,” the Destroyer General snarled at Inadios, his eyes on me, and that smirk. Gods, I wish I could cut it out with a dull knife.

“Please, my great Lord, please...” Inadios begged almost quietly behind his back.

“I said quiet! ” the General snapped at him and a large flame, like a gag, wrapped around Inadios’s slimy head.

I glared at the General, at the abyss of hell in his eyes .

“Do it.” Kill me now , I demanded, still tasting his blood on my tongue. Desperate panic, like quicksand, was pulling me in.

“ No ,” he sternly said, regaining his composure. With a snap of his fingers, two of his soldiers appeared right next to me.

Fire ropes now scorched me, the skin on my wrists melting as if ice. My body locked in pure agony. I couldn’t think straight, my mind so close to shattering.

I couldn’t hear anything anymore. A high-pitched noise now filled up my ears, vaguely remembering as they grabbed me. I might have thrashed and kicked, might have been screaming. But the fiery ropes were gone… and pure darkness embraced me.