Page 51 of A Kingdom of Fire and Fury (House of Embers #1)

For the rest of the week, no gryphons came, even when we expanded our patrol. Nothing. It lifted a weight off my shoulders. In a week, I’d see Clara, and now, my options were back open again. I didn’t have to abandon her.

When we got back, Kieran and I reported to Luther. He listened to it all with a surprisingly impassive expression, giving nothing away. After a few seconds of tense silence, he said, “We’ll need to do more missions in the future to test her Gift. It’s disrespectful to the country not to.”

He looked pointedly at me as if it was my fault for not being a gryphon-slaying badass. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Instead, I said in a forced polite tone, “I successfully completed my mission. When can I see my sister?”

“You will fly out tomorrow. Ben will accompany you. For your temporary visit, she’ll be staying at a tavern ten hours from the capital.

You may stay overnight, but you’re to leave before noon the next day.

And you will not stay with your sister. I’ve instructed the tavernkeeper and several of my guards to report if you attempt to stay with her.

If you do, you won’t see your sister for a year. That I can guarantee.”

I wanted to scream, but the moment I stepped forward to give him a piece of my mind, a shadow brushed against my neck.

I stilled. My head whipped toward Kieran, who arched a brow.

Fucking prick. I knew he wanted me to keep my mouth shut.

And I hated that he had a point. If I pushed back, Luther would be even more incentivized to keep my sister from me.

“Fine,” I bit out.

When we left, Kieran used his shadows to take me to his room. “You did good keeping your mouth shut. I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“Kick rocks, motherfucker.”

He huffed a laugh. “You may not like it, but that’s how you get what you want. Luther’s blinded by his ego. You need to play the game. Think of your long term goals.”

I exhaled. “And what’s yours? Because you still haven’t found Raven, and Luther hasn’t hatched the eggs.”

Some of his amusement fell. “Careful.”

“Are you talking as my captain or as my friend?”

“Both.” Kieran glanced at his door. “Raven’s dangerous. We know they’re trying to bring Lusadia down to its knees, and they know about some of our routes. It’s too unstable to move the eggs anywhere until we’ve drawn Raven out. In the meantime, we both have to be patient.”

Patience. It wasn’t my strong suit.

Ten hours later, Ben and I stood at the bottom of the stairs inside a shitty tavern. My heart pounded in my throat. Once again, just a couple of stairs stood between me and my sister. Gods, I hoped she was being treated okay.

“Wait,” Ben said before I could ascend. Just like last time, Clara’s room was at the very end of the hallway. Still a prisoner, but this time inside a gilded cage.

I frowned. “What’s your problem?” He’d been off the entire flight, never once cracking a joke.

“Promise you won’t do anything stupid?” He forced a grin. “I prefer to avoid punishment laps from Kieran.”

I swallowed. “I won’t. I promise.” I’d gotten lucky Clara hadn’t gotten hurt when I acted out. I wouldn’t take that risk again. Once I promised, the tension bled from Ben’s shoulders. With that settled, I flew up the steps and pounded on Clara’s door.

Wes answered it with a scowl etched on his face. I barreled past him, my eyes locking on Clara. She looked better since I last saw her. She had more meat on her bones and color in her cheeks. When she smiled, there was actual warmth to it, and her blue-green eyes sparkled.

The knot in my stomach loosened, and I pulled her into a tight hug. The letters weren’t lying. “How are you?” I whispered into her hair. I pulled back to cup her face. “If you’re not happy, I swear I’ll burn the kingdom to the ground. ”

Ben cleared his throat. “Maybe don’t say that in front of the royal guard.”

I ignored him. “Be honest. None of this is worth it if you’re suffering.”

Clara’s eyes watered, and she laughed. “I’m okay. Honest. I—I really like where I am. Please don’t do anything rash, Selena.”

I let out a shaky breath. “Truly? I’m doing my best to be responsible.

” I almost ruined everything not even a month ago.

“The king sent me on a mission, and I succeeded but… but it’ll be at least a year before I’m able to visit regularly.

” I led her back toward the bed and sat down.

Even though she was doing better, I knew from experience long periods of standing made her tired. “Will you be okay until then?”

How honest are your letters?

What are you hiding from me?

Do you need me to go rogue?

Clara squeezed my hand. “I will. Wes’s been really kind to me. I…” Her cheeks burned bright red. “I like it where I am. So, even though I hate waiting, I’m okay to wait. And…” Her eyes darted to Wes, her flush deepening. “You can trust people, Selena. Not everyone is out to get you.”

I narrowed my eyes at Wes but forced a smile when Clara looked at me. That asshole better keep his dick to himself or I’m cutting it off. “What have you been up to?”

She smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“I’ll show you.” She led me to the closet where a huge wooden chest was.

She flung it open, revealing about twenty different canvases.

Terrible would be putting the artwork lightly, but I found myself grinning from ear to ear at the pieces.

I could see the excitement in her strokes.

The two of us had never done something as frivolous as painting.

She’s so much better off without me. A pang reverberated through my chest at the whispered thought.

Clara grabbed the painting at the top of the pile and offered it to me. “Wes has been teaching me how to paint. I’m not very good at it, but it’s fun.”

“Nonsense. You just have an… abstract style,” Wes said.

It took everything I had not to glare at him, especially when Clara giggled. “It’s okay. I know I’m terrible. But it’s a lot of fun.”

“You just need some more practice.” I rummaged through the paintings, smiling at the childish dashes of color all over them.

“This one’s for you.” Clara handed me the last painting.

My eyes widened. It was me with my hands chained to the ground at the gallows and golden flames surrounding me.

Umara stood across, her gaze heavy as she stared at me.

The entire piece was… abstract was probably the best word for it with how the colors moved in a haze.

“Why would you…” Why paint this? I’d been so terrified in that moment, sure that my sister would have to witness my demise and get the Traitor’s Brand on her hand .

Clara swallowed. “Umara saved you, saved us both. She stopped my world from completely falling apart. I can’t forget that moment… it’s branded in my mind. So I—I wanted to paint it.”

A lump formed in the back of my throat. “I’m sorry, Clara. I’ll work hard to get in Luther’s good graces. Then you’ll be able to come back home, okay?”

Clara nodded, her eyes darting over my shoulder before focusing back on me. “Okay.”

The rest of the visit wasn’t as heavy. She told me about the hobbies she’d taken up, about how Wes helped her get accepted by the villagers she stayed with. It was all too obvious how she censored herself, not because it was bad, but because she couldn’t reveal where she was staying.

Hearing and seeing the clear joy in her voice was both devastating and uplifting. I wanted her to be happy, of course, but it was so obvious she had never felt this way with me. Stop being so selfish. It was almost a relief when it was time to go.

I pulled Clara into a tight hug. “Be a good girl. Don’t get into any trouble.”

“Rich coming from you.” She grinned.

Wes followed Ben and me into the hallway, the easy smile fading once Clara couldn’t see him. I folded my arms. “Keep your hands to yourself. If I find out you’ve touched her—”

Wes blanched, the tips of his ears reddening. “I—I wouldn’t—”

Ben snickered. “Oh, he so would. ”

I shot Ben a glare. “Just don’t touch her, or Umara will torch you.”

Wes glowered, but his bright red ears ruined the effect. “Keep yourself out of trouble. Clara doesn’t need you upending her entire world again. ”

I clutched at the painting she’d offered me. “Is she really okay?”

Wes’s glare lightened. “She’s settling in, and her peers are coming around. It was rough at first, but she’s found her footing now that you’ve been officially knighted into the dragonsguard. I’d hate for her to have to start all over again.”

The man wasn’t even trying to be subtle. But on this front, we were both in agreement. “I want her to thrive and to be happy. Whatever I have to do to achieve that, I will.”

Wes studied me. “Then stay away from Kieran. He’ll gain your trust and stab you in the back.”

My breath hitched. All my doubts punched me in the gut. Kieran had been so kind lately, and I had lowered my guard. What if that was a part of his plan to use me?

“Alright, that’s enough. Let’s go,” Ben cut in before I could say another word.

“What do you want?” I asked Gareth the next morning as he sat across from me at lunch.

“So friendly,” he muttered. “I was hoping we could talk. ”

My eyes darted to Kieran, who sat on the couch eating an apple. Might as well get it over with. “Fine.” I trailed behind Gareth as we went to the dragon caves. “Where are we going?”

“Out. You’ll like it.” Gareth grinned, looking younger than I’d ever seen him.

“That’s helpful.” I called for Umara and the two of us rode out. The farther we got from the castle, the more the tension bled from both our shoulders. We flew for about an hour until we came toward a crystal blue lake surrounded by mountains. Perfect. Then we didn’t have to deal with any stares.

I slid down Umara’s back, grinning as Gareth’s dragon, Eutimio, flew straight into the water. “No point in delaying it. What do you want to lecture me on today?”

Gareth rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I heard about your visit.”