Page 46 of A Storm of Fire and Ash

Eryn and Gavrin made their way to us, tension humming between every step. We walked towards the dungeons.

They didn’t ask questions. They just followed.

The halls outside the ballroom were dim and silent, the laughter and music from inside now distant and false. We moved quickly through the winding corridors, torches flickering along the stone walls.

When we reached the heavy door leading down to the dungeons, Eryn stepped in front of me. “I’ll stay with her,” she said to Zayn and Gavrin. “You two go back to your rooms.”

Zayn hesitated, eyes locked with mine, like he didn’t want to leave me for even a breath.

“She will be safe, Zayn. She and I have done this nearly every single day. We have a system locked in place,” she said as she grasped his shoulder.

Gavrin lightly nudged Zayn, “Come on, Cousin. Let’s let the ladies be.”

Zayn exhaled, clenched his jaw. “Be careful,” he said to me.

“Always,” I whispered.

Zayn and Gavrin disappeared into the shadows, and Eryn and I descended.

The stairwell to the dungeons was cold, the air damp and metallic. My footsteps echoed against the stone as we reached the base.

“I’ll wait here,” Eryn said softly, leaning against the wall by the torch. “You know what to do if something goes wrong.”

I nodded and moved quickly, heart pounding louder with every step toward the last cell. When I reached it, my breath caught in my throat.

“Father,” I whispered.

He looked up slowly. Gaunt. Pale. Eyes sunken from darkness and isolation. Even though I brought food and water every day, the cell was draining him in ways I couldn’t heal. But he smiled, barely, the edges of his mouth twitching with effort.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he rasped. “But wow… look at how beautiful you look, Sweet-Pie,”

“I had to see you,” I said, stepping closer, wrapping my fingers around the bars. “They showed us something tonight. A silver neck cuff—something to bind Fae magic. And then kill them.”

His eyes went wide, all color draining from his face. “I didn’t make that,” he whispered. “Elara, the day you came to me—I stopped adding silver to the weapons.”

“You did?”

He nodded.

“What if the King finds out?!”

“Well, then I suppose I’ll be dead.”

I shook my head, fury rising inside me like a storm. “I can get you out.” I raised my hand, fire curling around my palm, and then my fingers—the fire burned hotter than it had in days.

Father smiled. “Impressive.”

I stepped closer, about to melt the lock—

“Elara?!”

I froze, my breath caught in my throat.

Fintan’s voice, shocked and betrayed, echoed down the corridor like a dagger through my spine. He stepped into the torchlight, eyes wide, filled with disbelief. His chest rose and fell in rapid, shallow breaths.

“You lied to me!” he said, voice low and shaking. “This whole time! A fucking Fae… are you kidding me right now? Did you lie just to free your father? Was that all that this ever was?”

“No,” I gasped, spinning toward him. “Fintan, please—I swear. I really did love you. I didn’t lie about us.”

“Don’t,” he snapped, stepping closer. “Don’t stand there with magic still on your hands and tell me this wasn’t a fucking lie.” His voice cracked, raw with pain.

Fire no longer in my palms, I reached out to touch him but he moved with disgust. Like I was the plague.

“I trusted you Elara!” he shouted, stepping closer.

“I defended you when everyone else doubted. And you—” He looked at the cell behind me, then back to me.

“You were using me!” He raked his hands through his hair.

“I bore a flame that burned a thousand suns for you, Elara, but it just died. You lied to me. This whole time.”

I looked him dead in the eye. My voice dropped, cool and sharp. “I told you I could never love anyone else. Turns out…” I stepped toward him; he took a step back. Each word sliced out of me, “I lied about that, too.”

He reeled like I’d slapped him. His face crumpled, pain flashing so openly across it I almost regretted it. Almost.

“You’re not freeing your father,” he said, voice cold now. Empty. “Step away from the cell. Now. Or so help me—I’ll tell my father.”

That did it.

My magic flared so violently my vision blurred.

“You’ll tell the king?” I snapped, stepping toward him, shoving my finger at the marks on my back. “The man who left these, that I’m Fae?!”

My father gasped, seeing my back for the first time.

Fintan’s mouth opened—but nothing came out. I could see the memory hurt him almost as much as it did me.

“Guess you never really loved me, huh?” I brushed past him, slamming my shoulder into his as I left him standing there in silence.

Eryn was already halfway up the steps, eyes wide. “I’m so sorry,” she said breathlessly. “He said he knew you were here, that he just wanted to talk—he swore he wouldn’t do anything.”

“It’s fine,” I said coldly, even though nothing was fine. My skin burned as my magic pulsed, as if it yearned to tear something apart. All I could think about—crave—was him.

Zayn.

I would come back tomorrow. I would free my father.

But right now… I needed him.

By the time I reached Zayn’s chambers, my fury was boiling beneath my skin.

The door opened, and there he was—leaning against the window, drink in hand, the ice swirling in the glass like his restraint. His shirt was undone just enough to show the sculpted lines of his chest, moonlight spilling across his features like he’d been carved from shadow and winter.

He turned as I stepped inside, those green storm-dark eyes landing on me. Before I could utter a word, he used his air magic to slam the door behind me.

He stalked over to me in just a few strides. “Friend?”

My brows furrowed. Confused. “What?”

“I heard you. When you were dancing with the prince,” the muscle in his jaw flexed. “You called me your friend…”

Before any words could leave my mouth, Zayn grabbed my face with both hands. “Friend,” he said again and threw his head back laughing.

Then he looked at me again, so intense, so sexy, and rubbed my lower lip. “No, baby. Friends don’t get bent over and ruined like I plan to do to you. I’m about to make you forget that word ever existed.”

And I didn’t hesitate. “I want you,” I said, voice rough with need. “And I want you now.”