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CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

I ’d been left in that firelit room where Kaiser had laughed like a maniac while he, North and their psychotic mother headed off to do the stars only knew what.

A couple of Talons had been placed outside the room to guard me – which I knew because I’d flung the door open into their asses and been manhandled back inside immediately.

One of them had blown a bluish powder in my face, and whatever magical concoction it was had knocked me clean out.

I’d woken feeling groggy, the fuzziness taking a while to lift and I wasn’t sure how many hours had passed since.

With the cuffs on my wrists locking down my magic, I conceded there wasn’t a hope in hell of fighting my way out.

And honestly, taking on the entirety of the Ember Wing didn’t exactly set me in good odds anyway.

So I yanked back the heavy drapes that had been blocking out the sky, finding the rising moon winking at me as it peeked above the rim of the volcanic basin.

She called to me, whispering of turning tides and an open ocean far beyond this city.

It was waiting for me to return home and I took her calming glow as a sign of good fortune.

I checked the large windows for a catch, hunting for a way out, despite the sheer drop waiting for me beyond.

If I stayed here, The Matriarch would soon return to wield me as a weapon against my people, and even though Kaiser’s power still burned in my veins, I couldn’t just submit to being used. I had to try.

I gazed up at the very top of the glass pane, noticing a row of smaller windows there with catches waiting to be opened.

Looking down at the cuffs on my wrists, I made a decision and stripped out of my clothes, then shifted into my Leopard Order.

The cuffs widened to allow for my new form, still latching tight around my wrists in a refusal to release me, continuing to lock down my magic.

No matter, I’d find a way to deal with them when I got out of here.

I leapt onto the nearest drape and climbed it, my claws making easy work of the ascent.

At the top, I reached over and scraped my paw down the nearest catch, knocking the window open and jumping into the space.

I scrambled to balance on the window’s edge, poking my nose out into the cool night air and seeking a place to land.

Below was nothing but a terrifying drop to the market in front of the palace, but above was a narrow ledge that ringed around the obsidian tower to a balcony on the next floor.

Steeling myself, I angled my body that way and sprang for it with my paws outstretched and my heart thundering in my chest. My claws latched onto the smooth glass and I scrambled my way up onto the ledge with satisfaction.

Padding along, I made easy work of reaching the balcony and I jumped onto it silently, crouching low and peering through the glass door.

My breaths ceased to come as my gaze fell on the face of the Vampire that Kaiser had released from Never Keep, the one the Fury had named Lazarus Astrophel. His long copper hair was swept back from the hard angles of his handsome face, his intense hazel eyes like two shining coins.

He was dressed in dark grey clothes, no armour in sight, as if he felt little threat in the company of Flamebringers.

The Matriarch was speaking with him with North and Kaiser flanking her.

My Leopard ears twitched as I tried to pick up what they were saying, but they must have been talking within a silencing shield.

The Void answered my call for once and slid out to crack through the magic so that their voices reached me through the balcony door.

“-they wait on the borders, and if I do not return within the hour, my Coven will overrun your city, Mirelle,” Lazarus growled, his all too alluring face fixed in a scowl.

“So the rumours are true, you have taken over your Coven since Branlin’s death,” Mirelle said.

“Yes, and as their new leader, they are most anxious to have me back in one piece.” He had a deadly energy about him, but it was reflected in the three Flamebringers he stood opposite. It was clear they knew the threat this creature posed, so why in the sun hadn’t they struck at him?

“You will return to them, Lazarus,” Mirelle clipped. “I will not keep you longer than necessary. But as I have mentioned before, your kin are welcome here as soon as you make the treaty.”

My hackles prickled as Lazarus considered her words.

“Your offer isn’t nearly tempting enough for us yet,” he said icily, regarding her like she was a meal to be devoured. I doubted many Fae could look at The Matriarch that way and get away with it, and I wasn’t surprised when Mirelle marched up to him with fire flickering at her fingertips.

“You haven’t come all this way and risked the wrath of my people to turn down my offer. You wouldn’t have come at all if that was the case.” She raised her chin, dominating the room with her imposing aura and it was clear Lazarus recognised her power.

“You’re right,” he conceded. “I have come to lay out our terms. If a treaty is what you want, Mirelle, you will have it on our conditions only.”

A threat hung in the air and panic flitted through me at the thought of the Vampires allying with Pyros.

They would decimate the warriors of the other lands.

Their speed was outmatched in battle, and I’d heard their minds could even connect with those of their Coven mates.

They would become one, cutting down their enemies with brutal efficiency.

I’d had only a taste of their capabilities, but I knew I’d seen barely half of what they could do, especially in greater numbers.

“Speak them,” Mirelle commanded.

“Land, for one,” Lazarus said, a smirk playing around his lips as if he had some secret to keep.

“Once we win you your petty war, we will rule the lands of Avanis and Cascada. You can keep Pyros, but we will claim half of Stormfell and we will have open borders between all four lands, free to come and go as we please between them all.”

“That is a hefty ask,” Mirelle growled, a warning to her voice that most Fae would quickly heed.

“This is bullshit,” North hissed.

“And I am not even half done with my ‘bullshit’ as your eloquent son declares.” Lazarus’s eyes darkened. “Shall I go on? Are you ready to turn me away already? I like a sharp tongue, but I wonder if you can hold yours a few seconds longer, fire queen.”

“State whatever you like, it does not mean I’ll agree to anything,” Mirelle said evenly, clearly unaffected by this deadly creature.

“I believe you would get a taste for pleasing me if you would only try,” Lazarus said, a lilt of flirtation to his voice that took me by surprise.

North stepped forward with a snarl, reaching for his sword, but Kaiser caught his arm, giving him a look that told him to remain calm.

“I’ve yet to try and please a man,” Mirelle said lightly. “It is the lowest priority in my life, but I’ve had many attempt to please me. Most have failed in their efforts.”

“Well that brings me nicely to my next demand,” Lazarus said, that roguish smile still playing on his lips. I was pretty sure this was all a game to him and his next move was about to be a killing blow.

“Which is?” Mirelle demanded.

“You,” he stated, amusement glittering in his eyes. “I want a wife. A powerful one at that. You would be a fine fit for me, don’t you agree Mirelle?”

“You motherfucker,” North spat, lunging for him again, but Kaiser yanked him back once more.

“Have you come here to mock me, Lazarus?” Mirelle asked, a cold edge to her voice.

“I see no taunt. My terms are clear enough. Agree to my demands and I’ll agree to yours. Marry me and our alliance will be iron-clad before the stars. What could be a greater assurance of trust between us but this?”

Mirelle fell quiet and North’s eyes swung onto her.

“You cannot actually be considering this?” he blurted.

“No,” she decided.

“No,” Lazarus echoed. “Surely your pride is not worth your empire?”

“I have recently acquired a weapon that will ensure Pyros claims greatness. I am not so sure I need your help after all, Vampire,” Mirelle said dismissively and amusement trickled through me. I would disappear into the night and she would find herself empty-handed.

Lazarus’s jaw tightened. “Oh? And what could possibly rival the power of my people?”

“You will hear of it soon enough,” Mirelle said. “Now go and run along back to your Coven.”

Lazarus gazed at her, his eyes tracking over her face. “When your weapon fails you, you will come begging for this opportunity, Mirelle. I may not be inclined to offer it twice.”

“So be it,” Mirelle said and Lazarus gave her one last lingering look then shot from the room in a burst of Vampire speed that made my pulse hammer.

My mind whirled with the knowledge I’d claimed and I started creeping back toward the edge of the balcony. I needed to get the hell out of here and make my escape.

A chirrup behind me made me freeze. I glanced back, dread consuming me as I met the gaze of Calcifiend, and cursed all the stars in the sky.

I turned back to face the balcony doors in horror and two red eyes locked onto me.

Kaiser flung the door open, not giving me a moment to leap for freedom and I released a wild mewl.

“Still,” he commanded, the echoes of his possessive power reaching into my bones and freezing them in place. I hadn’t even had time to slash his pretty face with my claws.

A growl managed to work its way up my throat, but it did me no good as Kaiser grabbed me by the scruff and hauled me inside. I tumbled across the floor, still bound not to move and I collapsed in a heap at The Matriarch’s feet.

“She needs to be guarded better,” Mirelle sighed.