Page 22 of Prince of Blaze and Embers (Emberveil Empire #1)

T he afternoon sun bit down hard on me, reflecting off the ground beneath our feet as the incredible, magical dragons came. Their wings gusted huge swaths of hot wind and dust into our faces as we watched. It bit at my skin as the smoldering smell of hot dragonfire returned to my nostrils.

Cade rode Krakos first, with Hunter behind on Talonor.

Both dragons landed with a ferocity that would cause most to soil themselves.

Their wings swept wide, shaking off the dust before recoiling into their immense bodies.

They snarled, and their huge mouths showed their vicious teeth as they lowered their bodies, and both riders jumped down.

It was midway into the day, after we’d had breakfast, and I filled Bella in on everything. Rosa always worked closely, always with an ear pointed my way.

Cade gave me a glance that pierced my heart more than it filled it.

He was either fighting hard to not make eye contact, or I had done something to piss him off so badly he wouldn’t acknowledge my existence.

My stomach felt as if a ball of iron was twisting in it, grinding harder with every step the prince took while ignoring me .

Hunter looked at both of us, bowing his head slightly, then rushed off after the prince.

I bit my lip to not yell out after him as Cade stormed by. There was an intense energy shadowing him.

“C’mon,” I finally whispered to Bella, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her. “He may not want to talk to me, but I need to know what the hell is going on.”

Cade and Hunter were in front of Rosa, both clad in their brilliant royal armor, and both with their capes flapping madly behind.

“Hey.” I had to force the word from my nervous throat.

Hunter turned with an upraised eyebrow, and a slight upturn of the corner of his mouth. Cade turned with stark irritation; the shadow encompassing him darkened. He glared at me out of the very corner of his eye.

“What’s going on?” I asked, releasing Bella and holding both my hands out wide.

My heart thumped hard in my chest, half-worried about annoying Cade, half-furious about the secrecy he kept.

“While you’re out playing ride the dragons, we are here, not knowing anything, trying to pretend that we are safe here.

Well, we aren’t. And I don’t have a clue where you’re going, or doing, or thinking, or hiding.

And it’s about time you start treating me like I’m involved in the decision making that you’re secretly trying to make.

I may belong to you, but this is my life, and if you’re going to take me to the queen, then why don’t you just tell me now so I can plan on dying? ”

That got his attention.

He spun, with his huge shoulders framing me. I staggered back a step. Hunter grinned, about to laugh, but then cleared his throat, regaining his composure as he stood at the prince’s side.

“I don’t owe you anything,” Cade said, his voice steaming. “I got you out of that hellhole of a town, and got you away from that slob. Isn’t that enough?”

“I know more than you think I do.” I took a terrifying step forward, folding my arms over my stomach as a gust of wind shot through—not so much wind, with the dragons stirring alive at the way I confronted Krakos’ rider.

“Is that so?” Cade asked, folding his arms as well. Rosa covered her mouth nonchalantly as she was brimming with appreciation for my dramatic callout of the prince. “What do you know?”

I coughed, not expecting to be called out myself. “You, you want me to tell you, now?”

“You brought it up. So do us all a favor and tell me what you, a Mist from some nowhere village in the southern slums, know. Go ahead. We’re waiting.”

I brought it up with my smart ass, always getting me into way too much trouble. I swallowed hard. I dug deep for my courage, which when I looked into the prince’s glower, welling deep behind that perfect face, I found it.

“I know I have the Rune Spirit. I know about the Gilded Radiance magic that’s inside of me.

I know that I’m the only one with the rune on the side of my neck in Allovan, and I know that the queen wants me more than anything.

There’s something about the Gilded Radiance that she wants for herself.

And you’re the one who was charged to find me and bring me to her.

I know that if you take me there, then I’m most likely dead.

What I don’t know is why she sent another hunter after me.

My best guess is that you’re taking too long, or she’s worried about your allegiance, so she’s sending others after me too.

I know about the Sythers that were with Rone, and I assume there’s no good reason you wouldn’t have just taken me to her immediately unless there was something else going on. That’s what I want to know.”

I decided to keep some juicy bits to myself—like Cornelius, me being an Aquafae, and the thing that spoke to me in my head on the beach. And oh yeah, my burning desire to rush up to the prince and press my lips against his, shoving my hands under his armor, grabbing at his hard abs.

He cocked an eyebrow, thinking hard about what to say.

Rosa tossed her face all the way to the side to hide her excited cackle. Hunter turned to face the prince, folding his hands together before his belt buckle. He also waited with interest in the prince’s reaction.

“How did you learn those things?” Cade had a nasty tone in his voice. “You learned how to use your magic against Rone and his ogre. How did you learn to do that?”

“Why don’t you start answering some of my questions first?” I shot back with the nastiest tone I could muster.

“Easy, Ash,” Bella muttered from behind me.

“You sure have a talent for getting under my skin, irritating me more than an itchy rash.”

I took a bit of pride in his words but was fighting hard to reel myself back in. He was being an awful prick about some things, but by Odiun, I wanted him. I wanted him so badly.

“We are trying to figure out how much more time we have here before others arrive,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Why?” The word came so quickly after his statement I felt his annoyance pulsate through the air toward me.

“Because I’m trying to save your life.”

“Why?” Again, my quick response made it seem like he was about to draw his massive sword and cut my head off from my shoulders, even after the context of his words.

“You don’t want your life saved?”

“Of course I do. But what do you care? Your mother is the queen, and she’s the ruler of all of Allovan. Why wouldn’t you just do as she ordered? You’re her finest warrior after all, right? Why stall the inevitable?” I hoped I knew the answer, but I didn’t want to say that in front of everyone.

“We flew the area and gathered that we think Rone was alone. He always hunted alone, hoping for a reward for bringing you to the queen himself. She probably insisted on sending the Sythers just to make sure he didn’t fail.

We assume he didn’t tell her where he was looking.

He wouldn’t want competition from the other hunters. ”

“Other hunters?” Bella breathed. “And how did Rone find her here?”

“I’m not sure…” Cade muttered with his chin tucked to his chest. “He was one of her finest, so he had his ways.” He sighed deeply, walking past me and facing the two dragons. “It matters not. His secrets died with him, and the slain Sythers of the queen won’t speak of our whereabouts.”

The way he walked right past me without a glance or the slightest touch made me feel as if he hated me.

He hated me for causing him so much trouble.

The kiss meant nothing to him, even though he said it did.

Insecurity flared in me, and I shoved my hands in my pockets. Bella cupped the back of my arm gently.

“We’re safe here,” he said with his back to me. “But not for much longer. There’s something that’s making you trackable.

“Are there people who can track magic?” Bella let her arm slide down my arm and back to her side.

“Not like that. Not at great distance,” Hunter said, swaying his huge sword by swiveling its pommel at his hip. “The queen could, but not miles away. If you walked into a room with her… she’d know.”

“Thank you…” Bella said . “Thank you two for saving her out there in the woods.”

The Blaze Prince spun, lit aflame by those words.

He was angry; menacing even. His fists were balled with veins bulging, and his eyebrows forced down.

“If you wouldn’t have gone out into the forest, exactly like I told you not to do, then we would’ve sensed Rone and his convoy early.

We could’ve had Krakos and Talonor get to the skies to fight them from above. ”

At the top of the prince’s fist, on the underside of his arm, I saw a long, fresh gash stuffed with some herbs. It was red, swollen, and awful to look at.

“You’re hurt…” I said, half-embarrassed I hadn’t seen it before, when we were alone.

He turned his arm over, hiding the wound. “I’m fine.”

“Let me see it,” I walked toward him in front of everyone, with my hands out, eager to help.

“Stop!” The shadow returned in him, darkening the man I wanted. “Do not touch me…”

I halted in my stride, fingers stricken, and my mouth left agape. “I didn’t mean to… I just wanted to help.”

“I said I’m fine. It’s just a scratch. And I don’t need your help.”

“Cade…” I muttered .

“You wanted to know what’s going on? Well, now you know.” The steam in his voice could’ve melted ice. “We’re good here for now. So do me a favor and stop causing all these issues.”

My lips flapped before I sensed I should’ve just nodded. “But if I hadn’t gone into the forest, then I wouldn’t have been able to find my Gilded Radiance. You can’t just coop me up; I need to learn to use my magic if I’m going to live. I can’t just be your prisoner.”

“What were you in Bramblebash, Ash?” His words made every last ounce of pride in me fly away like birds before an incoming hurricane. “Tell me what you were.”

“A slave.” My shoulders hung like a wet blanket had been thrown over them.

“And what are you now?” As he asked that, I not only felt scolded but humiliated. His words squashed me back to my reality.

“Your slave.”

“Good. Maybe you should start acting like one then and less like you have any say in these matters. All your questions are wearing on my last bit of patience, and while we’re here squabbling, I could better be spending my time trying to find a place to keep you alive while I figure out our next move.

Now do me a favor and get into the house so I don’t have to look at you and answer any more of your questions. ”

His gaze locked onto mine as I fought the tears back. I didn’t want to give him that. I didn’t want to give him the pleasure. Part of me wanted to argue—to tell him how I felt, and how I thought he felt. But the rational side of me knew what he said was true.

I was his slave, and slaves do what their masters say.

This dream of me being with him was all a fantasy.

The kiss was real, but that’s all there was, and all there’d ever be.

I was a fool for falling for him.

His handsome looks had surely plucked at many girls’ heartstrings. I was just his newest victim.

I spun, and Bella walked me back to the house.

The only tears that came were after the door was locked behind us, and I let my back rest against it before I slid down and cried into my knees while she held me.