Page 4 of Prince of Blaze and Embers (Emberveil Empire #1)

Hours later, Bella and I were hard at work.

The smoky forge bustled all around us. Embers launched into the air from hammers hitting hot iron.

The sharp clanging sounds would normally annoy eardrums, but they’d turned somewhat soothing over the last few years.

Nothing was enough to erase the thought of my impending fate. It never left my mind.

Escape. That’s all I could think about.

As the oil from the cloth in my hand soaked into my skin, I wondered—could I use that same magic I had used on the beach against the dragons—again?

Bella and I both polished armor, a job we shared frequently, because our small hands fit into crevasses the men couldn’t reach.

We both sat with our backs to the wall, watching the others, paying special attention to Garris’ men.

I evaded more gashes and scars on my back that time, which shocked me because of my serious lack of restraint in talking back today.

I took it as a small victory, but I didn’t expect many more like it anytime soon.

The forge smelled the same—char and sweat and scorched steel—but everything felt off-kilter, like the world had tilted slightly and no one else noticed.

My hands moved automatically over the armor, polishing grooves I’d scrubbed a thousand times, but inside I was coiled tight.

The spark I’d felt on the beach still flickered somewhere deep in my chest, alive and terrifying.

I kept expecting the metal to heat beneath my touch, for someone to smell the change in me, for the world to crack open again.

But no one looked twice. Around me, life in the forge trudged on, routine and cruel.

And yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that I didn’t belong to it anymore.

“Where do you think he is?” Bella whispered, continuing to wipe the gauntlet in her hands. “He’s been gone a long time…”

“I don’t know.” I had been curious about where Garris was too. Usually he’d be plopped down, smoking his pipe and drinking wine by the barrel. He always liked to watch his property to make sure they weren’t slacking.

“Supper’s soon, and then off to the bunkhouse.

” The tone in Bella’s voice was laced with unmistakable worry.

“The sun will be up before we know it.” Her bottom lip quivered.

“I’m scared. I’m scared of never seeing you again…

What if they come for you tomorrow? What if that’s the last time we…

see each other?” Tears streaked down her soft cheeks, parting the soot smudged on them like a stream through dirt.

I patted her back, pressing reassurance through her. But she didn’t buy it. I could tell by the look in her wet eyes she knew what was coming.

“I have a plan,” I said, even though I didn’t. I glared down at the shackles on my ankles, and I felt their constant, aching bite. “I’m going to try to use it again. Tonight. I don’t know how, but I’m going to use it, take these chains off, and get out of here before they know anything’s up.”

“You’re going to use it? How?” Before she could get another breath in, she said the words I knew I was going to have to argue with. “I’m coming with you. ”

I shook my head hard.

“No. Too dangerous.”

“It’s not up for debate.” Her voice grew harsh; forceful. “Where will we go? They’re going to send scouts out. Hunters too.”

“I was thinking the Faewood Forest, or go deep in the Harrowhorn Mountains, or hide out in one of the Emerald Crest Isles.”

Bella sighed, continuing to polish the gauntlet as she pressed harder into the strokes of the oiled cloth. “How? Even if you could use that magic again, and that golden symbol glowed on your neck again, how would we get there? And what? Are we going to hide forever?”

“Yes. That’s the plan.”

“You stopped the Blaze Prince’s dragon, and it could’ve died after that for all we know. You think they’re going to just let us go hide in the woods or the mountains?”

Honestly, I didn’t have an answer to that question. Everyone in Allovan knew the Blaze Queen, Mortriana Vissex, would never let that kind of incident go. She’d hunt me to the ends of the world to get my magic for her own, or kill me to squash any chance of further rebellion in the war.

“That’s the plan,” was all I could come up with.

We both sighed simultaneously, as if rehearsed. But the truth is we had just spent all our waking time together.

There was commotion outside the forge; men running and shouting.

All within continued working, but every ear perked up.

They all knew something was happening as Garris’ men poured out of the forge into the square.

Many gazes drifted to me, as they all knew about what I had done at the dragon battle earlier.

Garris entered. He’d changed clothes. He was wearing his nice, unstained white shirt and his knee-high leather boots freshly shined. Shit. He’s got company.

Behind him another man entered. And I thought Garris had a mean look to him.

The man who entered behind my master was a tall man with thinning gray hair, age spots on his brow and temples.

He was missing a nose, presumably from the flat bandage that covered it, and one pale eye stared off at the side of the room.

Garris pointed to me immediately as they walked over. Sweat soaked my palms, sliding between the folds in my hands. Bella dug her nails into my arm subconsciously. I blinked hard at the ground, knowing there was nothing I could do.

Not a single slave stopped their work, but all watched nervously.

We may not have been a family in the forge, but we cared for each other.

We were all stuck in the same rotten life.

And as the two men walked toward me, and the tall man licked his dry lips, I got the sinking suspicion my life was about to get a whole lot more rotten.

As Garris waved the old man closer, that strange thrum stirred again in my chest—like lightning curling beneath my skin, desperate to lash out.

I could feel the heat rising in my palms, the spark of something unshaped and wild.

But then I glanced past the man’s hunched shoulders to the others in the forge, busy stacking scrap metal and hammering new stuff.

What if I lost control? What if whatever lived inside me burst free and lit the forge sky-high?

I could end them all—Bella, the others, even myself—in one fiery heartbeat.

The risk wrapped around my throat like a chain, tighter than any Garris ever forced on me.

I blinked hard and buried the feeling deep.

No. Not here. Not with lives that weren’t mine to gamble.

“Get up,” Garris pointed at the door to the back room again.

I considered telling him to shove it up his ass, but reason calmed me. This wasn’t the time. Not yet. I needed to play it cool until we were in the bunkhouse. I couldn’t use magic in front of everyone like this, if I was even able to use it again in the first place. Be patient …

I stood and walked over to the back room, unlatching it and opening the door. Bella followed me.

“Not you,” Garris put a hand up between us.

“Please, Garris…” Bella’s voice was as sweet as she could muster.

Garris looked at the tall man with no nose, giving the kindest glance and curtsy she could.

The tall man nodded. Garris removed his hand, and Bella followed me into the room—two torches and scant candlelight gave the room a flickering, ominous glow.

The room had never treated me well; ever.

Every time I thought about the room, I got shivers…

“Over there, in the middle,” Garris said, shutting the door behind him once both men were inside. It was only them, and us.

The door sealed, hiding away any light from the other side.

“Now… strip.” Garris folded his arms over his round stomach. He had that proud tone in his voice I detested. I hated how he had power over me, but in the end—he always got what he wanted—no matter how hard I fought.

The other man with the dead eye glared hard at my body. I swallowed hard in disgust. He was old enough to be my grandfather, or great-grandfather. Not that I ever knew either of my parents, but that man had to be in his seventies; eighties even.

“You heard me,” Garris said harshly, but with a slight excitement in his voice. “Clothes off. All of ‘em. Now!”

I knew what this meant… the fucker was trying to sell me. He was trying to sell me before the queen’s people had their chance to buy me.

The greedy prick was trying to make some extra royals; probably expecting a measly bounty from the crown, so he was taking a chance at a bigger price. God, I hated him…

I didn’t want to, but I had to do it countless times before.

I slid my sleeves off my shoulders and down my bare arms. Bella did the same.

I brushed my hair from my back over the front of my chest, before I let my shirt fall all the way down to my ankles.

Bella and I both undid our belts and slid our pants down next, underwear and all. A chill bit my skin.

There we stood, naked as the day we were born. My hair did its best to hide my breasts and nipples, which I could feel hardening from the chill. I folded both hands over my crotch. Bella did the same.

Garris then folded his hands behind his back, taking slow strides to my side, and then behind me—directly behind me.

“This is the one.” He took my hips in both his greasy, fat hands, squeezing.

I wanted to spin and rake his face with my nails, but forced restraint.

“She doesn’t look like much. Skinny, freckles, weak, sharp-tongued with dull brown eyes and that matted thick hair…

but… I saw it as sure as I’ve seen anything in my life.

There was the mark on her neck. The one you described. ”

The tall man nodded, pleased. A smile rose at the corner of his wrinkled mouth.

“But, for what she lacks in beauty, she’s a hard worker. And… she’s a virgin, if that’s your thing. Which increases the price.”

He knew I wasn’t a virgin. He was the one who sold me off for nights with those men.

Garris took his coins and drank them down his gullet for me spreading my legs for the three of them.

I never had any pleasure with sex. Forced, kicking and biting my way into their beds, but they always got their way. Always. No matter how hard I fought.

With one last squeeze of my naked hips, he let go, walking to my side, sliding his slick finger up my arm, over my shoulder, and to the side of my neck. He brushed my hair back as it fell onto my back, exposing half my chest and my bare breast.

I felt so vulnerable I wanted to scream. But I didn’t.

“Interested?” Garris asked. “The other is for sale too, if the price is right.”

“I don’t need the other…” The old, tall man said with a cr oaked voice. “Just the one. If you’re absolutely certain she has the golden rune on her neck. I’m a sort of… collector. When I heard of the sighting, I had to come see… You are certain she is the Gold-Marked?”

“Without a doubt.” Garris gave me a mean wink as he flicked my hair back over my chest. He leaned in and whispered into my ear, “Good fucking riddance.”

I turned my head quick and whispered back, “You’ll get yours, you miserable prick.” I spat right into his ear.

He recoiled and pulled a kerchief from his pocket, wiping my spit out. The twitch in his eye showed he wanted to strike me down. Kill me even. But he didn’t.

He laughed and returned to the tall man’s side. “I’m sure you’ll teach her some manners. Manners I’ve failed to teach. So, do we have a deal? You can take her now if you wish. I’ll draw up the papers.”

The tall man nodded, a wicked smile curving on his lips. He rubbed his frail, age-spot-covered hands.

Then, we heard it, the distinct flapping of wide wings out in the courtyard. Similar to ship sails, but thicker, and much, much higher. By the gods… is it happening again? Another battle? Those dragons could turn the whole town to ruin.

There were dozens of screams from beyond the door; outside the forge.

I recognized the screams, as they were the same kind I heard when the dragon battle erupted earlier in the day—full of panic, dread, and terrible fear.

As the shouts and screams grew, a new sound emerged from back out in town.

It was the now familiar sound of a mighty dragon’s roar filling every nook and cranny of the town. It came from just outside the forge.

Living in Bramblebash most of my life, I’d never heard people scream like that. It was a new kind of terror that pierced my ears and sent shivers down my back.

Garris went to the door, his slimy fingers trembling as he unlatched the door, peeking through its narrow opening. The old man stepped back into the room’s dark corner. I heard the murmurs from within the forge hush, and all hammering and grinding ceased to a heart-stopping crawl.

Garris released the door latch and staggered back into the room, walking right up to my side.

The linens of his shirt scraped against the side of my bare arm.

I was so terrified of what was outside the door, and within the forge, that I forgot I was completely naked still.

I was doing my best to hide behind my arms covering my breasts and my hands covering my groin.

A dark-hooded man entered the room. He had to duck his head to get under the doorframe, and the distinct smell of dragonfire poured into the room with him.

It was the musty, thick smell of ancient bellowing brimstone mixed with a sulfuric metal scent.

And as the man entered the room, towering over all of us with his muscular build, all air rushed from my lungs at the sight of him…

The Blaze Prince… he’s here…

I’d never been so terrified in all my life…

Terror gripped me, freezing me in place. My feet sucked into the floorboards, my fingers cocked, spread wide before my chest. Air caught in my throat as my body forced an inhale, but my pounding heart caused my breathing to flutter. He was… enormous…

He towered over all of us, including Garris, who had slithered like a cold-blooded snake behind me.

The prince had a mask of black metal covering his face, probably to hide his grotesque, hideous Cinderyn face.

The fire elemental children of Allovan were surely deformed by the fire magics they wielded, and the Blaze Prince had a reputation for being the most fearsome, deadly dragon rider in all the lands.

That was, except for the bloodthirsty mother of his—The Blaze Queen herself.

Bella gripped my hand, pulling our bodies together. I immediately felt her body trembling, hard goose pimples scratching against each other.

“It’s him,” she muttered through shaky breath. “He’s come… he’s come for you…”

Me? Oh fuck… he did, didn’t he… he came to kill me for what I did… I’m going to die right here, right now, for a magic I didn’t even know I had… Shit…