Page 69 of The Spark that Ignites (Shattered Soul #1)
T he woman struck the ground and the temple floor quaked. Her shadowed wings spread and curled toward Emmery, preparing to strike, pointing to their target.
Melantha . The mortal queen, now a beast.
The golden flame roared behind Emmery, and she absorbed it. Immense power flooded her bones, veins, and pounding heart. It crashed in explosive waves, rattling the breath from her lungs—all mastery of her magic undone. Because this was new, heavy, and terrifying.
Melantha studied Emmery with sapphire eyes full of malice. Could she see the new power suffocating her? Melantha radiated darkness, an opposing force to the khaos flame. Shadows trailed her clawed hand and slithered up her arms like serpents.
Emmery unsheathed her daggers and her khaos flame enveloped the blades—a little trick Callias had taught her. “Don’t come any closer or you’re going to regret it.”
Melantha cocked her head as if sizing up her prey. “Do you think I wish to harm you?”
“The claws and shadows gave you away.” Emmery poised to strike, and her palms slickened with sweat. “Most people don’t sneak up on someone they don’t want to harm.”
“The claws, wings, and shadows are all part of the package.” She chuckled, a strange lyrical noise. “We don’t want to hurt you, lovely. The God of Blood and Ice is waiting for you. You need to come with us.”
“The feeling isn’t mutual,” she snarled, raising her dagger.
Tucking her wings, her shadows dissipated. “I fear we have not been properly introduced. My name is Melantha. Queen of the Forbidden Lands.”
“Save the pleasantries,” Emmery scoffed. “I don’t need any introduction.”
Melantha stepped forward, her sapphire eyes twinkling. “I’m afraid we got off to a rough start. An unfortunate introduction.”
“I don’t think we’re on the same side. After you burned that innocent village.” Emmery stepped backward, her hip bumping the basin.
“It was a misunderstanding.” A cold smile. “An accident.”
“Right.” She clucked her tongue. “Like I accidentally relit the khaos flame.”
“You don’t know what you did.” Melantha’s eyes were wild, ensnaring Emmery as she spoke. “You are playing with forces far stronger than you can imagine.”
“So, what did I do exactly?”
“You woke her from her slumber.”
Emmery’s eyebrows pulled together. “Woke who? What are you talking about?”
“Kahlia of the Eternal Sky.” Melantha’s gaze flicked over her face. “She will wake now you have called upon her.”
“I don’t see how that’s a problem. Kahlia blessed this land. Created our people.”
Melantha laughed, a dark haunting sound. “Oh, lovely, you have so much to learn. If you come with me, I’ll tell you all you need to know.”
“I don’t think so.” Emmery stared at the shadow winged creature. She used to be a beautiful woman, all those years ago and now everything about her set Emmery’s teeth on edge.
Melantha sighed deeply. “I was hoping we could do this the easy way, but very well.”
As her crimson lips parted, an intoxicating song gripped Emmery’s throat. The melody caressed her ears, bloated her head, her heart, her mind, and it swam with the tide of song as she swayed from side to side. Her eyelids fluttered closed as the music reached inside her and touched her soul.
That song. It was one she knew.
It was the song Vesper hummed or whistled nearly every day.
Her heart ached at the thought of him. His betrayal.
The ache spread, dousing her in an icy chill, enough to snap her out of the spell.
Melantha paled as Emmery narrowed her eyes, letting the rage envelop her. The pain and disappointment fed her fire.
In a burst of gold, she became a living flame, the crackling of khaos drowning the siren song. With a sharp flick of her wrist, she precisely threw her dagger, and it struck Melantha’s shoulder, knocking her back. She sent a silent thank you to Callias—the asshole.
Melantha hissed, bearing her pointed teeth like an animal.
But Emmery didn’t falter.
She raised her arms, channelling her khaos flame as it fell in a crashing wave. It flooded over Melantha as she shrieked, writhing under the blaze. Her shadows formed a shield against the inferno, her wings tucked tight to avoid being scorched.
The two forces battled, gold against black, shadow against flame. Melantha’s shadows writhed, reaching for Emmery in the blaze. Emmery yelled between clenched teeth, the rush of her magic sweeping with a wave of fatigue. She released it too quickly. Let the flood seep out all at once.
The shadows coiled under the flame, wrapping around Emmery’s wrists and ankles. Fear caught in her throat as she fought off the shadowed hands binding her.
She was snared, trapped as she writhed against the hold.
No . This couldn’t be happening. Her mind raced, her thoughts muddled and—
Behind Melantha, somewhere far off, an icy onyx blaze shot through the sky, hurdling toward them like a dark comet.
Emmery squinted and then laughed—a small broken sound.
As Melantha enveloped her in her own flames her magic suffocated her in a fierce wall of heat.
But she didn’t fear, and she did not stop.
She would no longer be afraid, in fact, she refused to let her own flame strike fear into her heart.
Emmery burned. She needed time. And she would do anything for it.
Emmery didn’t pause until Aera hurdled into the temple and struck Melantha with a blast so vicious, she fell to her knees. Aera twirled in the air and an obsidian icy whirlwind circled Melantha as she clambered to stand and hissed. Baring her teeth, Aera revealed no fear in her amber eyes.
Winded, Melantha leapt into the air and shot through the open roof into the sky. Emmery extinguished her flames in one swift breath. Her vestige was a mere dusting of gold now and sweat dripped from her brow.
Emmery wiped her nose. Blood again. A wild fluttering encompassed her heart, pushing against her ribcage like wings—
Aera sprinted forward, wrapping her in a soothing chill as she nuzzled into Emmery’s neck. The relief was instant as the black ice cascaded across her skin.
She limply hugged Aera. “I love you, little one. You did so well.”
The fox yipped, nudging her to stay awake, but Emmery slumped to the ground. She was so damned tired and weak, and the darkness beckoned.
Maybe it stole her, or she went willingly, but either way, Emmery lost herself in it.