Page 95 of A Kiss of Flame

‘But it came at last, and you didn’t fail me. Hestia did well. Go and refresh yourself. Tonight, all of Sidonia will feast in your honour.’

But Finn hesitated. He glanced briefly at Wren and she didn’t know the man behind those eyes. ‘And the princess, your majesty?’

The king was gazing at her, his eyes hungry and cold at the same time. Wren could feel the Nox inside her almost as if it was singing along her veins, wild and mad and dangerous.

Alessander gave a brief laugh, as if he had judged her with that glance and found her more than wanting. ‘She is a treasure indeed and when she is trained, she will rain down vengeance on our enemies. But not yet, I think.’ He leaned forward, peering closely at her. ‘No, just a frightened girl. The sisterhood will need to break her apart and open up the way properly.’ He gestured to the nearest guards. ‘Take her away and secure her.’

Finn held up a hand. ‘She is my prize, Father. Mine to do with as I please.’ When the old man inclined his head in agreement, Finn glanced at the guards who approached her warily. ‘She won’t give you any trouble. She has nowhere to run to now.’

And he was right. She knew he was right.

‘Finn?’ Wren tried again. ‘Finn, please.’

He turned back to her, one hand on her face, his other closing on her hip to pull her to him, and he kissed her. For a moment she thought that it was all a bad dream, that she’d wake up and he would be in her bed, that they would be somewhere else, somewhere safe. Then his kiss turned harsh and demanding, all control and force which left her breathless, helpless.

He released her just as ruthlessly. ‘Take her to my chambers and hold her there. I’ll be with her shortly.’ He fixed her with a terrifying look, one which froze her to the core and stole all fight from her. She didn’t know this man. She had never known him. Her gentle lover, her Finn, had all been a lie. She saw that now. ‘Remember your place, little bird,’ he said. ‘You were warned never to trust a member of my family. You didn’t listen. And now it’s too late.’

‘But I—’ She didn’t even know what she meant to say. This couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t be true. Her mind scrambling, she tried to call on the shadow kin but they didn’t answer. Even if she hadn’t been wearing shadow-wrought steel, she knew that they wouldn’t.

The Nox had what it wanted now. It was back in Ilanthus, where it wanted to be. And she was helpless before it. In no time at all, with the help of its servants, it would overwhelm her defences, and make itself whole. Then Finn would take his place as its consort and Wren would be no more.

It had used her as surely as Finn had.

EPILOGUE

ROLAND

The servant, Carlotta, was dead. Roland couldn’t have her questioned, but that was only the first problem. Hestia and Leander had been secured, but the prince was so close to death he might slide the rest of the way at any second.

And Elodie had not awoken.

The knights, himself included, had felt the fires of the Aurum sweep through them, had been rendered senseless and helpless, as the light they had sworn to serve had roared through them, seeking something. He didn’t know what, only that it had left everything he was bare before its gaze before it had moved on. When it retreated, he felt it like loss, like heartbreak. They all did.

It had to be a mistake, surely. Elodie slept as if dead, her chest barely moving. Sometimes her eyes moved beneath her eyelids. Sometimes she winced or frowned. But she didn’t wake up, no matter what they did. Sister Maryn and the other maidens hovered around her, desperately trying to heal her, but to no avail.

‘I warned her,’ said Maryn. ‘I told her not to channel the Aurum again so soon.’

‘She didn’t have a choice,’ Roland replied. ‘The Aurum has its own will. You know that as well as I. But you can heal her, surely? In time?’ It was the one hope he was clinging to. He couldn’t lose her yet again.

But Maryn gave him a worried look, her face pale and strained. ‘The Aurum is…’ She stopped and chewed on her lower lip. ‘It isn’t dead, but if it was sleeping before… I don’t know how to explain it. There’s barely a glow. It isn’t in the chamber anymore, not entirely. I think it’s locked inside her, inside Elodie. It overreached itself, it went too far. And now…’ She trailed off. Maryn didn’t have an answer either. None of them did.

‘Who might know how to heal her?’ he snarled, aware his voice had the edge of an animal in pain. ‘Tell me what to do, Maryn. Any quest, any deed, and I will do it. There must be a way to help her.’

‘The College of Winter hold manuscripts that might guide us,’ she replied, though she didn’t sound convinced. ‘Perhaps they may know. And the maid was witchkind. Someone had placed her under a compulsion. Though whether that was before she came here or while she served… I just don’t know. Perhaps the rebel witchkind…’

But he was only half listening. Roland paced back towards the bed where Elodie lay, unmoving, but before he reached her, a disturbance outside the door caught their attention. He heard Ylena’s voice and his heart sank. Looking at Maryn, the feeling was mutual.

Olivier opened the door looking harried. Anselm still barred the way but the queen’s aunt and Lady Lynette bristled behind him.

‘Grandmaster,’ Olivier began, apologetically.

Roland waved his hand. Might as well get this out of the way because it was coming one way or the other. Ylena hated him, and always had done. She blamed him for Elodie’s failed marriage, for her absence for so many years, for the recent fiasco with Sassone and now, in her eyes, he had failed to protect Elodie again.

‘Let them in, Olivier,’ he replied.

It only took a second. Ylena was already in full flight. ‘Where’s the girl, Roland? How have you lost her as well?’

Ah yes, he had known this was coming. Dreaded it. But he couldn’t avoid it.