Page 55 of Hearts on Fire

It took me a minute to figure out what was happening in this room before the sunset froze the scene for me to decipher.

Clearly, King Edkhar kept Isar alive. The liquid glistening in the bucket was her venom. The cuts around her mouth must have been left by the knife in her jailer’s hand. He’d used it to pry her mouth open and drain the venom from her teeth as she bit into it. The thick metal glove on his hand and the chain mail apron were his protective gear against her teeth and poison.

“Oh, Isar…” I stepped to her as my mind worked feverishly on a way to help her.

The keys to her restraints were on the hooks by the door, but the locks on her chains had solidified into stone, just like the guards’ clothes and weapons had. I kicked at a chain with all my strength, but it wouldn’t break. The stone at night wasn’t any weaker than the metal during the day, it seemed.

I stared at the bucket, half-filled with poison. I’d seen Isar’s venom corrode the rocks in the yard in the Sanctuary during her arrest.

Without any protective gloves, I crouched by the bucket and examined it for any drips around the handle. Not finding any, I propped my torch into the elbow crook of one of the guards. “Hold this for me, will you?”

I took the bucket and splashed some of the viscous toxic liquid on each metal ring on the floor. Even if it did nothing to the metal of the ring, I hoped the venom would weaken the rock the rings were mounted into. I also dripped some of it over the rock wall with the ring that held the chain of Isar’s collar.

“Isar.” I touched her cheek, praying she could hear me. “Sorry, I can’t do much for you. Sorry if this doesn’t work. But if it does, if you get free, run away. Leave the Bozyr Peak. The door to the dungeon is unlocked. Get up the tower stairs to the next floor, then use the side door past the kitchen to get out. And don’t go to the Sanctuary, either…” I bit my lip, agonizing about the best way to tell her about Ertee. Was there any good way to break the news like that? “There is no one left at theSalamandraSanctuary. Ertee…” I pressed my forehead to the side of Isar’s face, unable to look into her eyes, even as they were nothing but stone right now. “Ertee is not there, Isar. Ertee is gone… She’s dead.”

I stroked the side of her neck, hoping she’d feel my heart hurting for her loss, wishing it would soothe her pain somehow.

“The final battle of the war is tomorrow,” I whispered to her. “Use the time to get as far away from here as you can.”

There was still some poison left in the bucket. Lifting it again, I strolled towards the first guard. The glee on his face while he was pulling at the chain attached to thesalamandra’scollar told me he wasn’t just a man doing his job. The asshole really enjoyed the suffering of another being.

“Hey, want a taste of this?” I splashed the venom from the bucket into the guard’s face.

I didn’t know if I could’ve done that if he were a living, breathing person of blood and flesh, screaming in pain. I was glad he was currently of stone. So, no screams came. His gleeful expression didn’t change, even as the poison hissed, slowly corroding the surface and releasing thin, white tendrils of smoke.

“Look at you.” I turned to the remaining two guards, both looking just as pleased with themselves as the first one. “Three men against one chained woman. How pathetic.” I moved the bucket in my hands, swirling the remaining poison in it. “Is this what you want from her? Her venom? Well, have it, then.”

I splashed the shimmering liquid onto the faces of each guard. It bubbled and hissed, dripping down their noses, cheeks, and chins.

I stared at them for a while, watching the smooth surface of the stone turn porous as the poison ate through it. Would it kill them? I had a feeling it would. If not, I had no doubt Isar would finish them the moment she freed herself.

I didn’t feel sorry for them.

I felt angry.

“I’m a thief,” I said solemnly. “I’ve stolen, forged papers, and lied. But I’ve never killed before.” I turned the empty bucket upside down and slid it over the head of one of the guards, leaving it there. “Now, you’ve made me a murderer.”

Seventeen

AMBER

Eager to get as far as possible from the Bozyr Peak, I walked swiftly, without stopping for rest. By sunrise, I had made it about one-quarter of the way down the mountain.

At first, I’d followed the path thesalamandrasand I had taken to the castle when we first came here. Once it reached the lowest point of the ridge, I turned off the path and headed toward the valley.

Gargoyles didn’t use the walking paths often. Rocks, big and small, littered my way. The path frequently disappeared completely, absorbed by the mountain, only to reappear a few steps farther down. Nighttime didn’t make it easier to search for my way in the dark. I tripped, skidded, and fell more times than I cared to count. But I didn’t stop. I had to cover as much distance as I could before the sunrise would bring the kingdom back to life.

I had no doubt the king would search for me as soon as he was able. He wouldn’t want to make me his mistress or his pet anymore. I’d burned that bridge by insulting him. But an arrogant, petty man like King Edkhar would certainly want to take his revenge on me for the humiliation I’d put him through.

With the Battle of the Bozyr Peak happening today, I just hoped the king would have his hands full with other things for a while.

Mindful of the impending battle, I took the course toward the Desolate Peak for a while, circling away from the location of the battleground. The Desolate Peak was easy to spot, even in the dark. Its sole needle jutted sharply into the starry night as if painted with black ink against the indigo sky.

As the darkness thinned and the skies lightened with the new sunrise, I searched for a place to hide. It had been an intense day and a grueling night of walking. I was exhausted. The upcoming day could be even more challenging, and I needed some rest before facing it. Caution also dictated me to stay out of sight while the gargoyles were awake.

The slope of the mountain had plateaued. The path curved around high, sharp rocks that rose straight up into the air like pillars. The valley was hidden behind the next wide ridge. All I saw around were rocks, dirt, and patches of blooming red poppies that looked like splashes of blood between the rocks.

For once, I was glad to have my robe on. It was almost the same color as the poppies, allowing me to hide among them. Tucking the robe around me, I found a dry spot between the rocks and squeezed in there.