Casimir simply held up a hand as he closed his eyes and lifted his chin as though to admire the man’s screams like he was a conductor of a great orchestra. When the guard finally stopped pulling against the bars, the weight of his body slumped as his watery eyes watched the two of them helplessly, did Casimir grin and say, “Burn him. Leave his uniform.”
Scowling, Akadian looked from the waiting being and the man practically severed on the spikes. Resentfully, he raised a hand and bright blue flames engulfed the guard as his dying moans filled the air.
“Not too hot. Make it last,” Casimir demanded through a snaking grin. The polished version of a monster, not a single hair stood out of place and even the red dragon leather suit he wore bore no evidence of the gore he just caused. He watched as though nothing in life brought him more pleasure than to enact pain.
Akadian narrowed his eyes and turned the heat from his flames down. The man withered and cried as his skin melted from his muscles, his screams choking on the flames that crawled down his throat.
Neither of them spoke until the guard stopped twitching and every piece of him had been scorched beyond recognition.
Casimir placed an approving hand on Akadian’s shoulder—who had to stop himself from ripping it from his skin. “Excellent work. Dismissed.”
Akadian spun away from the being and disappeared into the courtyard.
Chapter 19
Ambrose packed under the dim light of a single firelight, taking anything that could be essential once she was out of sight and could make her escape. It didn’t matter who was joining them. She’d spent her life learning how to slip by unseen. There would never be a better time to put those skills to use, so she had to be prepared.
She slipped into the fighting clothes Akadian had given her when she faced Rowland and tried not to think about the last time she wore them. Everything in her bag was packed for as much mobility as possible. A quiet escape was more ideal than the alternative but she had to consider every option.
She still didn’t have a sword of her own. The one she was given during practice was taken away from her when they were done and she was never permitted to keep it. She longed for the safety she felt when she had it on her hip and told herself she’d have to find one at the first given opportunity. Between her training with Lily—on top of what she’d learned with Adym—she was rather pleased with how her skills had progressed. Where Adym had been too formal, Lily gave her the confidence to think outside of her comfort zone. Her heart tugged in her chest when she thought about her brother so she pushed it from her mind.
By the time she finished, the pack carried weeks’ worth of supplies. Satisfied, she left her room to join a waiting Akadian.
“Finally,” he huffed when she emerged.
“Oh yeah, like you had to wait so long.” She rolled her eyes. “First lightisn’t for another hour.”
“Half an hour,” he corrected, unfolding his arms from where he leaned against the wall.
He looked different today. His usual black leather pants and arachne silk shirt had been traded for the same dragon leathers he wore the night of the festival. The casual prince was gone and a fire mage stood in his place. His hair hung around the sides of his face the way it always did, swinging just above his shoulders and his eyes contained an unusual flare in them.
“What’s wrong?” She set her pack down on one of the arm chairs.
He threw a stack of clothes at her that were almost identical to the ones he wore. The deep black-red leather was tough but when she tugged it, it stretched easily in her hands.Strong and mobile. When she opened them, she discovered pants and a matching long-sleeve with a high collar that went up her neck. Paired with them was a golden chest plate that bore an emblem branded in the shape of a head of a dragon that had an emerald eye. It wasstunning.
“Put those in your bag.”
She ran her hand over the chest plate, unsure of what to think.Coincidence…?
“What are these for?” she asked as she folded them again.
“Those are made from an armored dragon, the toughest dragon skin currently in the empire. You’re going to need them where we’re going. Magnus had the chest plate made, said it was a gift for your first real training. He urged me to tell you not to lose it.” He grabbed his own pack and slung it over his shoulder. “Pack it up and let’s go.”
Ambrose did as he instructed and stuffed them into her pack, “Why do I need them?”
“We’re going into dragon territory. They won’t completely save you, you’ll only be fire-proof where the leather covers but it’s better than nothing. Just hope if we see one, it’s not hungry,” he said as he marched her out of his garden.
“You think we might actually see a dragon?” She never considered that. She knew the Fae Forest was close to the home of the dragons but neverthought of what she’d do if she actually came across one.
“What did you think we’d find there?” he laughed over his shoulder.
“Well.” She shook her head. “I guess I didn’t really think about it.”
“You didn’t think about what could be in the most dangerous forest on the mainland?”
Her cheeks flushed. “Well, no, I didn’t.Incaseyou didn’t know, servants don’t really get to know much about what goes on outside of their appointments. I’ve spent my entire life in the palace and the only time I get new information about anything outside the Capital is when other servants visit, which is pretty rare.”
“Sorry, I didn’t think about that.” He glanced back at her and something tugged in her chest at his lack of a retort. He was unusually serious instead of brooding. “In any case, we’ll probably be fine. The dragons stick pretty close to their territory in the mountains, so I doubt we’ll actually see one. It’s just a precaution. I’d be much more worried about what else is in those woods.”
