Page 102 of By the Flames of Her Fury

“Do you want to know how to make it stop, Lord Byron?” I seethed. Scarven’s words flowed from my tongue like water.

“Y-yes, yes! What do you want?” He tried to pull at the rings, but they were fused to his burning fingers.

I stepped forward, and my flames parted for me, letting me stand in the midst of the inferno. “You will vote in favor of the bill tomorrow at the council meeting. If you don’t, well…” I hummed darkly. “There will be consequences.”

Spotting the delicate gold chain around his wife’s neck, I uttered the fire spell again, and the metal hissed. Pink welts formed on her skin as she shrieked, fingers clutching the red-hot chain. Scarven loved it when these people gave us such easy targets. Anyone they cared for could be a weapon. Their love was trivial, but useful nonetheless.

“Do you understand?” I growled. Byron nodded, head bobbing up and down feverishly, the skin around his rings now flaking off in blackened pieces.

“Good.” I turned on my heel and walked to the exit. Their heightened wails made me pause, and I spun, placed more blood on my tongue, and said, “Finiscere.” The banishment spell instantly stopped the fire on their skin, but I left my phoenix flames blazing, stepping over the wooden splinters of their door with smoke licking at my back.

The last thing I heard was Scarven’s voice stroking the back of my mind. “Good girl.”

48

Vera

The city looked different from this close. Every few feet were lanterns hung on high poles, casting light magic over the dark streets. Farther along the golden rooftops and arches were balls of crackling light that bobbed along in the wind. I couldn’t help but loosen the lid on my magic, just a bit. Light curled between my fingers, illuminating the ground as we walked.

Footsteps echoed beside me in a steady rhythm. Arcadia led the way, and Everett, Starke, and Kieran were at my side. Tessa had stayed behind with Odessa. We’d agreed on rotations, so that someone was always with her.

I glanced sideways at the white stag Shifter. Kieran’s brown hair was perfectly in place, his white shirt tucked neatly into pants beneath a leather jacket instead of his normal suit. “You know,” I said to him, “I’m a little surprised you volunteered to come with us.”

His brow lifted. “Why would I not wish to help?”

“Not that.” I slowed my steps so the others moved ahead, and he matched my pace. “I just thought you would’ve stayed at Odessa’s side. You’ve been spending a lot of time with her.”

He was quiet for a moment. Then he said, “I was by her side all last night.”

That tugged at my heartstrings. Even when I held people at arm’s length, Odessa still weaseled her way into my life with her brass spectacles and nose forever stuck in a book. Seeing someone else give her this much care made my chest tight.

“I know we didn’t talk much when I lived at the Keep,” I admitted, “but you’re a good man, Kieran Blackwell.” I cleared my throat. “It means a lot that you’re watching over her, just like I know you watched over my brother all those years.”

Kieran hummed. “I would give my life for Nox. He sacrificed much to form the Ashen Order and give our people a safe place to recover. That kind of nobility is difficult to come by.”

“So is loyalty like yours,” I said softly. “I’ll never forget what you’ve done for him. And for Odessa.”

“I hardly know her, but there’s something that tells me she has a good heart. She deserves someone who will stay.” I felt Kieran’s hard stare on me as he said, “So does your brother.”

Someone who will stay. His voice wasn’t unkind, but the unspoken accusation wedged deep in my ribs. I swallowed hard and looked forward again. We approached a wrought-iron gate that stretched several stories high, with solid iron phoenix figurines affixed to the handles. Beyond was a wave of mist coating the dark ground. Arcadia sent more balls of light shooting all across the land, illuminating what looked like a mausoleum.

“These are ancient burial grounds,” he said when I came to stand at his side.

“You think the final amulet could be here?” I asked.

“It’s been searched before, but never by you. It’s the first place we thought to bring you.” Arcadia whispered a spell, and with a groan, the gates opened wide. Rows of stone tombs stretched across the foggy ground. Each monument was tall and narrow, and the tips were shaped like jagged flames, their edges sharp enough to draw blood.

The land dipped into a hollow basin. Standing in the center was a white mausoleum, nearly blinding against the darkness of the rest of the world. Bright marble columns lined the front, leading to the entrance of the crypt.

“You want me to rifle through some dead men’s bones?” I asked, lifting a brow.

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Starke said behind me. When I looked back, his eyes met my gaze for a split second before flitting back to the mausoleum.

“Not just any dead men,” Arcadia said. “The original demithes. You remember what the scroll said, yes? ‘They shall walk the lost paths in the heart of the eternal flame.’ The tombs of the original demithes are most definitely a lost path, since they’ve been gone for centuries.”

Arcadia strode ahead, gray robes brushing the grass as he sloped down into the basin. The rest of us exchanged uneasy looks, but followed. The air changed as the ground dipped toward the white mausoleum. Wind rustled around us, faint whispers twirling through my ears. I flicked my wrist and beams of light magic whisked their way up the high marble walls, showing words carved into the stone.

Rebirth is written in surrender