Page 121 of By the Flames of Her Fury

“Don’t you see this?” I waved above my head.

“See what?”

Another quake rattled the earth, so strong I nearly lost my balance, and the colorful heavens above shattered like glass.

I stumbled to the ground, shifting my phoenix wings to steady me. Their bright orange glow shed light on cracks spiderwebbing through the earth. The fountain in the center of the courtyard fractured up the middle, spraying water everywhere.

Everett called for me again, but I barely heard him. A strange draft blew through the night. The hair on my arms rose as something in the air shifted, a heavy presence pressing in on my skin. I instinctively summoned my lightning sword, slowly raising it in the air.

A low chuckle swept past me. “Put your sword away, demithe,” a deep, feminine voice sneered. “You will have no use for that here.”

I whipped the blade around as I twirled, but nobody was there. Just a few stone statues that had fallen in the earthquake. “Show yourself,” I demanded.

Everett moved to my right. “There’s nobody here, Vera. What’s going on?” He sounded confused. He must not have heard the voice.

The wind rustled, and a different voice echoed from right beside him, ruffling the ends of his shirt. “Hmm, and who is this delightful treat?”

“Stay away from him!” I shouted, sending a stream of shadows to push him out of the way. He appeared caught off guard and struggled against my magic with wide eyes.

“As arrogant as the rest, I see,” a third voice said, “to think you can threaten us.”

A giggle vibrated through the courtyard. “Oh, I don’t know,” the more high-pitched one from before said. “It might be fun to see her try.”

I spun again, searching the darkness for hidden figures. “Arcadia?” I called out. “Maeve?”

The earth pulsed, and even though I couldn’t see anything, I sensed heated waves of anger rolling across the space. “You dare liken us to those insolent imposters?” all three voices boomed together, making the ancient magic in my veins stir. My hair blew backward from the force, and all the flames on my wings were extinguished.

I blinked rapidly. It wasn’t possible. Could it really be them?

“It—it’s you,” I said on an exhale. “You’re the Fates.”

“And we know who you are, daughter of the flame.” What felt like invisible fingers ghosted across my neck, and I jerked away.

“The precious Lightbringer,” the more high-pitched voice crooned.

“Their savior,” the final one said. They were mocking me, mocking the titles the Pyraethis had given me, as if what they had put these innocent people through was nothing but a joke.

“What do you want with me?” I snarled. “Haven’t you done enough to these people?”

Those same ghostly hands ruffled across my wings, and I instantly shifted them away. Coldness skated up the back of my neck. The second voice hissed in my ear, “Such angry words, little phoenix,”

“For someone who does not know the full story,” another one finished.

“I know plenty,” I called out, spinning again to find the source of the voices. I was met with nothing but wind. “I know you banished the entire kingdom from the real world just because you were jealous of them. Of what you created.” I searched the darkness, breathing heavily. “But it’s gone on long enough. I’m here to end this.”

Icy fingers trailed under my chin, making me flinch. “So very brave.”

A sharp nail bit into my arm and dragged down. “We admire your efforts.”

“But you should give up while you still can,” one hummed in my ear, so close I felt breath on my neck.

“The sacrifice required is enough to break you,”

“Chain you,”

“Remake you.”

I couldn’t stop the full body shiver that went through me. “You’re trying to scare me, but it won’t work.”