That cursed blade has been concealed and withheld by every male Oracle who existed since the False Queen, and now the female Oracle must either have it or know where it is.
I’m ready to defy her beauty.
I will bend her to my will, take what I need from her, and then I’ll fucking destroy her.
Chapter Three
Thyra
My heart pounds, thudding in my chest as I run as fast as I can.
Desperation fuels my speed.
I have to get away from the man dressed in black steel, whose savage green eyes stripped my soul bare. He’s highborn, I’m sure of it, and he must be an Iron Fae because he carried an iron blade.
But highborn Iron Fae have brown eyes. All of them do. It’s an accepted fact.
The smoke thickens around me as I sprint out of the alley and race between buildings, following a maze-like path northward, deliberately weaving back and forth.
I have to get to my father, but I can’t risk leading any highborn to him.
How did he not foresee this?
I’ve lost count of the number of times he woke me in the middle of the night, telling me we had to move because his Oracle power had shown him danger in our future. Oraclevisions are meant to prevent harm. If we’d left this village days ago, this destruction wouldn’t be happening.
A shocking possibility occurs to me:Didhe see these events and keep them from me?
The question nearly drives me to a standstill.
But, if so, why?
I have no answers to these questions, and now is not the time to ponder them.
Along every path I take, villagers are either running from their homes or fleeing into them, although neither option will provide them with safety.
High above me in the sky, two more golden serpents appear, along with two more eagles, as an aerial battle rages, increasing the threat to everyone on the ground.
Tiny, fiery embers glisten in the air, floating down toward rooftops, where they smolder, filling my path with smoke.
Within moments, I can’t see further than a few feet ahead.
The charred smoke of burning iron fills my chest.
The thudding of rapid footfalls behind me fills my heart with dread.
The Frost Fae are following me.
Well, maybe I can force them to do some good.
Casting a quick glance at the sky, I make out the shapes of serpents and eagles through the smoke, and now, I deliberately run in their direction, taking a dangerous gamble.
Multiple fireballs blaze brightly above me, and I follow their trajectory, running as fast as I can along their path.
If the Frost Fae are following me, then they’ll have to contend with the Ember fire and, hopefully, put a stop to it.
Loud curses reach me through the smoke, and I recognize the Frost woman’s voice, confirming she’s nearby.
Her voice falls behind me moments before icy-blue powerblazes across the air above my head, colliding with the fire in the sky.
