A fierce furrow forms in the young man’s brow as he attempts to speak. “Burn…Hadrian…”
Well. Nowthat, I can do.
But my smile fades.
Burn a fae who controls iron dust?
It could be difficult, even for me. The chances of suffering significant iron burns would be high.
What if I inhaled the fucking dust before my flames could ignite?
I have no way of knowing if my fire would incinerate the iron dust beforeitcould burnme.
Wiping my expression clean, I acknowledge Evron’s request with a firm nod. “Your loyalty to your king is honorable.”
I’m certain I’m thelastfae this man would wish to spend his dying moments with, but I press my fist to my heart and look him in the eye. “If you were my warrior, I would be proud to have trained you.”
Evron gasps for air, as if he has more to say, but the life finally vanishes from his eyes, and his breathing stops.
I remain where I am for a long moment.
If he had been an Ember Fae, I would incinerate him. An honor to become ash at the hand of the Ember King. Not so for an Iron Fae.
Better to let his people find him.
Not that any of them appear to have noticed he’s missing.
Keeping my eyes on the sky, I nudge his legs back into the light, beyond the edge of the bloodlands.
If his brethren pull his body out, they will see his throat has been cut with an iron blade, not savaged by a vampyr.
I pause only once more, this time beside the traitorous captain’s body.
After breaking the leather strap from around his neck, I unfold the dragon’s hide and push the amulet among the belongings I’m keeping safe within the skin. I don’t know how this wood is resistant to my fire, but I’m not going to leave it behind.
Quickly, I step back from the bodies, keeping the eagles within my sights in case they’ve spotted me, after all.
Still no.
If what the captain said is true, Antony followed Thyra into the bloodlands, which means the Iron King might still be here.
Thyra’s scream reverberates through my memory as clearly as if I were hearing it again right now.
She is still my answer.
Only with her can I control my fire. If I can control my fire, then I can protect my kingdom instead of endangering it.
Only with her do I have a future.
If I encounter Antony along the way, well, he may no longer control Thyra, but he remains a significant threat to me. No matter if his brother makes a play for the Iron Kingdom’s throne.
Fighting to suppress my returning flames, I bend one last time to the betrayed soldier, making him a promise. “I will tell Antony of your loyalty. Right before I kill him.”
Chapter Eighteen
Stellen
Imust make Thyra understand how cruel my frozen world will be. Before I take her back out into it.
