Page 90 of Her Ivory Flame

At this point, she would prefer the feeling of them not caring rather than him dead. She could handle the thought of them leaving her to die, but the thought of Kaden dead seemed to break her in a completely different way.

They kept her towards the front of the group, the leader still angry that she had been harmed and wanted to keep her close and eyes on her.

She tripped, her body landing on the grass below and heard the men groan in anger.

“Get up!” One yelled and yanked her to her feet.

The movement was too harsh and she felt her back tear open again, agony rolling through her. She tried to stifle her tears, but she was too exhausted to fight it as they fell down her cheeks.

They took a few more steps, blood trickling down her back when she heard an ominous rumble in the air.

Everyone stopped and looked around, tension rising in the group as the air thickened around them. There was an uneasy feeling, like an unseen danger approaching but she couldn’t see anything.

A sudden figure slammed into the ground ahead of them, fissures spidering out around the impact point with dirt polluting the air.

Silence blanketed the area and when the dust settled, two giant black feather wings could be seen wrapping forward around whatever had landed.

She watched curiously, tears still staining her face, and when the feathery appendages moved she froze.

Vast wings spread out wide, a hooded man standing with duel swords grasped in his hands. She knew those swords, and when maroon eyes glowed from under the shadow of his hood, she almost collapsed.

A sob escaped her throat and his eyes darted to her instantly. It was him, the faintest pull of that thread appearing within her even through the iron and she whimpered again in relief.

His eyes scanned her, the color instantly going dark in them and he glared towards the old man.

“How did you survive?” The old man asked with anger in his tone.

“You can’t kill me.” Kaden’s voice rumbled through the air. “Nothing willeverkeep me from her, not even death itself.”

Everyone looked towards her, the tension rising in the air and she tried to pull away from the men holding her, their hold jerking her back.

“Someone has paid a hefty price for her and we will deliver. You can’t kill all of us.” The old man snarled. “You are only one man.”

Kaden’s eyes narrowed and she saw his wings splay out further, the massive span of them the largest she had ever seen.

“You took what is mine and then dared to harm her.” The feral tone coming from Kaden’s voice caused a shiver to go down her aching spine. “I’m going to kill every single one of you.”

She gasped as her eyes watched what was unfolding in front of her.

Black flames burst out around him, scattering toward the men. A moment later, their screams filled the air.Ebony Fire.

Her eyes widened and watched in shock as his swords turned into fire weapons of lethal force, just like she could with her own flame.

He was the wielder of the Ebony Fire.

Screams broke her from her thoughts as the fire shot through the men around her, their bodies instantly turning into ash.

Unlike her flame, the Ebony Fire fed off death and was getting more powerfulwith every kill.

The men holding her tried to run, but she felt the force of the flames surge towards them, killing the men instantly. She dove to the ground and listened to the screaming around her.

Swords started to clash and she knew some of the remaining men must have gotten to Kaden. Her head close to the ground, she could hear the bodies drop as he cut them down.

Silence finally surrounded her and she stayed frozen on the ground. Her body shook, partially because she was cold and because she was too nervous to look up.

Footsteps approached and she stayed balled up to the ground, not knowing if it was Kaden or someone that might have killed him.

“Alyra?” Kaden’s voice cut through the silence and she slowly looked up towards him.