Page 100 of A Reign of Chromes & Shadows

“I am Princess Scarlett,” she croaked, voice raw.

Princess.

Rain’s stomach dropped at the realisation.

The Red King had locked his own daughters in towers. Like discarded prisoners.

Was he meant to free her… or take her hostage?

What the hell was his father thinking?

It made sense now why Azrien had hidden her identity. Rain could never have agreed to this mission if he’d known. And now that he did; there was no version of reality in which he could leave her here.

Was she imprisoned simply because she couldn’t control her power?

That could have been him.

That should have been him.

It was him for a time.

His prison had been a palace though, locked away surrounded by luxury. Hers was a furnace.

Footsteps echoed up the stairwell; rhythmic and urgent. Scarlett’s heart rate spiked violently.

Rain reacted instantly, slamming the door shut with his power, sealing the flames inside.

“Captain, STOP!” Rain shouted.

“Oh Gods, you’re alive!” Short’s voice echoed from the stairs.

“Unbelievably so,” Rain called back, “but you won’t be if you come up here. Stay back.”

Scarlett trembled violently, her power fraying at the edges, heat radiating off her in suffocating waves.

“Short, leave the building. Now. Do not let anyone enter. Stay away from the doors.”

Short didn’t argue; her footsteps retreated fast. Rain tracked her energy signature until she was safely outside.

Scarlett broke.

A tidal wave of blistering force erupted from her tiny frame, a scream of fire and anguish. Rain braced himself, letting the flames crash against his shield. The chamber roared like a furnace. Stone glowed and metal warped.

It took a full minute for the fire to die.

When it did, Scarlett sagged, arms limp, her body begging for sleep.

“Scarlett,” Rain said gently. “I’m going to reach out and hold your hands, okay? I won’t hurt you. I’m going to help you calm down.”

She twitched, too exhausted to resist, watching him with wide, frantic eyes.

Rain moved slowly, kneeling before her. He took her small, soot-stained hands in his own, applying just enough pressure to ground her.

Her skin was hot but not enough to deter him.

He focused on her energy, feeling her vulnerability, her terror, her isolation. No one had touched her in years. No one had dared.

His touch distracted her from the fire.