Page 104 of A Reign of Chromes & Shadows

“Please,” she whimpered.

“Your Highness, we can’t—” Short began, but Rain wasn’t listening.

“What powers do they have, Scarlet?” he asked, turning her gently toward him.

Hope lit in her eyes. She threw her arms awkwardly around his waist.

“Thank you… thank you… thank you.”

Tears finally brimmed.

“I don’t know my little sisters,” she admitted. “I never met them. But Lyla told me Briar is like me but different. Her fire comes out like ropes. It hurts for a long time; everybody is scared of her. Just like me. Ember she is … I don’t know.”

She looked toward the window, voice breaking.

“But Rose… sweet Rose… her power is in the head. She makes you feel loved. And sometimes bad want. People want more from her.”

“That explains her guardians,” Rain muttered under his breath. Rose’s power; the ability to bend affection, desire, obsession, would make any king paranoid enough to cage her.

He turned back to Scarlet.

“Right. I’ll get them out. But I need you to sit here and eat, facing that direction.” He pointed toward the open field. “If the flames come, let them burn across the ground. Please don’t put my squad in danger.”

“I promise!” she vowed, gratitude swirling through her aura like warm embers.

Rain nodded once and strode toward the first tower. Short followed at his heels, tension radiating off her like static.

“Short,” Rain said as he reached the metal door, twisting toward her. “I know how you feel about this. I understand your reasoning. And I respect it.”

His voice softened, but the steel beneath it was unmistakable.

“There is no way I can walk away knowing innocents are locked away in these towers. They’re not criminals. They’re like me; Powerful and misunderstood and discarded by their pathetic father. Treated worse than animals.”

Short’s jaw tightened. She looked at him, really looked, recalibrating her stance. He wasn’t asking for permission. He was informing her of his intent.

He was going to do this with or without her support.

“Okay, Royale,” she said finally, exhaling through her nose. “I just hope you know what you’re doing. Kidnapping one princess across the border is risky. Four? The fallout is going to be massive.”

“Rescuing, Captain,” Rain corrected, voice low and resolute. “Not kidnapping.”

He didn’t wait for her reply.

He pried the door open and began his climb.

Chapter 35

This chapter describes abandonment, with subtle mentions of S.A. With themes of trauma caused by such abuse.

Awarm, comforting heat welcomed Rain as he climbed the spiral staircase.

It was nothing like Scarlet’s tower.

Where her walls had been scorched black and bare, these walls were painted a soft rose-pink, trimmed with delicate red frills that curled along the steps like ribbons. Warm lanterns glowed every ten steps, casting a gentle blush across the stone. The air smelled faintly of flowers, of roses, jasmine and something sweet and nostalgic.

It felt… lived in. Loved in. Curated.

At the top, instead of a heavy metal panel, Rain found a beautifully carved wooden door. Intricate vines of roses snaked around the frame, curling protectively around a polished plaque that read: Princess Rose.