Page 123 of A Requiem of Fire and Ice

My leg kicks up, pressing against the basin, and I push back to shove him off me when the fire elemny grabs my arms: heat, boiling and uncomfortable, sears against my skin. My eyes widen, and my heart pounds erratically in my chest. Every bone in my body goes limp, showing them I will abide by their rules.

The fire elemny lets go of my arms, leaving red marks – not as horrible as what the other fire elemny did to me, but it’s there.

We move through the dark tunnel, and the brick walls clump back together from the earth elemny. When they know I won’t do anything, the elemny with his hands around me lets me go and shoves me forward. We head down steep stairs and then through an arched doorway that opens out.

My lip curls at the chair in the centre. The man with fire in his hair forces me down on the chair until I sit and glower at him.

“We don’t have that much time before he notices she’s missing,” the earth elemny says. “And because she fucking killed Jake, I give it five minutes before he rips through this place brick by brick.”

The fire elemny sneers. “You were the fucking one who said she wouldn’t fight back but would comply.”

“Mr Walsh told us she would if we told her we could get her to escape unnoticed. Fuck, man. Didn’t think she was as psychotic as that mutt.”

I arch a brow. “No one said safety.”

The fire elemny turns his attention to me and says, “Did you want me to shut her up?”

“The needle. Drug her until she’s disoriented. Then we can take her around the back and to Mr Walsh’s car,” the earth elemny says.

A needle appears in the fire elemny’s hand, and he flicks it with his finger. “Do you reckon she will sell?”

The other man snorts a laugh. “The girl who killed King Ragan. Yeah. Big fucking bucks.”

The earth elemny comes up behind me and rests the blade at my throat, daring me to move. My breath hitches, and my chest rises and falls when the fire elemny grabs my dress and rips the fabric across my shoulder, exposing my chest and arm until blue veins pulse.

Memories flash back to when they ripped at my clothes; the greedy hunger to take something from me returns until I see myself lying on the table. My feet kick out when he gets too close, causing the earth elemny to press the blade uncomfortably against my neck, but I don’t care.

“Fuck off!” I seethe. “Get the fuck away from me.”

He kicks my legs away, grabs my arm and moves the needle toward the vein.

Taking a deep and panicked breath when I realise I’m not heading into my mind, I screech, “Reen!”

Vibrations stir from the floor above. Slivers of dust break away from the stone, dropping on the fire elemny who was about to stick a needle into me. He looks up when another earth-shattering rumble quakes. Rocks fall from the ceiling, and black flames bleed across the walls, consuming the room with thirst and hunger.

Reen lands swiftly, his long coat licking with black flames. Crimson blood thirsts in red eyes as he arches his chin. “Out of everyone here, you dare to touch what’s mine?”

Red eyes settle on me, seeing me in the chair, dress torn, and two elemny pinning me there. His eyes grow wild, and without a word, the room is engulfed in black flames and wind, swarming toward the element.

I cringe, close my eyes, and look away when they grow closer. Wailing screams, the smell of burning, melting flesh and death wafts in the already dense air until it thickens like smoke.

Sharp, drawn-out breaths inhale the smoke. Opening my eyes through the roaring flames, Prince Reen stands in the centre with a cruel smile as he looks up. My focus drifts away from him and to the two elemny pinned against the wall with black flames festering on their flesh. They howl in utter pain and agony, begging him to kill them as bits of meat fall from their bodies and flurry into ash around the Prince of Ash.

“Lady Pandora.” I flinch when Alad appears beside me, his coat off and over my chest. “Let us leave Prince Reen to this and get you out of here.”

He helps me rise, and I move my arms into the coat and conceal my chest. My focus lingers on Prince Reen, and a stutter of a breath hitches when his red eyes roll in my direction.

“Reen?” I say.

He twitches a smirk and nods his head toward him. I move away from Alad, and I walk toward Prince Reen. The black flames die out as I grow near him, giving me an opening until I stand beside him. Prince Reen takes my hand, luring me until I am in front of him, and my back presses against his chest.

“Taste it,” he says, lifting my hands until they are above my head. Ash from their flesh and bones falls onto my fingertips, hands, and face, clinging to me. Their screams pour through me, and the more the enemies burn away, the more rejuvenating it feels.

I desired this when I killed King Ragan, but lacked the time. Here and now, I close my eyes and listen to the symphony, cherishing the moment with someone who thinks like me.

Chapter 51

Reen Kyong, July 27th