Page 43 of A Requiem of Fire and Ice

Smoke suffocates the room, breaks through the glass, and erupts with my rage when I lean forward and feel every fibre of hate ooze out as harsh, acidic, venomous, and incoherent words. Hate, frustration, and anger get the better of me until I’m glaring ahead at the inviting, blackened flames that are trustworthy.

I touch the hole in her head and confirm it’s a bullet wound. What kind, unknown, but the force is too much for it to be a singular bullet—but I can’t make assumptions until I see King Ragan.

I lift Mother in my arms and leave the burning room. When I take the steps leading down, Emmerton opens the door to his room, glances at us, rolls his eyes, and closes the door with disinterest.

I move down the corridor and struggle to diffuse the livid anger. Flames lick behind me as I approach my room. I shrug the door open, place Mother on the bed inside, and leave. Emotions vanish as I breathe deeply after closing the door.

I take out my phone and call Alad. He picks up after the first ring with a hint of panic, while my tone is lacking and emotionless. “Barricade the Throne Room and don’t let anyone leave or enter without my permission. If one of his fucking sex workers runs, capture and contain them for interrogation. Also, find the water elemny maid sent to clean the Throne Room after King Ragan’s fun. I’d like to speak to her as well.”

“Is everything okay, Reen?” Alad persists. “Queen Ji-Sun’s room smells of smoke and burnt flowers.”

“She’s dead,” I reply flatly. “Ensure no one leaves this fucking castle. We’re going into lockdown.”

I hang up, pocket my phone, and move down the stairs until I reach the foyer. Alad’s already waiting for me at the entrance of the Throne Room, tears in his eyes. It’s certainly not for King Ragan, but I understand his emotions towards my mother.

She was a kind soul in a world filled with corruption.

I can’t bring her back, but I can find out what happened and who is to blame and hunt them down.

I push the crimson doors open, and the scent of stale sex and death fills the air.

Chapter 20

Pandora Hart, July 9th

Nancy answers the call after the third ring and says, “Is it done?”

A breathy laugh escapes before I can rein in my emotions. “Yes…but uh…” I eye the castle from above the shopping district. Hidden among elemny, I sip the iced tea while grimacing at the blackened flames engulfing the castle. Then my eyes roll toward the bar. “Dragonfire Bar is nothing but ash, and I have a bag filled with evidence I need to get rid of.”

“I saw their deaths televised earlier today. They must have cleared at least half of my workers within Flesh.”

Guards race past me and head towards the castle. I turn my back to them, cup my hand over the phone, and say, “What do I do? I can’t go back to Xavier, can I?”

“No. That would be the stupidest thing you could do, and you’d get caught within the day. You must leave the Kingdom of Flesh before the mutt sniffs you out.”

“So, I can finally go home?”

“Come here first. Knowing my luck, they’re likely onto me, too, and I don’t want to die yet. I’ll wait out the storm until it dies down.”

“Home…” My hand moves over my mouth at the vivid memories of charred, burned, and crisp bodies that usually haunt my nightmares. Memories wash over me as hands thirst for flesh, ripping me from my dignity until I’m scarred from the waist down.

I lean forward and press my hand over my mouth to keep the disgust from flowing. Hitching breaths break out of smoky lungs from inhaling too much of the Kingdom of Flesh’s dense and suffocating air.

“We will leave the same way that we came. I have a boat in the harbour waiting for us when you arrive.”

“Okay. I’m leaving now.”

Nancy breathes an easy sigh. “Good. I will send you a ticket back to Oceanview Harbour. Ensure those friends of yours don’t spot you. We need as brief contact as possible. Unfortunately, it hasn’t gone as planned, and Prince Reen seems to keep surprising me with his mutt habits. But cheer up, Pandora. King Ragan’s dead. You have done what you set out to do.”

A light flutter swirls in my stomach when I picture King Ragan’s lifeless body, riddled with ash, smoke, and blood, near the steps to his dead throne. The thrill of taking his life, like the others, lingers.

The last fire elemny is elusive, and I’ve come to terms with not knowing his location, even though he pinned me to the table while the other⁠—

Deep breaths.

After a few more words with Nancy and thanking her for everything, I leave the iced coffee, move down the back streets, and hunt for the first taxi I can find. While inside, I hand him the money and tell him about the café near the Ebon Hall entrance. As we leave the curb, I overlook the flames and thick smoke engulfing the tower walls in the distance.

I thank the taxi driver, enter the café, and order a muffin and a chilled iced chocolate so it doesn’t seem too suspicious. Moving through back streets, I ensure I’m the furthest away from Xavier’s home until I reach the entrance of Ebon Hall. I go to the toilet, enter a cubicle, and then drop the satchel bag on the toilet seat lid. Peeling off a layer of muck and disgust, I remove the wig, pinch the blue contact lenses until they’re out, and place the brown ones in. I then change into a short dress, but mutter my complaints about the coffee stain.