Page 5 of A Requiem of Fire and Ice

Sounds of hesitant footsteps reach the entrance. The door opens a crack, and a pale red eye glows. Upon seeing me, the man gasps and slides out of the gap until he presses his back against the door until it closes.

“P-prince Reen,” he says, eyes bulging out of his sockets, and sweat beads down his forehead. “What brings you to my doorstep?”

“Have you noticed any suspicious activity in your neighbourhood?” I shift my focus to scanning the street, but I know this is the place. Still, it’s better to build on trust, easing him into submission by seeing if he’ll blame someone else.

“What kind of suspicious activity?” He maintains eye contact with me but fidgets, rubbing his thumb against his knuckles.

He wants me to bite and bite hard. I know this tactic because I’ve implemented it countless times.

Fuck, I want to get rid of him now, but King Ragan will probably blow a fuse. He wants a fucking spectacle. So, I have to entertain this nervous wreck of a mess instead of sinking my fist into his chest and feeling the rapid, sporadic beat of his heart.

“Word on the street is that someone is smuggling elemny from various nations into Flesh. The loudest voices come from the outskirts of the kingdom. Have you heard anything?”

I need to buy Astin time. He’s probably inside the house, checking every room. It’s easier this way rather than having a scuffle. When fights break out, I get pissed and kill without caring. To avoid that, I’ll play games even if I find them boring.

“Ah…” The man glances behind me and nudges his chin towards a dead-as-a-carcass home across the street. “I often see my neighbour in the middle of the night⁠—”

“What are you doing up so late?” I fold my arms across my chest and give him a pointed look.

“I have insomnia,” he says, eyes shifting to the right and upward.

Lies are easy to detect when viewed without a foggy lens. But let’s entertain this further because I’m bored. “So, your insomnia has you peeking through the blinds to watch your neighbours?”

He bites his bottom lip, and his eyes widen.

I approach the man, my chin lifting as I glare down at him. The wooden patio flooring creaks with every precise step. As I grow closer, my presence blocks slivers of moonlight, and my shadow envelops the panicked man. He grips the door handle as if it were his life force. I’d like to kill him now, but fucking orders prevent me from satisfying my itch.

Fire wisps out of my mouth, and when I am close enough to taste the idea of his burning flesh, a pitched, wailing cry courses through the home, and the man pales. Tingling heat radiates across my exposed skin, but before he can gain traction, I grab his arm and yank it behind his back. A popping sound comes as I twist. He cries out, and a woman’s voice from inside calls to this man—Kol.

I swing the door open and push him into the home. Astin has hold of a water elemental woman by her long, blue hair. Tears streak down her face, rushing out as she’s unable to suppress her fear of being surrounded by the Knights of Eraminia.

I force Kol to his knees and slam my boot down on his head to keep him pinned there. Then, my attention shifts to the woman writhing in Astin’s grip, desperate to reach her lover. She cradles her arm. The break I inflicted on Kol must have caused her a fair bit of pain.

Fucking double-edged sword.

“Another two are unconscious in the basement,” Astin says.

“Does the King specifically want these two alive?” I ask. “I’m itching for some relief.”

Astin casts his sight on the blubbering mess and says, “No.”

I raise my arm, and my skin glows red. My fingernails become longer and claw-like, with flames coiling around them, hungering for flesh.

Astin forces the woman to rise and then shoves her towards me. I grab her by the throat, my claw hand reaching for her heart. “Prince Reen, no!” Kol cries as my hand strikes the woman’s chest.

Chapter 3

Pandora Hart

I glare three rows down at Sara and Kylie. Sara buries her head in her work while Kylie fiddles with her belongings as she waits for the bell.

How do I stop Xavier from bringing Sara and Kylie to his awakening? There has to be some way to prevent his friends from coming with us, or at least spare me a few hours to kill the king without two unaware elemny following my every move.

My focus drifts away from them and to Pete. He leans against the window, balancing the pen on the tip of his finger. The notebook in front of him is bare of ink stains. He doesn’t seem to care about learning the history of Eraminia.

But why would he? Pete is the academy’s dealer. Whatever anyone wants, he can get it within hours—sometimes even minutes. It makes sense, given that he’s an earth elemny. It’s easier for him to whip something up in the men’s toilet. I only consider using him because if I can slip something into⁠—

No, there’s no chance.