Page 15 of Empire of Flame and Thorns

I keep manipulating that pale pink spark inside him, increasing the sympathy he now feels towards me.

He relaxes his fingers even more.

I keep my magic flowing. Almost now. He will release me fully in three, two?—

A strong hand wraps around my jaw and wrenches my head up.

My glowing eyes come face to face with Alistair Geller.

“Don’t be fooled by her,” he snarls at his friend, his fingers still digging into my jaw. “This is Selena Soulstealer.”

Soulstealer. That’s the name people call me behind my back because they think that I can manipulate people’s emotions tosuch a degree that I can change them into an entirely different person. It’s not true. But I haven’t told people that. Because revealing secrets about how your magic works is not only stupid, it’s dangerous as hell too.

The other guy snatches his hand off my arm as if I have a contagious disease.

But Alistair keeps his hand around my jaw. His eyes begin to glow as he summons his fire magic.

Alarm blares through my skull.

Yanking out the knife from my thigh holster, I slash it through the air towards his face.

He leaps back, shock pulsing in his eyes.

The moment he releases me, I whip around and sprint away along the wall.

Fire roars behind me.

Throwing myself to the side, I dive down right before a blast of flames shoots through the space I was just occupying. The heat of it singes a few strands of my hair that were still fluttering above me from the dive. Twisting around, I cast a frantic look back. But thankfully, Alistair and his gang are already engaged in another fight with the other contestants.

I push to my feet.

My heart slams against my ribs. I draw a deep breath.

Alright, so the gate is out.

Looking from side to side, I scan the iron wall as far as I can see.

There might be some other way in.

After making sure that my hair isn’t on fire, I slide my knife back into its holster and then start down along the wall.

I check every side of it. Every inch. For an opening. A crack. Something. Anything.

The sun is slipping lower towards the horizon with every passing hour.

But after circling the entire palace grounds twice, I’m forced to conclude that there is no other way in.

I head back to the gate but stop along the wall a safe distance away.

Alistair and his gang are still blocking it. There are fewer people still outside, though, so some of them must have succeeded in getting inside. Regardless, it doesn’t matter. BecauseIwill never be able to get through them.

Tilting my head back, I stare up at the iron wall before me. Up above, the sky has started to turn pink and orange. Crows caw in the trees somewhere inside the forest of thorns.

I heave a deep sigh. I guess there is nothing else for it.

I’m going to have to climb the wall.

There are small spikes on it that I should be able to use as hand- and footholds. If only I can actually manage to hold on to them.

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