Page 21 of A Curse of Breath and Blood

“What is it now, Aelia?” Caiden didn’t bother to look up from where he was lacing his boots.

Click.The manacles thudded on the floor. I rubbed the soreness from my wrists.

“We need to go now. Gideon is here. Or, at least, his men are. I went out last night for…” Lie, lie, lie, you can’t let him know about your weakness. “For a smoke, and they found me.” I danced from foot to foot like a child waiting for their scolding.

Caiden stood, balling his hands into fists.

“How could you be so foolish as to go out alone?”

I crossed my arms over my chest in defiance. “I needed to clear my head?—”

“And buy some dust.” The judgment in his voice made my heart sink.

Had I been that obvious? I thought I had control of myself around him. Unless Amolie told him.

“Go fuck yourself, Caiden.”I spit the words at him.

“You’re pathetic, you know that, Aelia? I can’t believe I ever—”He caught himself. Those words were too cruel to utter, but I wanted to push him to see how far he’d go.

“You know what? If you’re so desperate to be free of me, I’ll grant your wish, Caiden.”

Our noses nearly touched, and his warm breath made my wet skin dimple with goosebumps.

“You’re high as a kite.”

“I’m sober enough to grant you your wish right now. I’ll erase your entire mind if you ask me to.” I glowered at him, hoping to spark his ire.

“Enough, you two,” Amolie interrupted. “You’re both acting like children. Gideon is coming for us. We need to go now.”

A ball of fire ripped through the window, setting the floor ablaze.

“Out the back window.” Lucius sprinted across the room before a breath left my chest. He opened the window and motioned for us to climb out. Flames crept up the dingy curtains. Smoke filled the air. A jagged cough escaped my lungs.

Escaping onto the roof, my feet skidded across the thatches. Below, merchants lined the streets, setting up their stalls for the day.

“We’re going to have to jump,” Roderick said.

Flames shattered the windows behind us.

“Where?”

“There.” He pointed to a fruit stand below.

Screams erupted as flames burst from the inn.

“Now!”

We all jumped, landing in the fruit stand below. Pulp covered us from head to toe. We didn’t have time to think.

My head throbbed, and my body ached. Each breath stung like a thousand bees. I didn’t know if I could run. I didn’t know if I could get up.

“The stables, we need the horses.” Caiden sprung to his feet.

The sound of clinking armor echoed through the morning streets. People hurried to avoid being trampled.

Caiden pulled me from the cart, and together, we ran toward the stables.

With no time to spare, we mounted our horses bareback before bursting out the back of the barn. “Ride swift and true, boy,” I said, jamming my heels into Arion’s sides.

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