Page 253 of A Flame of the Phoenix

Nerida pressed into him, and he circled his good arm around her. Nik and Tauria came closer until their backs touched, keeping sights on all angles.

“Edith, what are you doing?” Tauria asked, dread filling her voice.

They could see enough to navigate out, but the pure darkness would slow their reaction time drastically.

An eerie chuckle echoed through the cave. When Edith next spoke, her voice was different. Not as high-pitched an innocent as it once was. Now she spoke with the smooth grace of confidence.

“Oh, Tauria, I knew it would be too easy to play to your kind heart. Seeing a poor little tortured dark fae, you couldn’t help but want to be my savior.”

Tarly’s teeth ground, seething with anger over the exploitation of Tauria’s fair heart.

“Why?” Tauria whispered.

“BecauseIshould be his heir, not her,” she snapped.

Tarly tried to track the dark fae’s silhouette as her voice moved, taunting them.

“Who are you talking about?” Tarly snapped.

“Zaiana,” Nik muttered.

Tarly wasn’t familiar with the name. “Who?”

Nik spoke to Edith. “She’s Mordecai’s daughter, isn’t she? But she doesn’t know. Tauria discovered Mordecai was a Stormcaster.”

“I was the one who showed her that,” Edith hissed. “I hoped she would figure it out and want to kill Zaiana with me. This mission for the dagger could have been a genuine alliance. Until I realized you didn’t know who Zaiana was, and so I have to take this for myself. I do hope you understand.”

“You plan to take her power with it,” Nik concluded.

“Yes. Then he’ll value me, not her.”

“You’re her sister.”

“I don’t care for such terms. I am Mordecai’s daughter—that is all that matters—and I doubt I’m the only other he has. After Zaiana was born a Stormcaster, he tried to conceive another, but she was the only one. She’s always been the only child he valuesand will give his kingdom to. I trained as hard as she did under the mountain. I am as good as her in every way, and Mordecai saw that enough to appoint me as commander of a legion in his army, but it’s an insult compared to the privileges and value he grants Zaiana.”

“Why has he never told her?” Nik asked, keeping calm.

Tarly was reeling with the revelation of the high lord’s heir. Nik spoke as if he knew Zaiana. Tarly just didn’t know if it was as an enemy or an ally.

“He almost raised her, but Marvellas convinced him she would become better, stronger, more ruthless, without any attachments like everyone else. So Marvellas wiped her memories young, and she grew up like the rest of us. I only found out because my mother told me. She has a position of power. Mordecai listens to her. When she promised him I would rise to the Vesaria name no matter what it took, he let me live. Only if I found this dagger one day to claim Zaiana’s power and her life. That is ruthlessness. That is a worthy heir of Valgard.”

“You have what you want then,” Nik said bitterly. “So let’s all get the Nether out of here.”

“You must think me a fool to risk the tedious journey back to the surface with the four of you ready to turn on me. Besides, I need to discover if this works. If it truly is the Spellthief. I think with either of your abilities, I could get myself to the surface in time.”

Her steps shuffled fast, heading for Tauria first, but water from Nerida’s pouch at her hip slashed through the air. Edith was fast—veryfast. And she was small, darting expertly out the way, twisting around Nik’s attempt to swipe her with his sword. Tarly didn’t have any weapon or finesse, only a dominant will to protect Nerida, which had him tackling Edith while she was preoccupied dancing around the other’s attacks.

They went tumbling, and every knock against his bad side threatened his consciousness with the explosions of pain.

Edith growled, pushing off him, and he tried to reach after her, but his movements turned sluggish, and she was too quick to adapt, a masterfully, brutally trained soldier since birth.

None of them were prepared, and all of them were outmatched.

Especially in this darkness, where the cave’s trembles intensified in warning.

He was utterly helpless to stop what came next.

Nerida’s cry shattered his world.

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