Page 1 of The Kingdom of Flames and Ash

1

TAVISH

Watching the gigantic, crimson-colored dragon flapping past the last of the dilapidated Unseelie village toward the sea at the end of the ruined island, with Lira dangling from his talons, obliterated my heart. She was angled toward us, her long, blonde hair blowing in her face, hiding the cobalt-blue eyes I knew better than my own. The dragon had bound her arms and sparkling sea-green wings so she wouldn’t have a chance to escape.

The blasted ashbreath.

Eldrin, my cousin and former father figure, straddled me on the stone ground at the bottom of the Unseelie castle stairs with the tip of his sword pressing into the skin over my heart.

“If you’d justlistenedto me, none of this would have had to happen,” he spat, his white eyes almost a faint gray similar to mine, barely contrasting with his pale skin. “You’re the reason we’ve come to this, and it’s only proper for you to die knowing that you couldn’t keep yourfated matesafe.”

Lira, I’m coming,I connected, using our fated-mate link, determination like I’d never experienced before flashing through me. Eldrin had betrayed me in so many ways. He didn’tget the luxury of feeling as if he’d accomplished anything when it came to me.

I was the blasting king of nightmares, frost and darkness, and I refused to lie here like a victim, especially when Lira needed me the most.

With strength that I hadn’t been aware I possessed, I bucked my hips, causing Eldrin to fall forward and over my head. The tip of his blade sliced up my chest with a burning sting, but the wound wasn’t deep. Ignoring it, I jumped to my feet and stepped on Eldrin’s dark wings, pinning him to the ground.

“I never listened to you because you weren’t my king. I was yours, and I did what I believed was right,” I gritted out. I pushed the sword into Eldrin’s back, ready to end his life. I’d wanted to make his death slow and painful, but not at Lira’s expense.

I don’t need you to come for me; I need you to go after my sister,Lira responded. Her fear and desperation thickened in our bond.

Averting my gaze for a moment, I spotted Eiric about twenty yards away, running with the giant cù-sìth, Nightbane, toward me. Her emerald eyes shone with fear, and I didn’t understand why she wasn’t flying after Lira.Your sister is fine. I’m staring at her right now. You’re my concern.

“Now you won’t be a threat to any of us any longer.” I needed to end Eldrin and get to my mate.

“Stop. Wait,” Eldrin cried. “I know a way to get Lira out of her agreement with the dragon prince. A way other than killing him, and it’s simple. Let me live, and I’ll tell you.”

I didn’t have time for games, but the import of his words couldn’t be ignored. Right now, the only option I had was killing Prince Pyralis, and that feat alone would be damn near impossible with our weak and shaky guards, thanks to Eldrin’s attempt to dethrone me.

“Watch him, and don’t kill him yet,” I called to Finnian and Caelan. I hated that, once again, Eldrin had something to hold over me, but I didn’t have time to be rational… not with Lira getting farther from me every minute. “I need to go after Lira.” My voice broke.

“You aren’t going alone.” Finnian bent down, his blue wings blocking my view of my cousin, but his fist struck, the hilt of his sword going first. There was a thud, and then Finnian straightened. “There. Problem solved, though I would’ve preferred to kill the wildling. Now, let’s save Lira from the ashbreath.”

Black blood seeped from the back of Eldrin’s skull, mixing in with his white hair. From the way he didn’t move, it was clear that he was unconscious and would be out for a while.

Caelan fought another Unseelie on the ground because Eldrin had injured one of his wings minutes before. He was fighting against some of the townspeople who were unaware that Eldrin had lost. I shouted, “Eldrin has fallen. The fighting stops now. Caelan, take him inside the prison and watch over him to ensure no one lets him out.” Under normal circumstances, I’d want Caelan to come with us, but he couldn’t fly, and I needed someone I trusted to oversee Eldrin’s capture once again. Last time, he’d managed to escape.

I stood and sheathed my sword as my leathery onyx wings flapped, lifting me from the floor. Lorne had proved his loyalty to Lira once again, flying after the dragon prince alone.

Pyralis spun around and expelled flames at him, and Lorne screamed in agony and dropped into the water below.

Taking to the sky, Finnian remained at my side. My magic was dangerously low, but I could try to use my nightmare illusion magic on the dragon while Finnian used his frost. His magic wasn’t half as strong as mine, but it would still counteract the flames.

Tavish, be safe,Lira linked, her concern slamming into me.I wish I could fly to help you.

My heart squeezed. I hadn’t considered how much agony Lira had to be in with the dragon holding down her injured wings. The fact that I couldn’t feel her pain told me she was trying to protect me from it.

I pumped my wings harder, racing toward Pyralis, who was now at least one hundred yards ahead of us. He flew a little slower, clearly believing that we were preoccupied and wouldn’t give chase. Still, I needed to move quicker because I wasn’t certain I was strong enough to fly a long way with Lira in my arms.

Don’t fret. I’ll reach you soon. I won’t let him get away with this.The dragon had come onto what was now our land and killed some of our own before kidnapping my mate. I wasn’t sure how he’d known she was here, but that was a separate problem we would contend with later.

“What’s the strategy?” Finnian’s pale-blue eyes homed in on me. His ash-blond hair blew back as his forehead lined with worry. “I mean, besides attacking the ashbreath, I’d like more specifics. Though, personally, for me, I’d aim to remove his testicles so he can’t produce any heirs, in case—”

“Stop right there.” I bit back rage, feeling as if I might burn alive. The mere suggestion of the dragon prince forcing Lira to conceive a child with him made me more bloodthirsty than I’d been in my entire life. No one mistreated my mate… including me. I still had eternity to grovel and make up for what I’d done when I first brought her back here. “Or I will kill you for suggesting it.” The only positive thing that came out of him speaking was that I flew faster, even more desperate to reach her.

Finnian flinched. “I didn’t mean with her… although she is betrothed to him, so I could understand how it’d be implied.”

“She ismine.” I pounded a hand against my chest, ignoring the warm liquid it landed against. The wound burned, but it wasn’t deep. The injury would heal within a day or two, but not my heart if I couldn’t get her back. This was worse than when the Seelie had taken her… at least then, she’d been returned to her people and parents. The ashbreath knew about our fated-mate connection, and he still wanted to force the chains of marriage on her.

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