Page 47 of A Kingdom of Lies

Fire hissed over Althea’s cuffless skin. It wrapped around her neck like jewellery of amber and ruby, dripping from her, leaving her clothes unmarked. Although the floor beneath her charred and cracked as though not worthy of her protection, flames destroying everything she desired.

“Ever the goddess I have known,” Briar strained, pushing herself from the ground to look at Althea. Her skin was stained with ash, her face red and blistered from the heat.

“Robin,” Althea commanded, not once taking her eyes from Briar where she cowered on the floor. “Come.”

I didn’t waste a moment for questions or thought. With haste I moved towards her, careful to dance around the fire and rubble which seemed to litter the room entirely. As I reached the broken entryway, I glanced back at Briar, and a smile of pure relief lifted my lips.

“Seems you have failed again,” I said, breathless from relief. “You should have given up the first time.”

Briar jeered, spit flying from her paled lips. But there was nothing for her to say. No words that could harm me now. Not with Althea between us, no longer weakened by iron.

But how?

Gyah was waiting in the corridor, eyes narrowed withintent. She spared me a sour glance, both hands curledinto fists, then flicked her gaze to the third person. Duncan, leaning against the wall upon one bent knee asthough a powerful fey didn’t ravage his fortress before him.

“You set her free,” I said, moving beside him; my legs felt shaky and weak. I leaned against the wall and coughed, trying to clear the smoke from my lungs, my eyes burning.

“I did. Only for a moment though,” Duncan said, revealing Althea’s cuff in his hand and spinning it with his fingers. “Once the threat is dealt with, her cuff will be returned. For now, do not distract me from the show.”

I looked back to the room, where Althea stalked forward, a figure bathed in flames. Her hands were contorted into claws at her sides, encouraging a line of fire to snake towards the outmatched assassin.

Briar choked on the smoke, tears streaming down the soot that covered her face in clear lines. Determination did not wither from her stare as she watched Althea, princess of flame and fury, walk towards her.

“I am glad you were foolish enough to come,” Althea began, head tilting to the side ever so slightly. “I have wasted many moments thinking of ways to reach you, but here you are. So effortless, so easy.”

“You hate me,” Briar groaned, conviction creasing her once trusting face. “And I do not blame you, though I hoped you would see that this is purely business, my darling. Nothing more.”

“I am not youranything.”

“You were once.” Briar was clawing into Althea’s emotions. “How have your feelings changed so quickly? Or perhaps they have not, deep down you must still love me.”

Gyah growled at my side, deep and guttural, with teeth bared in Briar’s direction. While Althea was free, Gyah still wore the iron cuff; it was the only thing stopping her from shifting into her beast and devouring Briar.

Down the corridor chaos distracted me as a wave of Hunters with drawn weapons ran into view.

Duncan sighed, pushed himself from his position, and raised a hand towards them. “Stop.”

They did, reluctantly, slowing their pace with confusion shared between them. A few carried on, looking between Duncan and us with disgust. “You let one of ’em go free! She’ll burn this entire place down before we get some control on them.”

“Do you second guess my intelligence, Stamon?” Duncan snarled, lip curling.

The man who had spoken stepped back, head down but eyes looking upwards. “No, General.”

“Search this fortress for any other intruders before I decide to point the blame on one of you for this cock up. Turn it upside down if you must.” Duncan looked back to us. “Leave these fey to me.”

The Hunters jumped at the scream that tore from the room. We all did. The Hunters turned on their heels and ran, a luxury I did not have.

Althea glowed a bright amber, skin molten fire and ruby hair shimmering. Her hand was outstretched, holding Briar by the throat where she dangled two feet from the ground, with eyes bulging and lips quivering.

The smell of burnt flesh thickened in my nose; there was no escaping the scent as it crawled down my throat and threatened to turn my stomach inside out.

Briar slapped and clawed at Althea as she pleaded for her life. But there was no stopping the princess, nor the flame that devoured Briar.

Briar’s hair singed, skin peeling back, blood boiling. Ash fell from her like darkened snow, fluttering gently to the ground below her dangling feet. The sounds of crackling flesh and the cries of terror would haunt me for a lifetime. Even after Briar became still and soundless, it still echoed within my mind.

It didn’t take long for Briar to die. Althea released her grip and the body crumpled to the ground in a heap of charred flesh and bone. She stood still, watching, as the fire died around her until not a lick of flame was left, extinguished with only the memory of smoke curling from the destruction within the room.

Gyah was the first to enter, wrapping her arms around Althea’s back like a shield. I tried to follow, but Duncan stopped me by putting his arm in my way.

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