Page 13 of Prince of Blaze and Embers
“Fine,” Garris said, seething. Bella wrapped both of her arms around me so tightly, it squeezed a wide smile across my face.
“I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do, but I couldn’t leave you here with him,” I said, squeezing back.
“I know. Thanks, Ash. Whatever comes next, at least we’ll be together, and far, far away from here.”
“Come,” the prince said after Garris scribbled again on the piece of paper, the contract that held our ‘freedom’.
Freedom. What a strange word to use for this scenario. From one slaver to the other, but I had a feeling this was going to be so much more adventurous, even if it led to my end.
I may not be in chains, but the prince has a different sort of ownership over me. The way he treats me… there’s a darkness in him… but it’s different that Garris. He doesn’t seem… cruel. He’s more… distraught and dark. But he’s worlds more handsome. I hope there’s something to that. I feel deep down that this is better. Or at least, I desperately hope it is.
I’d rather live a little than not at all.
I didn’t want to die, but I wasn’t living any kind of life anyway.
We left the cold iron chains on the stone floor of the back room of the forge, Garris falling back into a chair, sulking, shoving the gold royals into his pockets. Before we left the room, I made triple sure to turn my head and stick out my tongue at the prick.
Bella rushed beside me out of the forge. We locked arms, and my core heated like a furnace. Following the dark prince, with his cape flowing behind his massive shoulders, its cape tailsgliding along the floor like ribbons cut to the exact length to not discolor at its tips.
In some strange way, there was a feeling of safety that enveloped me like a warm bath after being out in an ice storm with frozen fingers. Even though I knew he was evil, even though I knew his reputation, even though I dreaded where we might be going and what horrible things might await—it was exhilarating. All of it.
And then there were the dragons…
Going out into the last bit of daylight, as soon as we stepped foot outside the forge, it was all that filled my vision.
Massive. Terrifying. Enchanting. Dangerous.
Krakos was waiting just outside the forge, filling the entire square. The endless South Cape Sea whipped with crashing waves beyond the dark dragon. The hills that surrounded Bramblebash rose high, making the tiny town feel as if it was the whole world. After all, it was for me. I didn’t remember anything else but this shit town.
Beyond Krakos, another dragon waited. It was stone-gray with black stripes down its back and the webbing on its wings. It was smaller than Krakos, but almost every dragon was—even half the black dragon’s size was impressive. And the dragon that waited behind Krakos was slimmer, with pale white eyes like clouds, and small crimson horns all the way up the sides of its snout and up to the two huge curling ones. Its rider leaped down from the saddle as we approached.
My chest tightened, and Bella squeezed my arm hard. I gulped.
Once we were out in the courtyard of Bramblebash, there were so many gazes upon us from all their hiding holes; I thought it was a weird way for the town to say goodbye. I’d known them, and they’d known me my whole life. But as a low slave, the only respect ever given was between all us slaves. I wouldn’t miss asingle one of the others and their high noses and disdainful glares.
“I’ll miss the children,” Bella whispered into my ear. “That’s all.”
“We’ll come back to see them again,” I lied.
I had no illusion we would ever be back, even with the threat I promised to Garris.
The prince spun, his cape tails flowing behind him. Suddenly, unchained and standing before my new master, he seemed like a mountain of a man. He glared down at us, his iceberg-blue eyes shimmering like perfect waters behind his black metal mask.
The smoldering smell of dragonfire burned my nostrils. It was an ancient kind of burning, like brimstone and some sort of rock being scorched by unnatural, god-like heat. The man behind the prince joined him at his side. He was shorter, but not by much. He wore dazzling copper-colored armor with accents of black at its tips, and his helmet framed his handsome face perfectly. His tan skin glistened from the fading sunlight to the west, shimmering on his carved nose and perfect lips. His auburn hair gusted at his brow as the winds picked up.
“Oh my,” Bella gasped. “He’s gorgeous.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. We don’t know these men. They could be worse than Garris. Keep it together. Stay close to each other.”
“My prince,” the rider in copper armor said. His professional demeanor changed immediately as he eyed us, and he raised an eyebrow. “So, this is the Gold-Marked? And why are there two of them?”
“I—I did it just to spite that bastard. Less toys for him.”
Toys? I was no fucking toy…
“We ride then?” The rider in copper turned to the side, revealing the dragon behind him, snorting with plumes of thick smoke erupting from its huge nostrils.
“We ride.” The prince glared down at me with an icy gaze. “You’re coming with us whether you want to or…”
