Page 27 of Prince of Blaze and Embers
“So you said the Gold-marked were rare and that I have the Rune Spirit. Are there others like me? Or am I the only one, and that’s why the prince and Hunter came after me so quickly?”
“There hasn’t been one like you since you were born. And the last one who carried your gift passed long before that. He was a good man, full of potential, and still, he failed.” There were hints of sorrow in Cornelius’ old, wise voice.
“Failed?”
“There’s a reason you have the power you have inside of you.” The tortoise lifted his head high, to chest level with me. “Youneed to learn to harness your magic because this world is heading down a dark path. War, power struggles, poverty, slavery, sadness, lack of hope—these are all things caused by the Emberveil Empire, and the gold rune that marked you is the one thing that can stop it and change our world for the better.”
“But how did he fail? What happened to the last one who had this?”
Cornelius sighed. “He was tortured and succumbed to his pain. He died after the extraction of his Gilded Radiance.”
“Gilded Radiance?” A warm glow filled my chest at the thought of the magic inside me, the rarity of it, and the hopeful power imbued within.
“That’s what it’s called. It’s as old as Allovan itself, older than me even.”
There were so many questions flashing through my mind that it was difficult to pick which one to start with.
“How do I not end up like the last one who had it?” was the best I could come up with and seemed like the most pertinent of questions.
“The Gilded Radiance isn’t easy to begin using. It takes time—years of training and practice. But years we don’t have. The crown made it a law that if one is found, they are to be brought before the court immediately. That isn’t an accident; that law was created generations ago. But as our unfortunate luck would have it, your magic flared to life in front of the Blaze Prince of all people. So, what would take years is going to have to happen as quickly as possible.”
“Tell me what I need to do.” My hands hung at my sides, my fingers spread before turning into fists. “If I need to fight, I’ll learn. I’m not going back into chains. And I sure as hell am not going to get tortured and die so easily.”
“Excellent.” If Cornelius had lips, I was sure he would’ve licked them then. “Tell me what you felt when you first used the Gilded Radiance. Be specific.”
“I saw the dragon and its rider coming at us. I felt that we were both going to die, and my life flashed before my eyes, as people say. What I saw reaffirmed that my life had been nothing. I created for others to make them richer or happier. I’ve even had to pleasure some. That’s not a life, and I didn’t want to die without experiencing something for me. I felt fear, desperation for something new, and a will to survive in the face of certain death by fire. And then… it just happened. I didn’t even know it came from me at first; I thought Odiun had arrived down there in Bramblebash.”
“What did using the magic feel like? Where did you feel it?”
“I think everywhere. At first, I guess, it came from down here.” I pointed to my sternum. “Then it shot all over like I jumped into the furious, salty sea. My hands, fingertips, scalp, toes—everywhere.”
Cornelius nodded as I spoke, making slow blinks as he watched me. “That’s usually how it first comes. When you need it most and there’s intense emotion welling up. Usually, it doesn’t happen in such a dramatic scenario, but here we are. So, to re-summon your powers, we’re going to try to figure out how to trick your body and mind into thinking it needs it so that the connection between you and it grows. It’s like a prairie dog poking its head from the dirt, and you with a piece of cheese in your hand. It’ll creep closer and closer until it’s so close you can pet its head while it trusts you enough to eat out of your hand.”
“So how do we do that? Does it have to do with being out here?” I held out my hands wide, marveling at the sparkling moonbeams that slipped through the leaves.
“The Gilded Radiance is the power that grows deep under our feet. Few can sense or wield such power, and you are the only living soul able to command such a destructive and god-like force. The symbol that glows on your neck is the conduit with which you can receive and speak to that power.”
My legs buzzed with excitement at the thought of controllingmagic that he spoke about like that. My feet wanted to take off in a sprint to let out the energy that was about ready to burst. “What is the power down there? If I’m the only one who has that magic, then what’s the magic that the prince used with his staff when he made it appear in his hand? The Blaze Queen is famous as the strongest wielder of fire magic in the world.”
“They are Cinderyn. They are born with that fire magic that emanates and festers at the heart of the Calcaedus, the mountain that Raven’s Bane Castle and the Emberveil Empire are built into.”
“Born of fire?” My lips pursed and my brow furrowed. I’d heard of Cinderyn, and knew the king, queen and prince were of their bloodline. But were they actually like gods?
“The closest things to gods we have. Born human, they live human lives, but they are as powerful as a thunderstorm or a hurricane at their greatest. Queen Mortriana Vissex was born a Cinderyn of Cinderyn parents. She’s a pureblood and as powerful as any who have ever been before her. She wants you for your power. We cannot let you get to Emberveil. No matter what, you cannot go there.” His gaze was dark, even mean, yet with a hint of sincerity.
“I think the prince is going to try to take me there, but it seems he’s uncertain about it? I don’t know. He hardly talks to me.” My head hung low inadvertently. The overwhelming energy I had only moments ago sucked right out of me at the thought of the queen and the prince, and my helplessness.
“Prince Cade Phoenixfire is… complicated,” Cornelius said, turning away from me to look at the stream that flowed behind the fallen mossy tree. “For the most powerful rider in the lands, he is far from… content. I suppose that’s the best word for it.”
“What do you mean?” My mouth salivated at the thought of learning more about the insanely handsome prince who had purchased me away from my miserable life. Gold-Marked,Gilded Radiance, Rune Spirit, Cinderyn, there is so much I didn’t know about this world. So, so much!
“Let’s shelve that for another time.” He spun back toward me. “Of which we have so little. Come, child, stand beside me.”
I walked to his side, his head rising to my waist. He glared at the far end of the break in the Faewood, and I did the same.
“I’m going to try to recreate that same feeling of fear in you, to see if we can coax out your magic.”
“You’re going to what?” He didn’t answer my question, at least not with words. Before us, deep within the shadowy forest, a loud crash erupted. My body tensed, jolting awake. The crash happened again, that time louder, sounding like it had toppled over an enormous tree. My limbs seized, and I panted short breaths.
