Page 35 of Prince of Blaze and Embers
Where was he? What were they doing? Our imaginations ran rampant. We didn’t hear the roars of the dragons, so we assumed they were out flying on them: scouring for something, fighting off the Stormscales, but most likely they were figuring out what to do with me, we both agreed.
But all I could think about was him. I wanted more thananything to be alone with him. I wanted to taste him, to dig my fingers into his back, pulling him in impossibly close. I wanted his strong arms and hands to explore every part of me as we kissed deeply again.
I even let Bella braid my hair, putting it up, with two braids falling down the sides of my face. I wanted him to notice me. I wanted him to notice me like no other man seemed to. I never felt beautiful like that. I’d never been told someone liked me how he told me he did. I wanted him to tell me again so it strengthened the memory. No matter what happened, I didn’t want to forget the way he spoke to me before he wrapped me in his arms.
A sharp pinch on my elbow sparked pain all the way up my arm and into my brain.
Rosa was right beside me, pulling her hand away from my arm.
“You in there?” Her tone was a hint of annoyance. “If you’re all done, I’ll clean up. Would you like some port wine for dessert? Some more fruit?”
“Um, no. I’m fine, thanks.” My hands clapped onto my happy stomach. “You’ve treated me enough, thank you.”
She lifted our plates and carried them away.
Bella yawned, with her long arms held high over her head. “Should we go to sleep? Or are you going to stay awake? Hoping your prince is going to come walking in the door, ready to carry you in there?”
I wanted to tell her to shut up, but absolutely I wished that, and she knew it.
“How long have we been friends?” she asked.
“Ever since Garris bought me when I was four.” I assumed it was true. No real reason for him to lie to me. First the orphanage, then sold off to work.
“I know you better than anyone,” Bella smiled, swishing her wine in the glass next to her face. “We’re family. You’re all I’vegot. I can see you’re falling for him, but don’t fall too hard. He’s a prince. And we are… well…”
“Orphan slaves.” I finished her thought. “I know. I know.”
“They say they found you on the beach as a newborn,” Bella said after taking a sip of the rosy red wine. “You’re quite an anomaly. Lucky to be alive. Blessed with magic. Lucky to have a prince after you.”
“I suppose. I don’t feel lucky.”
“My parents sold me off. At least you don’t have that weighing over you. Wondering why for your whole life. Like you did something wrong when you were so young you can’t even remember it. It’s torture. The wondering. The worrying. The guilt. At least you don’t have parents that did that.”
My hand went to hers, falling onto her hand on the table.
“There’s nothing wrong with you. You didn’t do anything wrong. You’re the most perfect thing in the whole world.”
“Thanks, Ash.”
“I’m a Mist.” The sigh rolled from my throat without thought. I felt my chin quiver, but I held it firm. “Abandoned by the world in every way.”
“Mists are a lot more common nowadays. I guess that’s good and bad. More orphans from the war. Babies found with no hint of who their parents were.”
“I wish I could do something about it.” I took my hand back, and shoved both hands between my legs, hunching over. “I hate feeling helpless. There are so many other kids out there like I was—confused, utterly lost, hopeless. I wish more than anything that I could save them all from this world. I wish I could take a dragon and swoop into every village in every corner of this awful world and take them, buy them, whatever it took to get them out of there and free them.”
“That’s a wonderful thought.” Bella’s eyes wetted with tears.
But she never said anything more than that. Because I knew it was just a fairy tale dream. And I was a slave still. Slaves don’t goaround being dragon riders and saving people. I had to fight to survive every day. That was my life. Even in that house in those enchanted woods, I knew that was all there was.
Magic, though. My magic was real. And with that, there was hope.
It may have been my curse, but I was determined to figure it out, master it the best I could.
CHAPTER 16
Ididn’t sleep a wink that night.
Tossing and turning, I felt the deep pit in my stomach of taking those lives. The twisted faces of the two, the life leaving their eyes like a sheen that would never return. Logic didn’t help either. Not the prince’s words, not the knowing that I did what I had to do.
