Page 54 of Prince of Blaze and Embers
I offered him a small, sad smile. "I wanted it too. More than anything. But we can't force something that's not meant to be."
He sighed, pulling away from my touch. "You're right. I'm sorry, Ash. For everything."
With that, he slid out from under the covers, standing up beside the bed. He looked down at me, his expression torn.
"Goodnight, Ash," he whispered, before turning and walking out of the room, the door clicking shut behind him.
I lay there, my body still tingling with the remnants of pleasure, but my heart aching with a longing and confusion. I wanted Cade, more than anything. But our elements were too different. We were too different.
And as I lay there, staring up at the ceiling, I couldn't stop thetears from falling. I cried for the feelings that could never be, for the man who had stolen my heart, but could never truly be mine.
I cried until the tears ran dry, and exhaustion claimed me, pulling me into a fitful sleep plagued by dreams of fire and ice, of love and loss. And when I woke in the morning, it was to a bitter realization.
I loved Cade Phoenixfire. And that love was destined to break me. I couldn't tell him though. He was too withdrawn, too distant, too resilient. And of course, he was my new master, and I was his slave. He couldn't defy his stepmother forever, and I knew the end of us would be devoid of all hope for me.
But I refused to let it. I refused to let the circumstances of our birth, of our elements, define us. I would find a way. Somehow, someway, I would find a way for us to be together.
And with that thought burning in my mind like a beacon, I rose from my bed, ready to face whatever the day may bring. Because I was a survivor—a survivor that would one day be free—and I would not be broken.
CHAPTER 24
The first rays of morning sunlight crept through the window, casting soft rays of golden light on the wooden floorboards. The night had been a torment of restless thoughts, and I felt the weight of my emotions pressing down on me like a heavy blanket. Even though Cade’s touch had ignited a fire within me, the realization that we could never truly be together extinguished it just as quickly, leaving a void in its place. The reality of our situation – of what we couldn’t deny – was a bitter pill to swallow.
Finally, I threw off the covers and swung my legs over the edge of the bed, my bare feet cold against the hardwood floor. With a heavy sigh, I rose and made my way to the window. As I looked outside into the pale, morning light, my heart sank. The dragons were gone, and so was Cade.
I didn’t want to think too much about where he had gone this time, or what he would do. I couldn’t bear another moment of worrying about the man who my heart refused to stop loving, even if every fiber in me screamed it was impossible. The ache inside of me was only growing stronger as I thought more and more about him… about us. I needed a distraction.
Rosa was sitting quietly on the porch, a steaming mug of tea in hand, staring off into the peaceful surroundings. She seemed so serene, so at ease, like she had all the time in the world. I envied that about her.
Pushing the thoughts of Cade aside, I made my way to the porch, easing myself into the chair next to Rosa. She glanced my way but said nothing as I sat down.
I took a breath, the cool morning air filling my lungs as the birds chirped melodically in the trees. "Where do you think they’ve gone this time?" I asked, breaking the silence, though my voice was heavier than I intended.
“Eh. Who knows?” Rosa responded simply, taking a long sip of her tea. “Those two are always running off ta only the gods know where.”
“I just… I hate waiting,” I confessed, staring out at the forest, my eyes tracing over the spot where the dragons had been. The anxiety gnawed at me like a persistent itch, never letting me relax completely.
“They’ll be back,” Rosa assured me, though her tone didn’t betray any confidence. “They always come back.” She took tobacco from her pouch on the side table and stuffed it into her pipe. Sparked it with the lit candle on the table and puffed. The wrinkles at the corners of her mouth deepened as she sucked in the smoke, then blowing it in a plume before her.
I nodded, even though the words did little to soothe me. Cade always felt like a storm ready to unravel, and the unpredictability of his behavior left me feeling uncertain about everything. Just then, Rosa rose, but I reached out, grabbing her hand gently before she could walk away.
“Wait, please.” My words were softer now, weighed down with desperation. “Can you stay with me for a moment? I... I have questions. Questions about Cade.”
Rosa hesitated, her brow furrowing as she looked down at ourhands. “I don’t think it’s wise to meddle in their affairs, Ash. The prince and you is not my concern.”
“But he is my concern,” I pressed, my grip tightening. “I need to understand him. He means so much to me, even if I can’t have him. I know that sounds foolish, but there’s something about him that… I can’t just let it go.”
She gave a deep sigh, one side of her mouth twisting. “What do ya want me to tell ya?” Rosa asked, pulling her hand free to sit back down. She folded her arms over her chest, peering at me through narrowed eyes.
“Anything you can. I just… I feel so lost. He’s so withdrawn and angry. I want to know why. What happened to him? Why does he seem so tormented?”
Rosa sighed again heavily, glancing off into the distance before turning back to me. “He lost his father in battle with the Stormscales. His father was a powerful rider in his own right. When he fell, Cade was left to shoulder a heavy burden…”
“A battle?” I asked, drawn in by the gravity of her words. “What happened?”
Rosa leaned back in her chair, her eyes becoming distant as she recalled the past. “His father led a charge against them, but during the attack, witnesses say he was wounded. The Blaze King fell from his dragon Scorpius. None thought the king would ever die, especially Cade. He admired the king. Cade deeply misses his father. The king meant everything to him, and when he died, I think a piece of Cade died too. So, all he was left with was the queen, who ascended the throne by the Rite of War. While there is a current war, the spouse of the king may ascend the throne if the firstborn isn't fit to, until the war is done, and that kin will be crowned." She paused, a flash of bitterness crossing her face. “His stepmother is not what he needed though. Mortriana was never the nurturing type. Chaos breeds chaos, and the queen is a conniving, spiteful woman.”
“I can’t imagine what that’s like.” I shook my head, my heartaching for him. “I never met my parents. Garris used to tease me, saying my mother was a whore and my father was just some drunken nobody. But I always dreamed of what they looked like—my imagination filled them with grand stories, images of strength and adventure. I imagined them as dragon riders, heroes of the realm, fighting against dragons in the sky, rescuing me from the wretched life I felt so trapped in." Hearing about Cade’s father hit hard. An actual hero. Fallen in a battle that spiraled his son’s life out of control.
