Page 73 of Prince of Blaze and Embers
As Errax ascended, carrying me back into the fray, I could see the battle more clearly. To my amazement and dismay, I saw black clouds bellowing out from the sky behind her, and the blue sky deepened in an unworldly, deep black. The Blaze Queen's dark clouds billowed and swirled, rich with an ominous power. Red lightning streaked through the sky, a web of deadly energy that made the air crackle and hum. The changes in the sky made it dangerous for me and Hunter's dragon to get close, the lightning striking out with wild abandon.
Cade and the queen continued their brutal dance in the storm, their dragons twisting and turning in a deadly ballet. Krakos' scales glistened with sweat and blood, his eyes wild with battle lust. Brigodon, on the other hand, seemed almost untouched, his massive form a testament to his ancient power.
As we neared the heart of the storm, I could feel the tension in the air, the crackling energy that threatened to consume us all. Errax growled low in her throat, her wings flapping powerfully as she maneuvered through the chaotic sky.
As we raced toward the battle above, my heart yearned to help Cade. Now that we had each other, I couldn't let her take him from me. Not now. Not ever!
Cade landed a powerful blow, his staff striking the queen with a burst of flame that sent her reeling. She screamed in pain, her scepter momentarily faltering. The dark clouds around us seemed to shiver, the red lightning flickering as if in response to her pain. A guttural roar left my throat, and I felt the scratch from the shrill excitement deep in my core.
The Blaze Queen's eyes flashed with rage, her anger palpablein the air. "You dare to strike me, Cade?" she hissed, her voice filled with venom. "You will pay for your insolence!"
With a wave of her scepter, the queen summoned a storm of fire, the air around us filling with a whirlwind of flames. The tornado of fire spun with a savage intensity, the heat scorching the air and making it hard to breathe. Cade and Krakos were momentarily engulfed in the inferno, their forms barely visible through the wall of flame.
"Cade!" I screamed, fear gripping my heart. Errax roared, her wings beating against the wall of fire as we tried to reach him. The heat was immense, the flames licking at our skin and threatening to consume us.
As we fought through the inferno, the Blaze Queen's laughter echoed around us, a chilling sound that sent shivers down my spine. "You cannot hope to save him, Gold-Marked," she sneered. "He is mine to destroy, just as you will be!"
Anger surged within me, a fierce determination that refused to be quelled. I drew upon the power of Eden, the golden light flaring to life within me. The magic pulsed through my veins, a force that seemed to resonate with the very heart of the world. I focused the energy, directing it toward the whirlwind of flames that threatened to consume Cade and Krakos.
"Eden, help me!" I shouted, my voice filled with desperation and hope. The golden light flared out from my hands, pushing against the wall of fire with a force that made the air shimmer. The flames parted, revealing Cade and Krakos, their forms battered but unbroken. I thought of Cornelius, and let his strength fuel me.
Cade looked at me, his eyes filled with a mix of gratitude and determination. "Ash, we can't let her win," he said, his voice steady despite the chaos around us. "She's been keeping the war going intentionally. It's called the Rite of War—a law that allows the spouse of the king to take over during wartime if the firstborn isn’t ready. She's been using it to maintain her grip onpower, waiting for the chance to ascend to godliness by consuming your Gilded Radiance."
The Blaze Queen laughed, her voice echoing through the storm. "It matters not what you say, boy. But I will ascend! It is my destiny! I will become what I meant to be! And once I consume the Gold-Marked's power, I will ascend to divinity, and this world will know eternal peace—under my rule!"
Anger boiled within me, a rage that was fueled by the injustice of it all. I couldn't let her continue to cause so much suffering, to keep dividing the continent and letting people die in this meaningless civil war. I turned to face the queen, my eyes filled with a burning determination.
"You won't win, Mortriana," I shouted, my voice filled with defiance. "I won't let you continue to cause so much pain and suffering. I've endured more suffering than you can imagine, and I won't let you cause it upon anyone else! No one deserves the life of a slave, and no one deserves to grow up in your pointless war! This war ends now!"
Cade nodded, his gaze locked onto the queen with a fierce intensity. "Together, we will end this, Ash. We will bring peace to Allovan, no matter the cost."
With a roar, Cade and Krakos launched themselves at the queen, their forms silhouetted against the dark sky. The Blaze Queen laughed, her scepter crackling with dark energy as she prepared to meet their assault. I drew upon the power of Eden, the golden light flaring to life within me as I prepared to join the fight.
The battle raged on, the sky filled with the crackle of fire and the roar of dragons. Cade and Krakos fought with a ferocious intensity, their attacks coordinated and precise. The Blaze Queen met their assault with a savage grace, her scepter lashing out with bolts of dark fire that tore through the air.
I joined the fray, Errax's powerful wings carrying us through the storm. The golden light of Eden pulsed through my veins, aforce that seemed to resonate with the very heart of the world. I focused the energy, directing it toward the queen with a series of powerful blasts. The golden magic collided with her dark fire, the air around us crackling with energy as the forces clashed.
The Blaze Queen snarled, her eyes filled with rage and frustration. "You cannot hope to defeat me, Gold-Marked!" she hissed, her voice filled with venom. "I am the embodiment of fire itself! I will consume your power and ascend to divinity, and there is nothing you can do to stop me! You are the last. And you certainly aren't the strongest I've killed..."
Cade and I exchanged a glance, our determination unwavering. We knew that we couldn't let her win, that we had to fight with everything we had to bring an end to her tyranny. With a roar, we launched ourselves at the queen, our attacks coordinated and precise.
But the Blaze Queen was not so easily defeated. With a wave of her scepter, she summoned another massive tornado of fire, the whirlwind of flames spinning with a savage intensity. The heat was immense, the flames licking at our skin, and I felt the my eyelashes and hairs in my ear sizzle. Cade and Krakos were engulfed in the inferno, their forms barely visible through the wall of flame.
"Cade!" I screamed, fear gripping my heart. Errax roared, her wings beating against the wall of fire as we tried to reach him. The heat was intense, the flames scorching the air and making it hard to breathe.
As we fought through the inferno, the Blaze Queen's laughter echoed around us, a chilling sound that made my skin crawl and my stomach sink into Errax. "You cannot hope to save him, Gold-Marked," she sneered. "He is mine to destroy, just as you will be!"
"You won't hurt him!" I shouted in the blinding inferno. "He's mine now!"
The queen wasn't visible, but I saw the dark form of Brigodondarkening the tornado as the great dragon swooped through the sky.
"Oh," the queen's words echoed in the storm. "That was something I didn't expect, and yet, now that I think about it, it's wildly predicable... You love him. A slave girl from nowhere loves the prince of Allovan. How absolutely delicious... I'm going to enjoy snuffing out his life all the more now..."
My gaze darted through the storm, trying to fix a spell on the queen, but her dragon was too swift, too vicious, and too strong.
"You don't know what you're talking about..." I said through gritted teeth. She's right, but I can't let her know that... I've got to distract her from Cade, get her attention on me... "Come fight me, you witch!"
"I should've killed him when he was just a weak, insolent, mopey brat. But he served his purpose. He led his father's armies well, as he led mine." The Blaze Queen's voice turned dark, sounding like an extension of the fiery storm swirling and growing all around. "But his time has come. Its time to wipe the line of Phoenixfires from this world. And so, will my true, unincumbered reign begin... and a beautiful, glorious reign it will be..."
