Page 143 of A Dance With Fire
So many more Fae would die unless she used her strength, and shefought.Not just for their lives, but for hers.
She would fight for the little girl she had been, barefoot and afraid, feet bleeding as she ran through the streets of Tuath away from soldiers who threatened her life. She would fight for the Fae who wanted a better world.
For Mairin.
For the humans who had a skewed view of what she was and who couldn’t accept the truth of her like Fanny.
She would fight for the Fae who wished for a better world.
And for herself.
The time for hiding was over, and she was tired of being a coward.
Her friends needed her.
Hermateneeded her.
Shula felt the flicker of heat ignite and spread, fueled by anger and determination in equal measure. She guided it to her wrists and felt the iron melt away from her skin.
“What the fuck!”
The words drowned out with the roaring sound of fire in her ears. Smoke swirled through her lungs and when she exhaled, it clouded over her face. Her body moved, and she pushed to her feet. It was then that she realized she was glowing, her skin bright like molten lava.
“How—” The human pointing the sword at her didn’t get the rest of his sentence out.
Fire shot out of her palm and engulfed him. His screaming didn’t last, because her magic burned too hot, too angry, and she wasn’t playing games.
She was a Fire Elemental, a gift straight from Mana.
She erupted, and every human in the vicinity suffered her wrath andburned,and when there was nothing left but smoke, ash, and the stench of burnt flesh, she turned back to the woods and bent to pick up her fallen dagger. She straightened, looking into the darkness.
And saw a floating will-o’-the-wisp.
Shula smiled. “Will you lead me to them?”
In response, it flickered away.
And all Shula could do was follow.
* * *
The safe housewas a rickety cabin of rotting wood, no candles, and minimal space. It didn’t exactly give Ryker a moment to brood in peace. Everyone was near, and everyone was staring between him and the prince, waiting to see what he would do. If he would tell his father what had happened.
Prince Valerio hadn’t. Not even Weylyn had.
As if they felt sorry for him because of what he’d lost. A mate he hadn’t even wanted in the first place.
It didn’t matter if his chest was pounding, the strings of the threads in his soul pulling uncomfortably. He rubbed absently at his chest to rid himself of the sensation. He shouldn’t have bothered. It felt like it would be just another prominent ache in his soul. First Mairin, then Shula.
Perfect.
Just perfect.
Ryker pushed himself to his feet, feeling a rush of sudden fatigue. He should sleep before they left. He knew that, but it was either deal with nightmares or keep watch. Sometimes if he stayed awake enough, his body just crashed when he finally did fall onto his makeshift bed for the night, no traces of memories or dreams slithering through his mind.
He didn’t announce what he was doing or where he was going. They were all familiar enough with one another to know their routines. Like how Ryker and Weylyn always took the night watch. Ryker, to avoid sleeping, Weylyn, because Valerio didn’t want him near.
Weylyn was already outside, combing through the perimeter. Ryker avoided looking at the rest of the males as he went outside himself. His pointed ears perked as he listened.
