Page 41 of Burn Bright
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Galina strode across the clearing, her red cloak a shock of color. She carried an ash spear in one hand, and she was looking over my shoulder, behindme.
"You are not welcome here," she said in a cold, merciless voice, the words aimed atHussar.
He kicked one of the packs aside and spat on the snow as he locked eyes upon her. Then a smile split his face, a leer that showed white teeth. "You’ve grown old andweak."
"I’m as old as the forest, and as weak as the mighty oak." Galina tipped her chin up, her silver hair swimming around her shoulders. "Did you think I wouldn’t feel youescape?"
"I find it ironic, you old hag, that these men came here to hunt you down, and brought me the perfect conquest." Hussar breathed in, as if the air tasted particularly sweet. "This one’s heart was dark enough to sing to me, even in my prison. It was no particular hardship to capture him. Perhaps I’ll cut out your heart and eat itmyself."
"Hussar?" Evaronquestioned.
"It's the firebird!" Hussar bellowed, pointing his sword at her. "Capture her! For theking!"
Galina?My head swiveled between the two of them.But howcould—?
"Would you kill the firebird for yourking?"
Ofcourse.
No wonder the fires in the forest were almost out. For what creature controlled fire? And it was her fire, her flames... I'd never seen her in the firebird's form, but it was as though she'd been keeping all of the fire within her banked. Now it gleamed in her dark eyes, little licks of flame that reminded me of when I stared into the fire at home ofnight.
She'd grown taller too, her face thinner and less human than it hadbeen.
I hadn't realized the firebird could shift form, but how better tohide?
Five guardians of Gravenwold had been created, and here stood one of the last remaining guardians. She'd been watching us at every step, trying to take the measure of thecompany.
And she'd reached out to me, to try and sway me from mytask.
Or no, perhaps it had been merely manipulation, to protect herself. For as her humanity melted away, so too did my belief in everything she'd told me. Had the story of Vashta been merely a lie? Had she sensed how much I revered the Huntress, and used it to get close tome?
Successor.... somethingwhispered.
What did she want from me? How could I be her successor? I was human, and she wasnot.
"The firebird?" Evaron demanded, looking conflicted. "Hussar, she’s merely an oldwoman."
"Is she?" Hussar turned, and suddenly threw his sword with both hands towardGalina.
The scream built in my throat but I didn’t have a chance to cry awarning.
Galina simply clapped her hands together, and the sword erupted into white flames, so hot the steel simply melted before it could reachher.
All of the men stood takenaback.
But notHussar.
"Capture her!" he cried. "For yourking!"
His words broke some sort of spell. Men drew steel and chargedforward.
"The nets!" Another screamed, reaching for the pack he wore on his back, and the spell-dampening nets he carriedwithin.
Lies or not, Galina was still only an oldwoman.
And what if she wasn’t lying? What if she truly was the last thing standing between us and theDarkness?
