Page 28 of Their Crowned Mate
He was right, too. The emperor knew he was losing, and instead of accepting defeat graciously, he was going to burn every man, woman, and child in the palace, along with his enemies and himself.
That son of a bitch.
If there had been any lingering doubt in my mind that he was every bit as wicked as Joram said he was, it would have vanished in that moment.
"We have to do something," said Marcus. "There has to be a way to put out the fire."
"It's not regular fire," I said. "It's magic. Only fae magic should be capable of quelling it."
"I don't suppose you have any ideas?" Cole asked warily.
I continued to stare at the growing flames, forming a giant wheel with spokes around the palace. My mind was racing, but I had an idea. An instinct, really. It was the same feeling as when my wolf was trying to rise to the surface, and rather than suppressing her, I decided to work with her.
I shifted in a burst of blue fur and adrenaline and took off running down the hill.
"Lavinia!" Cole cried after me, his voice laced with panic. "Damn it!"
I could hear the snarl of his coyote form as he shifted, but I was faster somehow, even if it was only out of sheer desperation. It was a challenge to keep my footing on the steep hillside, but I managed, dodging brambles and stones in my path.
Finally, I made it to the bottom of the hill and stopped. The flames were just a few yards away, an imposing wall of blue heat waiting to consume me. I could feel its intensity in the air and knew this was going to be harder than I thought.
I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths, calming my racing heart and gathering my strength as I shifted back into my human form. When I opened my eyes again, I held out both hands in front of me and focused on channeling the purest fae magic inside me until it surged through my veins. As soon as it coalesced in my palms, I aimed them at the flames and sent out a wave of energy so powerful that for a moment, everything around me seemed to still.
The flames before me reacted immediately to my power, shrinking back from it as if in fear before slowly fading away into nothingness. They left behind a scorched earth that had been smoldering minutes ago but now looked oddly untouched by whatever had transpired.
"Lavinia, what are you doing?" Cole cried, skidding to a halt beside me as he shifted back into his human form, too.
Marcus wasn't far behind him. He stared at the spot where the flames in front of me had been moments earlier, his eyes widening. "Holy shit. How did you do that?"
"I don't know," I admitted, taking a deep breath. I looked at the rest of the ring of flame and swallowed hard. "But I think I need to keep going."
They didn’t try to stop me this time. I channeled my power in waves until the circle of flames around the palace had been completely extinguished save for a few smoldering blue embers dying out in the burnt grass.
"All right, you've done enough," Cole said, grabbing my arm as I started to head closer toward the palace.
I shook my head, pulling away from him. "No, I haven't," I said firmly. "I need to get inside and make sure no one else gets hurt."
"It's too dangerous!" he argued, going for my arm again, but I shirked out of his grasp. "You know what the emperor is capable of."
"And I also know innocent people are in danger," I countered, meeting his gaze with a determined look. "I'm not just going to sit here and let them die."
Cole closed his eyes and took a deep breath before running his hands through his hair in frustration. He knew I was right. We had to do something. But it was clear he didn't want me to put myself in harm's way like this.
"Listen," he finally said after several long moments of silence. "We'll go in, but you have to stay behind us. And the second I say we need to retreat, you have to promise me you will."
"I promise," I said, knowing that was the only way he was going to give in. The thought of having Cole and Marcus by my side filled me with warmth and courage, and I knew they would never leave, fighting for me until the bitter end. And I'd do the same for them.
But I wasn't going to lose anyone today. Not if I could help it.
“Just do me a favor and put this on,” he said, holding up the warm cloak I’d left at the top of the hill when I’d shifted. “It might not be a full suit of armor like I’d rather you wear, but it’s something.”
I wrapped myself up in it and smiled as I kissed his cheek. “Thanks.”
I let them take the lead, venturing closer, and I prepared to shift into my wolf form again at a moment's notice. She was at the ready, and I could feel her attention pricking, heightening my senses as we grew closer. The palace gate had already been torn down, and inside, the hallways were empty, looking like the battlefield they were. Broken stone and debris littered the once white marble floors. Walls were scorched and blackened, and some areas had been completely destroyed.
The destruction was widespread, and it made my heart ache to see what had been done here. But I wasn't going to let the emperor have his way. Not when so many innocent lives had already been lost at his hands.
I silently vowed that no matter what happened tonight, I would make him pay for what he'd done to his people.
