A Promise of Fire (Kingmaker Chronicles, #1)(39)

My lungs feel scratchy, and I have to rip the words from my throat, regretting them as soon as they’re said. “I won’t try to escape you as long as you live.”

The vow takes hold with a jolt of magic, jarring me. Scaring me.

A look of pure triumph crosses Beta Sinta’s face. “I’ll protect you, Cat. I swear it.”

My heart clenches violently in my chest. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep. It displeases the Gods.”

His deft fingers work fast, untying the knots. He stuffs the rope into his saddlebag, drags me onto his lap, and then plants his mouth on mine.

The kiss sizzles through me, quick and rough and shocking me to my toes. My lips tingle from hardness and warmth. Heat explodes through the rest of me, racing under my skin like a storm on the wind.

He pulls away, glaring at me. “Whatever happens to the rest of us, you live.”

My pulse going wild, stunned, I shove him and sputter, “Gross!”

Sort of.

Not really.

Damn.

Beta Sinta grins and dumps me off the horse. “Go. Turn invisible and hide.”

My jaw goes slack. “I’m not running away!”

His eyebrows slam down. “You’ll do as I say!”

“Yeah, when has that ever ha—”

My head whips around. Power stings my skin as an arrow whistles past, trailing Chimera’s Fire in its wake. My blood pulses, grabs the magic, and stops the arrow inches from Flynn’s chest. Flynn of the belly laugh. Flynn who defended me, who fought for me when I was in pain.

Fury paints the world red. I gather the scorching magic, flip the arrow around with a swipe of my hand, and then fling it back toward the bowman, ramming it through his eye.

“Gods, Cat!” Flynn breathes a sigh of relief. “That would’ve burned me alive.”

“Good thing I’m here,” I say saucily.

“And modest, as usual,” Beta Sinta mutters even though he looks impressed.

“You’re one to talk!”

“Go!” he growls.

I hold out my hand. “Give me my sword.” My knives are somewhere in Flynn’s bag.

He does. He thinks I’m going to run.

There’s another bowman nocking an arrow. He’s a little far away. I reach…reach… Got it! He lets fly, and the arrow spins crazily up and then back down again, splitting his skull. Ha!

The Fisans roar in fury.

That’s right. I’ve learned new tricks.

They charge. Beta Sinta maneuvers his horse in front of me, blocking the first attack and bellowing at me to leave. Weapons flash. The Sintans form a solid wall of horse and muscle between my enemies and me. They’re fierce and thrilling to watch, and for a moment, I almost think the Fisans won’t get through. But four against thirty never goes well, no matter who the four are.

At first, I’m the only one on my feet. Hooves grind the earth. Dust flies in my eyes. Metal clashes, sparking, heating the air and dulling my ears. I’m not sure how long it takes to unhorse the Sintans, but they eventually end up on the ground. Apart from the dead bowmen, no one has magic. Except Otis. I know what he’s got, and I can’t wait to give some back.

A hole forms in my line of defense. Kato is down and bleeding from a long gash in his thigh. He rolls to avoid a downward thrust, kicks his attacker in the head with his good leg, and holds off another with his mace.

I race toward him, reaching for a dagger that isn’t there.

“Talia!”

I skid to a stop to face Otis. Stupid, but it’s not as if he doesn’t know it’s me. He leaps through the hole left by Kato, who’s now grappling with three men on the ground. Beta Sinta roars something I can’t make out over the clash of swords. He’s probably still trying to get rid of me. He wants me gone now? He hasn’t let me out of his sight for a bloody month!

“She’s mine!” Otis snarls.

Oh, good. He wants me all to himself.

“You murdering little bitch,” he spits. “You’ll pay for what you did.”

I scrunch up my face and make fake sobbing sounds. “He didn’t have it coming at all. Let’s all stop fighting and cry.”

“Did you enjoy slicing him open?”

Not one bit. “Very satisfying. Really bloody. But you know all about that, don’t you?”

Otis smiles viciously. “Weakness is never rewarded.”

“Good thing I’m not weak.”

He smirks, gathering red-hot power in his hand and holding it there just to try to intimidate me. “You know what I can do to you.”

Yes.

“I’ve done it before.”

Now I can do it back.

There’s such maniacal glee in his eyes that it scares me. Not because I fear him, but because I could have been him.

The first lash comes too fast for me to defend myself. Long, thin, burning, the whip unfurls from his hand and strikes with the speed of a snake.

I cry out, a red welt rising across my neck and chest. With the pain and pulsing heat come a jolt of power as Otis’s Fire Magic fuses with my blood. I float on the wave of unfamiliar magic, readjusting. Then I grin, rather maniacally I imagine, and strike back.

Otis yelps and touches his face. The slash runs diagonally across his right eye, scorching off the middle of his eyebrow. His magic-induced injury doesn’t heal in a matter of seconds like mine does—another benefit of Poseidon’s gift.