Lord of Embers(The Demon Queen Trials #2)(60)

One of the archers took aim, and the arrow he fired struck me in the ribs. Agony slammed into me. I was fairly certain he’d punctured one of my lungs.

I sucked in a ragged breath and launched a stream of fire above their heads. Not close enough to burn them, but enough to make them panic. With the heat pressing down on them, the soldiers fled, a mad press of terrified men pushing and shoving their way down the stairs. In their haste, a few tumbled over the edge, plummeting to the lobby far below.

Clenching my jaws, I ripped the arrow out of my chest. The pain was exquisite. It would subside quickly, but for the moment, it was blinding, and I rasped for breath.

At last, I had a clear shot at the king’s door—thick wood, reinforced with iron crosses and locked with an iron bar. My wings beat rhythmically behind me, pounding like my heart. I raised my hands and pointed at the door.

Hot magic sizzled through me, an inferno of heat that poured out of me. In my mind’s eye, I saw my mother’s death, her last agonized moments.

I was an angel of destruction.

Cambriel had put me through hell. I would do the same to him.





C H A P T E R 3 2 — R O W A N

T he door to the king’s chamber caught fire, and the iron bars started to melt. The air smelled of seared wood and flesh.

The Tower was a pandemonium of shouting and fleeing, but I focused my attention on that burning door and the melting iron. Finally, the bar warped and slid to the stone floor in a puddle.

I swept through the fiery goo and into a great arched room. Three soldiers charged forward, surrounding me. One threw a punch, but I blocked it with my forearm. The force of his punch was crushing, and I heard the crack of bone.

The next one aimed for my head. Grabbing his wrist, I twisted it behind his back and spun him around to act like a shield.

I pivoted, placing his two companions between me and the door. The man I held captive elbowed me in the ribs with his free arm. His aim was either good or lucky, because he hit me in the spot where I’d

exact

just been pierced by an arrow. Pain shot through me, and fire exploded from my body. The man in my grip burst into flame, and the remaining two soldiers ran for the door. The fire spread, igniting the furniture and a tapestry on the wall.

I tossed the burned man aside and touched my ribs, wincing a little.

Cambriel stood alone in the center of the room, his face illuminated by the flames around him. His pale hair glowed orange in the light.

The wind rushed in through the open balcony, fanning the flames and tossing fiery sparks up to the high ceiling.

When I was queen, I would install fire sprinklers, because this place was absolutely

up to code.

n ot

Cambriel seemed unfazed, but he had no reason to fear fire. I turned quickly, unleashing another blast of fire at the door and locking us in together with a barrier of flames.

I took a step closer to him. “Cambriel. I saw what you did to my mother.” I could hardly hide the fury in my voice.

He let out a short laugh. “How did you see ?”

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“What happened between you two?” I demanded.

He placed a finger over his lips. “Do you know, Mortana, I don’t really feel compelled to tell you. You can burn my army, if you want, but you cannot kill me. You’re not my heir.”

Hot anger churned in the depths of my chest. “You’re not the true king. You didn’t kill Nergal. Tell me how you ended up lighting my mother on fire.”

In a blur of speed, he rushed forward and clamped his hand around my throat, lifting me into the air. “Are you pretending that you care what happened to your mother? You left her for dead, Mortana, along with all the other Lilu. You don’t give a fuck what happened to any of them. But I was willing to overlook your ruthlessness. We could have joined forces if you weren’t so insane.”

I kicked him hard in the chest, and he dropped me.

I just wanted the answer to one question before I ripped out his heart. “What did my parents want from you?”

“What difference does it make? Obviously, you have designs on the throne. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? I could have given it to you through marriage. Together, we could have been powerful.”

I clenched my fists. “You are my half brother, you murdered my

an d

parents.”

He took a swing for me, but I blocked it, landing a hard punch in his stomach.

He doubled over, clutching his gut. “I don’t know why you sound so put out. You ripped out my mother’s heart and left her carcass in a vat of wine.” He straightened. “But why all the questions about your parents? Are you lonely, Mortana, after you murdered the rest of your kind and left them to rot in the dungeons? I thought you wanted to be the only one left with your power. That’s why you did it, isn’t it? To gain power and save your own skin. You sacrificed your kin.”

My fingers twitched. There was that phrase again—Mortana’s original sin, and mine.

As soon as the fires died down behind me, more soldiers would swarm in. My wings shot out from my shoulder blades, lifting me into the air. I kicked Cambriel in the head, and he fell backward onto the floor.

He leapt up and exploded with flames. A fireball engulfed me.

Orange and red danced around me, scented of ash and burning cloth.

This was how Mom died. Cambriel relied on fire in a fight, a tactic that would work on almost anyone.