Mira

Smoke rose above the tree line and we were silent as we caught our first glimpse of Traviste. The easy camaraderie ceasing to flow and the warriors’ alert, keen eyes darting left and right. Others fingered the grips of their weapons and I had been surprised to learn that not all the warriors commanded ice but were deadly nonetheless. When walking into an unknown situation Zorren had chosen a variety of men with a variety of skills that would prepare him for anything. Sweeping, black scorch marks marred the wooden palisade. Some areas still smoldered having been burned away entirely. This was the part of my element I didn’t like, shoving in my face the capability of destruction that had once resided in me. This was not how it should be; this was not how the gods intended for us to live.

My gaze shifted to my fellow travelers, weighing their reactions. Would they look at me differently? In the wake of what my people had done? Frowning, I tilted my head upwards, scrunching my eyes against the sun. There were only two sentries on duty? It seemed strange after an attack. The gates creaked open like a sick skeleton and we passed under shadow of the gate and heavily scoured fortification, the back of my neck beginning to prickle. No one came out to greet us, where were the people hiding? I squirmed and twisted in the saddle, attempting to relieve the tightness of my lower back. The jarring pace had been verging on brutal and made our previous venture seem like child’s play. Large hands encircled my waist and Zorren slipped me down the length of his body, our boots sucked into the churned mud. Losing the fight not to yawn, my heavy head dropped against his chest and Zorren’s chin rubbed against the top of my head. We remained wrapped within each other, neither wishing to pull away. It had taken us both a long time to realize that craving the comfort that the other offered was not a weakness but a gift.

“You’re doing well,” he praised softly in my ear.

I opened my mouth to respond but another very unladylike yawn stretched my jaws wide and I snuggled closer. “I’m glad you think so.” The words unintelligible but Zorren understood them nonetheless. “We have work to do.”

“In a moment,” Zorren murmured against my hair. I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye and we broke away. A haggard figure staggered towards us and Zorren shifted so that he stood in front of me. Peering round my man-sized shield I eyed an older man with ash and soot smeared across his lined face.

“Ice Lord, thank Havron you have arrived so quickly.” He positioned his fist over his heart and bowed out of respect. “I am Coen, the head man of Traviste.”

Zorren nodded, scanning the gutted and smoke-stained houses closest to the breaches in the walls, shrewd eyes assimilating the small details and re-calculating. “What are the casualties and damages?”

“The granary was fired and the fortification severely damaged in places.” He jerked his head to the breach. It was the granary that concerned me most, walls could be fixed but with the onset of winter, the whole settlement could starve.

“Gunnar, set up a ten-man patrol upon the border. I want to be informed immediately if they see any sign of Firelanders. Another five men to assess the breaches, I want them plugged before nightfall,” his voice rang out clear across the empty ground and the men instantly sprang into action. I twisted my head on my neck, where was everyone? There was no one peeking out from behind the houses, no men working to fix the damage, no one clearing away the debris. Nothing.

“Casualties?” I asked repeating Zorren’s question, my unease making me sharper than intended.

His eyes fixed on me and widened as if seeing me for the first time, then traveled upwards to the tightly bound red hair upon my head. I smiled, the muscles in my cheeks aching, yes, I’m a Firelander. “May I present, my lady the Princess Nymira,” Zorren said by way of an introduction.

After a stretched out pause Coen inclined his head in acknowledgement but dark anger flared in his eyes. “A few deaths and some severe burns,” he answered curtly bordering on rude. “Our healer is tending to them.”

“I would be happy to offer any assistance I can, I have some experience with burns.”

His eyes narrowed and for one crazy moment I thought he would refuse. “As you wish, my lady, I will show you.” The prickling at the back of my neck became insistent. Something wasn’t right.

“Let me collect my supplies.” I turned back to my horse, catching Zorren’s eye.

The man blessfully understood and said, “I’ll help you.” To keep my pace steady and normal I counted the steps off in my head.

Zorren pressed in close behind me. “There is something wrong here,” I muttered, keeping my head down and reaching for the pack.

“Agreed,” he breathed into my ear. “The sentries’ focus is on the center of the village, not over the walls.” I draped the saddle bag over my shoulder. “Stall for a moment and don’t leave without me.” Releasing a heavy breath, I forced my face to relax. In making my way back to Coen I ‘accidently’ stumbled scattering the contents of my bag in the process. Stuttering my apologies Coen shot me a disgusted look before kneeling to help, not noticing Zorren slipping away to talk to the remaining men or them evaporating into the shadows cast by the buildings. No doubt to scout the settlement and find out where everyone was. By the time we were done retrieving the contents he was back beside me a small clay pot in his hand. Holding the bag open in front of me I let him drop it in before closing it shut.

Coen cleared his throat. “This way,” he said as he motioned with his hand. My eyes skittered to Zorren and at his barely perceivable nod I set off, very glad of his presence beside me. For a supposed settlement, Traviste was larger than I’d originally estimated as Coen led us deeper, citing the casualties had been placed as far away from the fighting as possible.

“You should be with the others,” I pushed the words out the side of my mouth.

He shook his head and growled, “Until we find out more I’m not having you out of my sight for even a moment.” The houses became denser, closer to together, taking us further away from the rest of our party. The prickles at the back of my neck were now unmerciful jabs and I pressed closer to Zorren’s side. We reached the heart where the ground opened up and many streets intersected this one location. Coen’s eyes darted to those streets, his nervousness a palatable thing. His hands fisted at his sides and then he spun on his heels to face us. “I’m sorry,” he gasped as if his head had been let up from a body of water, the pulse in his neck beating rapidly. Speaking faster than I could understand, he pushed out the words, “They said they would burn everyone alive if I didn’t.” He grabbed my arm, squeezing it tight and I could see the desperate tears in his eyes. “Save them, you have to save them. May Neftir forgive me.” My ears twitched at the familiar, soft, shrill, scream of air being sliced. Coen jerked and grunted before tumbling forward. Planting face first in the mud, an arrow in his back, through his heart. I dropped my bags, reaching for my bow as they came from every direction. A perfect, well-laid ambush. One face was familiar out of the sea of strangers. The air whooshed out of my lungs like an invisible punch to my stomach.

“Thallenth,” I hissed. A man once so familiar I’d trusted him implicitly but now a stranger as he looked down his nose at me like I was barely worthy of his notice.

“Greetings, little Princess.” Thallenth’s words mocked me and cool trepidation oozed down my back.

“How did you find me?” I snapped, my head twisting in every direction and I clocked the two archers with their vantage points. Zorren shifted his stance beside me, the temperature dropping rapidly. I kept Thallenth talking allowing Zorren to pull as much power as possible, we were badly outnumbered.

He chuckled. “You have upset some powerful people at Court, did you believe that a Firelander would be accepted at Sevias?” My ears buzzed, we had a traitor among us.

“Why?” I croaked. “We trusted you, why?” I had to know, why he had turned against us.

“Why not?” Thallenth spat, the venom slapped me in the face and I rocked back half a step brushing against Zorren’s arm. “Years of loyal service and I am reduced to looking after two pampered, spoiled princesses.” The weight of his resentment slammed into me and his face twisted with rage. I didn’t know this man. “I deserved more, I’m more powerful than a fucking royal for Khatri’s sake,” he shouted stabbing a finger at me, “and I was reduced to playing your wet nurse.” He had betrayed us for the sake of cold-hearted ambition. “You were not meant to live but you will make a good alternative if your cousin isn't cooperative. The sword will be a nice bonus.”

“What do you want?” Zorren ground out, the tips of his fingers beginning to glow a ghostly blue while he continued to gather his power. “Go back down the street, use the houses for cover,” he whispered urgently under his breath. “Run.”

My eyes never left the threat. “No.” I wasn’t going to leave him.

“So, you are the mighty Ice Lord,” Thallenth smirked. “I never imagined you would pick such a weakling.” Someone sniggered. “I want the girl, preferably alive but I will take her dead.”

“Not going to happen,” Zorren shot back in a clipped almost bored tone as if he pitied such a simpleton for thinking it in the first place.

Thallenth’s mouth dug down and dropped his still raised arm. Jets of flame came at us from every direction. Zorren grabbed my elbow and jerked me flat to his side, waving his other hand and a wall of ice encircled us like a cocoon, shielding us from the fire. I was smashed flat against Zorren, chest to chest, hip to hip and thigh to thigh. Wiggling to get closer still, ice filled the space I’d vacated enabling Zorren to focus on shielding a smaller area. Blurred red light glared at us hungrily through the ice from all sides. The air began to heat making it hard to breathe and water was dripping down the walls.

“How long until someone realizes it's an ambush?”

“Too long,” Zorren gritted out, his face strained with concentration. My arms trapped at my sides, I couldn’t even raise my bow and get ready. Steam clung to my forehead, the constant drips becoming rivulets and then streams as water flooded the bottom and moved up our legs. I shivered.

“We’re trapped.” Fear clogging my throat, we were choking in the small space. Stretching up on my tiptoes I twisted my head, trying to count how many assailants we faced. The imagines were too distorted by the ice. Zorren groaned and a fine tremble went through him. I shot him a concerned look.

“I can hold it,” he ground out.

“No, you can’t,” I hissed, the air becoming uncomfortably hot, there were too many even for the Ice Lord. The glare dimmed and turned to black. All was quiet and I pressed into his body, savoring this last possible instant with him. The wheel rapidly turning in my head, while he was defending me, he couldn’t move unheeded, Zorren wouldn’t go on the offensive while leaving me open.

“I’ll make a deal, princess,” Thallenth called through the barrier. “Come with us and no one else will be harmed. We won’t touch a hair on your mate’s head.”

I would trust the word of a snake before his, but still, I lowered my lashes to hide the calculation.

“Don’t you even dare,” Zorren hissed through gritted teeth, his body straining.

“You swear this?” I shouted back, considering all my options. “Swear it on the sacred flame.”

“No, Mira.” Zorren gnashed his teeth. “I forbid it.”

“We don’t have much of a choice.” For one crazy moment I considered it, putting the chains on my own wrists if it ensured Zorren’s safety.

“I swear on the sacred flame.” Thallenth almost sounded giddy. My eyes narrowed and I knew, knew, he would never keep his word.

“I’m not doing it, Mira, he won’t keep his word.”

“I know.” I was silent for a moment, the water had now reached my knees and I shivered. “Drop the wall,” I said at last.

Zorren tensed. “What?”

“I will take out the archers before turning on the rest and you take out as many as you can. Together, we will make the bastards bleed,” I growled, furious for not listening to my instincts in the first place, for not being a better mate, for being so useless.

“So bloodthirsty.” Zorren grinned but it was ruined by a pained intake of breath. “Are you ready?”

My fingers curled into his side. “If anything happens to me—”

“It won’t, I will not let anything touch you,” he growled vehemently. “Ready?” My muscles vibrated with tension and my brain fogged. I love you; I shouted the words in my mind and instead said, “Yes.”

Neftir, please keep him safe. The wall slipped away. I whipped the bow around and fired. I couldn’t see Zorren, trusting that he could keep himself safe. Drawing another, I whirled, feet slipping in sludge. Ice shot right and left. Release. The second archer eliminated. My senses hyper alert, I kept catching Zorren’s sleek powerful movements out of the corners of my eyes. Sweat tracked down my brow and the relentless twang of the bow filled my ears and my fingers bled. Orange and yellow blurred as the blood dripped from my wrist. We’d been fighting for minutes a lifetime in battle.

Ice rolled past me, “Mira down!” Zorren roared, harsh heat searing my side. I hit the ground hard, ducking behind the shield Zorren had formed for me. Curling into a tight ball, my bow poked out from either side. The flames scorched past me and I scrunched up my face as the superheated air bit into my exposed skin, the string of my bow snapping. They were converging on Zorren, trying to take him out. He had drawn his sword, enabling him to attack long range with his element and defend himself at short range as they swarmed. Shapes flowing fast and furious, creating barriers and launching deadly spikes. It nailed one man to the side of the house. Upon the balls of his feet, his sword arced to slice another that closed the distance. Four bodies were felled around him, I’d taken out another four. It still left too many. I threw away the now useless piece of wood and drew the large knife from my back. My knuckles turned white as I clenched it in my hand and it squelched with blood. There was nothing I could do to help. Zorren twisted to the side and revealed a figure that had been hiding in his shadow. There was someone behind him! Breaking cover, I ran to him. Hard and fast, my feet skidding on the slick sparkling ground. His focus on the fight in front of him. Heart threatening to burst through my chest, time slowed to a trickle. No, no, no.

“Zorren! I screamed out my warning too late. Too late. The blade sank deep into his side and wrenched up. Zorren reversed his blade and thrust it into their chest, it broke through the back. Dropping to one knee, his hand clamped to his side, blood darkening the tunic and spreading. They were preparing for another strike. Without thought, I launched forward, directly into the path of the fire. Flames hotter than the underworld slammed into me, stealing my breath. The torrent of fire flaring from all directions, stabbing my skin. I didn’t have the breath to scream.

The afternoon was close and hazy, late blossoms drifting down and crowning my hair. The smell of earth as the fields of barley merrily waved their fingers.

The force flung me back. An unholy roar filled my ears and I recognized my mate’s distress. “Mira!”

My mother screaming, “Run!” I looked back over my shoulder and through the smoke, saw her keeling over to one side an arrow stuck out of her chest. I remember her always free and smiling. Those dull, dead eyes would smile no more.

My back hit a wall and I crumpled on the floor, unable to move as searing claws ripped through me. My clothes scented with smoke and I wanted to reach out and tell him it was fine, I'd made my choice.

Fleet feet slapped the cool marble floor. Faster. Irrational fear spurring me on as my arms pumped furiously by my sides. Faster. Tears and smoke stung my eyes and choked me. Jets of flame shooting past the side of my head. My foot caught on the uneven surface and I pitched forward, screaming. Pain flashed and air burst from my chest as the unforgiving ground caught me. Fighting to my hands and knees I lunged forward. Brought up short by the unbreakable grip on my leg. My jaw slammed into the ground.

Flames raced through my veins, it felt like blades were ripping me apart from the inside out. How much more could this body take? The flames gripped my clothes and consumed the cloth with its hungry maw. The fabric shriveled and blackened, dropping away from my prone body.

I was kicked onto my back, a knife pressed against my throat and hot blood slid down my skin. Sobbing so hard I couldn’t make out my attacker’s face, white light growing and robbing my vision. It was bubbling up within me, the pressure building. Expanding, the pressure growing, the knife rose above me and my eyes widened. A thousand needles being forced into my skin from the inside.

My own nails tore at my flesh in a feeble attempt to rid the pain from me. I fought and struggled. I had to control it or it would destroy me, I fought to bring it to heel only to find the more I fought it the more pain shot through me. A towering inferno scratched and clawed at me, rising to one knee, blood trickled down my hairline. I remembered every painful detail of that day; it had been seared into my memory.

White flames burst from my small body and the pressure eased. Incinerating all those that would harm me. Crying and screaming hysterically, I couldn’t control it. None could be heard over the sound of the flames even when my throat was hoarse. Their bodies shuddered and curled like blackening leaves and the world dissolved into white fire.

Stuff snapped into place, crunching and straightening. Like broken bones realigning. Screams raked my throat, I didn’t have the strength to fight anymore. Flinging my arms wide, no longer fighting as I embraced the pain of my past and the power of my own fire. I gave everything I was, everything that had made me and everything I would become to keep Zorren from harm. Heat consumed me and pushed me towards the light. When I broke the surface I was reborn. The air cool and heavy on my lungs, the sounds of battle muted to the colossus roar of the flames, spinning through me. The world was bright and brilliant and... My eyes snapped open with recognition. I was whole. What was lost and broken was restored. Pure energy hummed through me. Light and shadows whispered off the walls. The serenity cooled, leaving red hot, boiling rage in its wake. They had destroyed my life before, they would not destroy the life I had built, the people I now called my own. They would not take any more from me! Rearing back on instinct I raised my arm and let fly. A solid beam of white shot from my palm and straight through the chest of the enemy soldier.

Oh, sweet Khatri.

As one, every head snapped in my direction, my body proud and clothed in dancing white flame. Paying silent homage was over as they witnessed a royal come into her own. I stared at my hand. After all this time, the nightmare had been a memory, I’d been holding back all these years. I did not hesitate or waver. I seized the power that had been within me all along.

“No, that’s not possible,” Thallenth spluttered. “You can’t produce-”

I grinned grimly, it turns out I could. In one smooth movement, I unsheathed the sword on my back and channeled the brilliant light upon the blade. The soft blue hue beautiful and elusive and years of rigorous training took over. Bringing it down in an overhead strike a pulse of pure energy ripped from me, the pain almost bringing me to my knees. Gritting my teeth, I stayed upright. The flame sliced through the center of their retreating backs. Hot enough to cut through flesh and bone like a hot knife through butter. Advance. In the name of Khatri, in the name of everything I love, advance! I took one step, the feeling of ground glass shredded my knees, my whole body shaking, overwhelmed. Another step. A sword swung at my head, my wrist rotated, and white flame cut through the metal with no resistance. The blade dropping harmlessly upon the ground. Following through I plunged it into the heart of the now faceless enemy. Jerking up I cleaved clean through the shoulder. Fire blasted me but it was like walking in a bubble. The insignificant attacks were absorbed and I kept moving forward. Never hesitating or slowing.

“Stop her! Bring her down.” I locked on Thallenth’s panicked orders, getting increasingly desperate. The houses burned and I walked through the black smoke of the war zone. My free hand shot little balls of light and my aim was true. The balls buried into the chests of the warriors, burrowing further and further like rabid beasts. They fell left and right in a macabre guard of honor. Until there was no one left between me and the traitor.

“Mira, I had to do it!” The whites of his eyes rolled around in their sockets. “They would have killed me if I hadn’t!-” When I didn’t respond to his babbling, Thallenth blasted me again and again. My body sucked it in, ravenous, energy and fire crackling in my hair, the tips of my toes and fingers. “Mira, you know me,” he pleaded for his life but I was deaf to all but the maelstrom of rage whirling within. Gold sheathed my vision.

I swung the blade and nothing. The body remained tall and upright, then edges of flesh sagged at the neck before completely giving way. The head toppled with the lips still moving and the body slid in the opposite direction. It had been too quick. Extinguishing my blade, it slid back into the sheath. I raised both hands to the sky, the flames exploding from my palms. I fed it, needing to release enough to bring it under control. My eyes scrunched at the harsh light as it spiraled, higher and higher, ripping a hole in the grey clouds. The pressure eased and tamping it down I stared at the devastation surrounding me, dazed. With a sweep of my hand, the flames were extinguished from the structures and my eyes fixed on one felled figure.

“Zorren!” I ran to his side. My knees slipping in the mud as I knelt next to him. Mud, ash and skin caking my naked skin, I didn’t care. His tunic was dark with blood, he was still, so terribly still. His chest rose and I released a sob, pressing a hand tightly over the wound. “Help!” I screamed again and again until my throat was hoarse. At last, I heard people coming, Gunnar saw us on the ground and charged over. Tears I was fighting to keep at bay spilled over, scolding my cold cheeks. “Gunnar, what do I need to do?” I choked, staring at him helplessly. “Tell me what to do.”

He laid a hand on my shoulder. “Mira,” the stark devastation in his voice said it all. “The wound is mortal, he’s lost too much blood.”

“No!” I shook my head, I wouldn’t accept it. My voice broke. “Stay with me,” I murmured again and again, my fingers cupping his cheek. “You have to stay with me, Zorren.” My throat was closing up, I couldn’t do anything.

“Move, I’m a healer,” a feminine voice barked giving me a spark of hope. A small female shoved past the wall of men, throwing elbows left and right. “I might be able to help.”

The petite woman knelt next to me and her face blurred.

“Can you save him?” I choked, tears stinging my eyes.

She stared back with utter helplessness in her eyes as they flared with pale green. “No.”