Page 146 of Feathers of Ash and Hope
No.
“How did you manage to get out of my bind?” he muses. “Do you have a protection spell hidden somewhere? Don’t worry, I’ll find it.”
He gets off my back, and I throw myself forward, blindly grabbing for a stone. My fingers graze the coals, leaving stinging burns. The pain gets even worse when my hand closes around the hot stone, but I don’t let go.
He flips me around, and I swing. My arm vibrates with the impact, but my eyes still water so badly, I’m not sure where I hit him. It’s enough to make him back off, though, and I scramble back, nearly falling into the flames in the process. I throw my weight to the side, trying to scramble to my feet, but the bastard is on me before I can. His hands clasp around my throat.
He squeezes.I’m still winded from my fall, and it doesn’t take long for dark spots to dance over my vision. He kneels over me, pressing and pressing, waiting for me to pass out.
No.
I pull my leg up as hard as I can. It’s a little awkward and without much force, but the aim is perfect. He howls with pain, clutching his crotch.
Air floods my lungs, and I take in as much as I can get. My throat burns and scratches with every inhale, but my vision starts clearing. Crawling, I drag myself away from him, my legs too weak to get up just yet.
I’m slow, but I’m glad about every bit of space between us. Something glints in the sunlight, and I turn to it, crawling as quick as I can.
Please be something sharp and pointy.
But it’s the medallion I ripped from Livia’s neck during our fight. She didn’t pick it up. There is a flame etched into its surface, and I realize that is how she got her hands on the magic flames despite the regulations. I grab it and start to get up when a roar sounds behind me.
A boot hits my side, sprawling me onto my back. My attacker is back on me, straddling me, smashing my head into the ground repeatedly.
I shove at him, but he doesn’t let up. My view starts to get wonky, and the throbbing in my head intensifies with every hit. My fingers scrabble with the clasp of the medallion, fighting to open it.
“Barely alive.” He grunts, smashing my head into the ground. “Is plenty… for an exchange.” My head hits the ground after each exclamation. “No need… to survive.” Spittle hits my face. He’s past enraged.
He will kill me.
Finally, the medallion flips open. I can’t see it and don’t have much room to move. I just hope it touches his clothes somehow.
I wish for him to go up in flames, but it takes two more impacts before he notices the flames crawling up his body.
He jumps up, his hands batting at the flames. But magical fire is much harder to extinguish.
The flames spread, and the glow of the flames is visible despite the world spinning around me. He screams, then he takes off, leaving a trail of flames behind him.
I don’t care where he runs as long as it’s away from me. My eyes close.
I need a minute.
Tate
Smoke starts billowingup from the forest below, and by the time I realize it’s not just a campfire, a chunk of the forest is already ablaze. Even without seeing the flames up close, the speed at which the fire spreads makes me suspicious. This is too quick for a regular fire.
“Get the message out,”I tell Daeva.
“Already did. Others saw it, too. Someone is flying for the academy already.”
“We head back,”I decide.
I need to know Ara is safe, and we have to mobilize everyone who can help fight the flames and establish a plan for containing it. Daeva doesn’t object and takes a sharp turn.
By the time we get back, blue and violet flames dance between red and golden ones. We set down, and I don’t waste time before heading for the rider, who documents all the newly bonded riders coming in.
Gods, I hope I am wrong.
“Is anyone unaccounted for?” I ask, my eyes drifting over the list in his hands, trying to find the name I’m looking for.
