It's been three months since the events of The Honouring Day, and Ignolia is still mourning the sudden disappearance of their powerful rulers.
Lydia finds herself in Ellesmere; the capital of the Congress. Her days are spent accompanying ranked wiza...
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Lydia Voltaire
My flames parted as I stepped inside the throne room, and a pair of storm-colored eyes were the first thing that came into view. They were the only things my fire was drawn to. Behind me, I could still hear the sounds of the shadow creatures screeching as Lucius and Aero were tearing at them. Elsie was an approaching presence slithering closer, and I could count the seconds it took for her to reach me. The warmth of the flickering embers surrounding me faded back into my skin, retreating into every pore they flared out of. And for a moment, everything stopped.
The commotion we caused on our way here was nothing but a faint hum in the background as the thudding in my heart intensified. It seemed to block everything around me, and I had to inhale deeply to regain my focus on what was important.
It didn't matter that Gabriel was right in front of me, standing at the top of the steps leading up to his silver throne, his empty eyes staring down at my form. I tried to glimpse any hint of recognition in them, any sign that told me he knew who I was. But only the glow of that vile stone engraved on his forehead glimmered. Whether he recognized me at all, I had no idea, no way to tell.
My nerves tightened, and I felt like every cell within my body was pulsing. My eyes darted momentarily to the suspended body of Princess Lis. Something in my stomach churned at the sight of her unconscious limp body pinned to the decorated wall. Her wrists were cemented at each side of her head, seeming as if invisible strings restrained them.
I had to get her out. She was my priority at the moment. As for Gabriel...
My magic steered as I felt the corners of the room darkening, watching him slowly descend the last couple of steps. Stripes of blackness spilled onto every inch he stepped, expanding to form a pool of still shadows. They blended with his dark cloak and the rest of his leather armor, seeming to warp over him like a second skin.
I braced myself, summoning fire to the tips of my fingers and listening carefully to the sound of the air as it drifted closer and closer.
Gabriel didn't say a word as a scythe-shaped shadow blade flew at me, sharp enough that I knew it would slice my head clean if I didn't move fast. Fire burst from the palm of my hand, and a shield made of bright, scorching sparks of flames blocked the upocoming attack. It absorbed the blackness, eating away at the last shred of darkness.
The force of our magic colliding almost knocked my legs back, but I anchored my feet to the ground and pushed further as I kept the shield up. It was as if the fire was traveling all the way from the veins in my arm to my fingertips, slowly building and increasing.
But I couldn't keep it up for too long.
Come on, Elsie! Catch up!
As if she heard me, the Wind Slifer's transparent silhouette rushed from behind me, flying over the firey shield separating me from Gabriel. I almost lost her due to the immense brightness coming from my magic, but I caught the slight shimmer in the empty space that wooshed towards Lis.
