Vira's Fire

Chapter 4

I look at the king wide-eyed. As I gaze into his vibrant red-orange eyes, I believe him. The thought of being thrown back into the wolf-infested woods ignites a fierce drive within me to live. I put my hands on his blood-soaked chest and push firmly. He's surprised by the insubordination and stumbles back.

"I have nothing to hide," I grit out. I don't wait for his reply and confidently walk towards the exit.

"Vira!" The power of his voice makes me cringe. It echoes off the chamber in an angry growl. I stop in my tracks, my feet standing in the pool of blood by the door. I'm too terrified to look back at him.

"I will find out who you are." It's a threat but to me, it holds a silver lining.

"Please, do," I reply, hoping he'll get thehint. With that, I push on the door and enter the better-lit room outside.

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Roman escorts me out of the courtroom and towards the stairs. Colt is nowhere to be seen. I think about asking Roman where he went but I don't have enough energy to care. I doubt Roman would tell me anything either. 

Nonetheless, I am thankful to be out of that room. The stench of blood and burnt flesh is still fresh in my nose. Even my shoes and the hem of my dress are stained purple, from the red of blood against the blue satin. I feel a twinge of guilt as I look back to see my heels leaving bloody footprints on the stone. That woman from earlier, with the mop and bucket, already has enough to worry about cleaning up after him without cleaning up my shoe prints as well. Seeing the blood on the stone floor makes me dizzy. I lean heavily against the railing of the balcony, catching my breath. 

At this height, I can see the second-floor landing and the foyer below. The beauty of the architecture would speak to me under different circumstances. Anyone who was sitting there when I first ascended the stairs has gone. The castle seems quiet and empty. Since the storm outside is hiding the sun, it is dim in the foyer. The only light is coming from pillars of blue fire on each stair landing. 

Above my head are the bones of the dragon from earlier. It is surrounded by hanging blue lanterns. Soft light glints off of the bones. I blink. Earlier I thought chains suspended the bones. Now, I can see nothing is holding them up. Instead, a silver thread weaves the bones together like false flesh. I gawk. It is simply floating in midair. 

The tail of the creature sparks a memory from yesterday. It is a spearhead shape with bony spikes shooting out of it. I recognize it as the tail of the beast whose eyes met mine on the bridge. Only this creature is wider, with a different skull bone structure. They aren't the same. The other dragon is out there somewhere, lying in wait. The thought sends a chill down my spine. 

 "Whoooshhh!" A gust of crisp air rushes into the large space. A man is pushing open a small door hidden inside the larger foyer door. Outside, a blizzard is roaring. The man closes the door with some difficulty as the wind fights against him. 

Above me, the bones of the creature rattle as the wind tosses them into each other. It's not a warm rattle either. Unlike the sound of wind chimes. They grind together eerily as they shift with the wind. The sound fills the foyer and echoes off the walls. I look up in time to see one of the wings twitch upwards, almost catching the wind. Even in death, the dragon has a keen sense of flight. I gulp down my fear. 

I try to ignore the sound of shifting bones. Instead, I peer down at the door. My eyes can't find it. The door is blended into the larger door. I hadn't even realized that there was a 'normal-sized' door there. The seams and hinges were invisible when I was admiring the woodwork earlier. Dismissing my bewilderment, I take a long deep breath, filling my lungs with the fresh air. It is refreshing after the stench of blood. Peering over my shoulder I realize how little room there is still between me and the monster. The door to the courtroom is only a few feet away.