Heir of Nothing (The Light-Bringer Trilogy, # 1)

Sixteen

The iron smothered her. She felt too warm, too claustrophobic.

I am the Heir of Light and Fire, and I will bow to no one, she told herself.

"Bow," Melania ordered. 

She didn't. You now to no one.

Claws scratched her mind—shadowy claws. Cal shoved her light down, held it on a tight leash. The claws started digging in. She started trembling as she started grasping for a leash to her fire. But her fire slipped. Cal's scream cleaved the night as she bowed over her knees, the iron heating up and burning her.

You bow to no one. You bow to no one. You bow to—

Me, Melania said in her mind.

Smoke curled in her mouth, ash settling on her tongue. Cal clamped her hands over her ears as if it might block out Melania's voice.

The claws scraped at her mind. Her fire rose up again, heating the iron on her, and Cal screamed bloody murder.

I will not bow, I will not bow, she told herself.

There was a loud crash. The claws rescinded. Cal opened her eyes and looked up. Axel Warren had Melania in a choke-hold.

"Go! Find the Light-Bringer!" Miles shouted from where he had James under him. 

Matias hauled Cal to her feet.

"Run. Run!" Matias shouted, shoving Cal into a run. 

They ran through the corridors. Ran blindly because Cal couldn't summon fire.

They heard a man chuckle. It was low and breathy, and raked chills down her spine. The air grew cold—freezing cold. 

They ran down several flights of stairs and into the library. They ran between the shelves, moonlight streaming in through the large windows.

She heard the library doors open.

The glass in the windows groaned and shattered. Cal covered her head, the glass ricocheting off of the iron gauntlets.

"Come out, come out wherever you are," said James. His voice sounded like it was two. The first was quiet and breathy—she could hear it like a whisper in her ear. The second was normal and could be heard loud and clear.

Cal looked at Matias. He was wide-eyes and pale. 

Two voices? he mouthed.

She nodded.

"I can hear your hearts beating," James continued in his terrifying voices. "I can hear you two breathing."

Cal bit her lip, swallowing a whimper. Matias motioned to a nearby bookshelf. Carefully, they made there was to it and crouched behind it. 

Cal didn't even dare to breathe as she heard James's boots crunch on the glass shards. She didn't even dare to move. 

James walked away, the library door closing a few minutes later.

Cal exhaled.

"There you are."

Cal's head whipped up to find James standing on the top of the bookshelf, a smirk on his face. They got to their feet, and pushed the bookshelf over—James falling with it.

They started running like hell was behind them. Fire hit Cal in the back, sending her flying. She slammed into the ground and rolled to a stop—her body aching from the impact. She stood up as Matias slammed the library doors in James's face.

"Khalesi and Aerys! Go!" Matias shouted. 

They took off down multiple flights of stairs, all the way to the stables. But Cal could barely get any air down through the mask's slit. Black spots swam across her vision as she began to feel lightheaded. 

One more flight of stairs before the stables. Just one more flight, she told herself.

Cal ran down the stairs then started swaying on her feet. Matias steadied her, still ushering Cal to their horses. 

Cal mounted Khalesi. Matias opened the stable doors to a lightening sky. He then mounted Aerys, and they rode out into the courtyard. 

They passed through the castle gates, and Cal looked back at her home. James stood in the courtyard, his jaw clenched. Melania came up behind him and placed a pale hand on his shoulder. 

Cal looked ahead of her. She would stop James and Melania. Even if it would take her the rest of her gods damned life to do so.