Curse of Stolen Flame (Firebird, #1)

CHAPTER 15

The training grounds were alive with the sounds of sparring and exercise. Kindra and Emeline walked through torch-lit halls that were lined with benches and gear stands on one side, and archways on the other. The archways led to the giant training ground, where Kindra could see several sparring matches occurring.

In one corner, a pair of Earthwardens flung vines at each other, twisting them like long, wily snakes. In another, a Windspinner went up against a non-wielding guard, who used a large shield to fend off heavy gusts. And in another corner: “Firefury,” Kindra breathed, coming to an abrupt halt. Her heart seemed to stop, its beats skipping frantically. “That’s… that’s another Firefury.”

She couldn’t take her eyes off the Firefury down in the ring, training alone. Clad in nerushmyr like Kindra’s, the Wielder had a feminine figure, though Kindra could tell she was hardened with muscle from all the way across the ring. Her braided hair—a deep, burnt orange—fell well past her shoulders and danced as she moved. She shot spears of flame at hanging targets, her steps smooth and focused. And she didn’t miss a single one, not even when she let loose three fiery darts at once. Each one slammed home. Kindra’s chest burned, and it took her a moment to place the feeling: excitement. For the first time in weeks, perhaps even in years, Kindra was excited. How long had she dreamed of this exact moment? And how long ago had she resigned herself to it being an impossibility?

Emeline came up to stand beside her. “You’ve never seen another Firefury before, have you?” she observed, voice soft.

Kindra shook her head. “No, no I haven’t. I mean, my father was one, but I don’t remember him.” She broke out of her stupor, but her words still stumbled over themselves. “I have to get down there—I have to—Who is that?”

Emeline smiled knowingly, saying nothing, and moved through the archway and down the stairs. Kindra followed her eagerly, heart thundering in her chest. They stepped onto the sand floor of the ring. Some people stopped to look at the two of them. They regarded Kindra with a sense of curiosity, a bit of apprehension, but Emeline they regarded with respect.

Kindra recalled how Emeline had said she’d come here every day to blow off steam when she first married into the Annalindis family. She glanced at the Wavebreaker now, and noted for the first time the lean, trained muscles of her arms, left bare in her delicate cream gown. She also noticed how the tension seemed to bleed from her body as she stopped to talk with some of the guards.

This is her safe space, Kindra realized. This is one of the only places aside from behind closed doors with Helena where she can really be herself.

Kindra tried to be as patient as possible while Emeline caught up with her friends, but she was fidgeting in place, unable to look away from the orange-haired Firefury across the ring. The woman was now wrapped in a large fiery serpent. Kindra struggled to keep her mouth from falling open as she watched the Firefury move the serpent around herself with only one hand.

“Okay, sorry,” Emeline apologized, turning back to her. “Haven’t been by in a week or so. They wanted to catch up.” She eyed the flaming serpent now snaking its way through the air. “Tess is really showing off today, isn’t she?”

“When isn’t she?” quipped a guard behind them, wiping sweat off his brow with a towel. “It’s why nobody wants to train with her.” A few of the other men laughed.

“Oh, shut it,” Emeline snapped, annoyed, “We all know it’s because none of you have the courage to ask her to spar since she whooped your ass last month, Terryn.”

The group of men—some of them barely more than boys—all looked decently abashed, laughing halfheartedly and looking anywhere but Emeline. Terryn, however, ignored her entirely, looking instead to Kindra. “You’re Jasper’s bride, aren’t you? Kindra, right?” He moved over to stand in front of her. He had eyes the same color as moss. An arrogant smirk stretched across his face. He stuck out his hand. “I’m Terryn.”

She gave him a tight-lipped smile. “Pleasure,” she said, sticking out her hand as well. He took it in his and pressed a wet kiss to the back. Kindra schooled her face into careful neutrality, fighting the urge to cringe.

Terryn looked her up and down. “Didn’t know there were such beautiful women hiding in those tiny villages.”

“Us beautiful women are everywhere,” Kindra replied with a sweet smile, yanking her hand from his grasp and wiping his slobber off on her leg. “It’s just that none of us find charm in your leering.”

Emeline cackled. This time, Terryn looked properly embarrassed, cheeks blushing a deep red. “Just trying to compliment you,” he grumbled, stalking back to his friends.

Kindra turned her attention back to the Firefury—Tess—and saw she had stopped practicing. She was instead making her way across the ring to them. Kindra’s heart jumped again, her annoyance dissipating and her anticipation returning.

“Terryn put his foot in his mouth again, didn’t he?” she said as she got closer. Kindra took in the strong muscles, the confident, sauntering gait with which Tess walked.

And then she saw the burn scars.

Kindra was no stranger to the brutality of fire. She had inflicted it upon dozens of people, watched as their skin burned and blackened and charred. She herself had been burned many times, back when she was still learning how to control her magic.

The scars on Tess were not the result of a training moment gone wrong.

The left side of her face was a mass of twisted, bumpy pink and white skin that stretched from her forehead down to her neck, narrowly missing her mouth and left eye. Her left ear was badly scarred, some of the hair on that side of her head permanently seared off, leaving behind pink, mottled scalp. Though her mouth was untouched, the skin at the left corner was tighter, causing her lips to curl up in a constant half smirk. The scarring went beneath the high collar of her nerushmyr, traveling down her left arm and hand. All healed burns.

The right side of Tess’s face was unmarred, revealing pale white skin and an arched orange eyebrow. She didn’t have a left one. Her eyes were a searing deep orange that matched her hair, and they sparked with mischief as they came to rest on Kindra.

“Of course, is that so surprising?” Emeline stepped forward, arms held out. Tess stepped into them and they embraced, laughing.

“Good to see you, Wavebreaker,” Tess said, a wicked smirk crossing her face. “When am I getting another shot at you in the ring?”

“Not for a long while. You almost burnt my eyebrows off last time,” Emeline retorted, her own mischievous grin appearing.

Tess stuck her bottom lip out in a pout. “Aw, you don’t want to match with me?” Emeline tipped her head back and laughed.

Kindra simply watched, not bothering to wipe her expression of wonder from her face. A Firefury, right in front of her, for the first time in her life. Her magic strained at her skin, like it was reaching for the kindred Wielder just a mere yard away from her.

Finally, their laughter died out, and Tess faced her. “Well, hello, Kindra Bedelyn,” she drawled, “Or should I call you cursebreaker ? Perhaps savior of the realm would be better? The hope of Alverin?” Again, her lips twisted up into that humorous smile.

“Please, just call me Kindra. I’m not ready for all those ridiculous titles,” she replied, forcing what she hoped was an easy smile. Nor am I deserving of them.

Tess hummed, giving her a once over. “You sure do look the part, though,” she said softly, as though she were only talking to herself.

Kindra looked away, uncomfortable under Tess’s searing gaze. “Kindra was wanting to train,” Emeline jumped in, saving the conversation. “After this morning, she was hoping she could blow off some steam.”

“Ah, yes, His Majesty’s big surprise,” Tess rolled her eyes and began walking backwards to her corner of the ring. She gave Kindra a reassuring smile. “Heard you handled it like a champ. Blew everyone away.”

“You weren’t there?” Emeline asked, raising her eyebrows. “But the Council—”

“The Council can go fuck themselves. I was busy doing more important things.” She shrugged at Kindra. “Sorry.”

“No apology necessary,” Kindra replied. “If I’d had the option of not going—”

“Tess, you can’t just disobey an order from the Council,” Emeline interrupted hotly. “They aren’t just suggestions, you know. You can get in serious trouble.”

“Oh, I’m quaking with fright! A half a dozen old men are so scary, Emeline!” Tess scoffed. Kindra watched the two of them go back and forth, her gaze darting between them. Just a moment prior, they’d been embracing and laughing together, and now they were arguing like siblings.

“Tess, they explicitly stated that any off-duty castle staff were to attend. The fucking gardeners were there, for gods’ sake,” Emeline retorted, her voice taut with frustration. Her next words were quiet, but no less intense. “If you keep playing these games with him, he’s going to run out of patience eventually. He’ll figure out that you weren’t there, if he hasn’t already.”

Who is ‘he’? Kindra thought, startled by the sudden switch from talking about the Council to just one person.

“And then what? He’ll suspend me from duty? Please! I’d love to have a couple weeks off. Maybe he’ll really do me a favor and discharge me entirely, and I can finally get the hell out of this city.”

There was a lot being left unsaid here, and Kindra knew better than to butt into the conversation to ask about it. She could inquire about it later.

Emeline took a deep breath, trying to calm down. “Look, I know you think that you can openly disrespect the Council just because your—”

The last bit of humor drained from Tess’s eyes in an instant. “Don’t you dare.”

Silence fell over them. Kindra was practically afraid to breathe. Tess and Emeline were locked in a staring match to end all staring matches. Then Emeline broke the stare. “I’m sorry. I just—don’t want to see you hurt. More than you already have been.”

Tess nodded stiffly. “I know. But there are worse things he could catch me doing than skipping the reveal and subsequent ambush of our newest princess.” She met Emeline’s eyes again, and something passed between them that Kindra was not privy to understanding. “Much worse.”

“Just be careful, Tess. That’s all I’m asking.” Emeline looked at Kindra, blue eyes apologetic. “Sorry you had to see that, Kindra. We tend to get into it like this.” She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. “I’m gonna go. Let you two get familiar, do your Firefury thing. But I’ll be back in a couple hours, yeah? We’ve got dinner tonight with the whole family.”

“Whole family?” Kindra croaked. “Like, everyone?”

“Yeah. Everyone. But you’ll have Hel and me, and, whether you like it or not, Jasper.”

“Good thing I’m getting all my energy out now, I guess. Though maybe I should keep some on reserve in case the king tries to drown me while waiting for dessert.”

Emeline couldn’t help but crack a smile at that. “I’d say you don’t have to worry, but I don’t know what to expect anymore.” She lifted her hand in a wave. “I’ll be back.” She shot Tess another indecipherable look as she left.

Kindra faced Tess. The other woman tilted her head to the side, giving her another one of those burning looks. “So,” she started, “I imagine you’ve got some questions now, don’t you?”