Empire of Flame and Thorns (Flame and Thorns #1)

Chapter 43

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

I ’m striding across the grass and out onto the Dragon Field an entire hour before the sun will rise. To my surprise, Alistair is already there. And Isera arrives ten minutes after me as well. Apparently, none of us wants to risk missing our one shot at getting out of here.

Cool morning winds sweep across the grasslands and rustle the leaves in the thick forest around us. I stare at those twisted trees and snaking vines and sharp thorns, and I can’t help but wonder if the rest of the contestants are still in there. Hopefully, they heard the Icehearts roar like that before they flew away, and took that as a sign to return.

I glance at Isera and Alistair from the corner of my eye.

Both of them just stand there next to me, their spines straight and their eyes fixed on the Peaks of Prosperity that the dragons should be flying over on their way here.

I shift my weight as the silence continues stretching.

“So…” I find myself saying after a while, because the tense silence is grating on my frayed nerves and is making me more worried that Draven is somehow going to show up and ruin this for me. “Still not going to tell us what you’re going to do with your freedom?”

Alistair starts in what looks like surprise, and then turns his head to stare at me. As if he can’t believe that I’m talking to him. When he realizes that I am in fact addressing him, he draws his pale brows down in a scowl.

“No,” he declares.

“Seriously?” I shoot him a pointed look. “After the winner’s ceremony today, we’re going to split up anyway and probably never see each other. So what does it matter?”

He glares at me in silence for a few seconds. Then he blows out a forceful breath and rakes a hand through his curly blond hair. “I’m going to get the hell out of here and never return.”

The venom in his words shocks me.

I raise my eyebrows. “You hate this place that much?”

“Not this place.” He flexes his hand. “The people.”

“ You hate the people here? But you’re the one bullying everyone.”

His orange and green eyes flash with fury. “You know nothing about me. Now shut the fuck up before I snap your skinny little neck.”

Shaking my head, I scoff and then turn back to stare at the forest before us. “I’m glad Fenriel’s hawk got revenge on you.”

“Me too.”

Both Isera and I whip around to stare at Alistair.

“What?” I ask.

He shrugs, suddenly looking a little self-conscious, and then repeats, “Me too.” He casts me a glance from the corner of his eye. “I’m glad you pulled him out of the way. I don’t like hurting animals.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have shot a torrent of fire at him.”

“I didn’t shoot it at the hawk.” He scowls and flicks an annoyed look at Isera. “I was aiming for her .”

Isera just flashes him a sharp smile in reply.

“Wow,” I say. “That was not what?—”

“Incoming,” Isera suddenly snaps.

My heart leaps into my throat. Whirling back around, I gaze towards the Peaks of Prosperity.

Hope and excitement swell in my chest as I spot three silver dragons approaching. This is it. This is the moment I leave the Seelie Court and start my new life.

Turning my head, I look back at the city in the distance. It wasn’t all bad. But I’m still glad to be out of here. Glad to start over somewhere else where people don’t immediately distrust me as soon as they hear my name.

“Uhm, guys?” Alistair begins, suddenly sounding worried. “The empress said they were going to fly us to their court. How do you think they’re going to do that?”

“I doubt it’s on their backs,” Isera answers. “Since they’ve been punishing us for thousands of years for doing just that.”

The three silver dragons draw closer.

Nervous anticipation pulses through me. Swallowing, I check my meager possessions. Which only consist of the clothes I’m wearing and the knife in my thigh holster.

“They’re not slowing down,” Alistair notes.

Wings boom through the air as the three dragons sweep down over the grasslands and speed right towards us.

I suck in a sharp breath.

They stretch out their legs and open their claws.

Alarm spikes through me. “Don’t tell me that they’re?—”

My stomach lurches as one of the dragons grabs me with its claws and lifts me off the ground as it flies past.

I would have screamed if I had any air in my lungs, but I can’t even seem to remember how to breathe as the dragon makes a sharp turn in the air and then starts back towards the Peaks of Prosperity. My muscles are tense. I’m afraid that the smallest movement is going to make me slip through the dragon’s claws and plummet to my death below.

But the claws are steady around me as the dragon speeds across the thorn forest. And when we get closer to the Peaks of Prosperity, my mind has started to come to terms with my current situation and has accepted that I probably won’t fall to my death. My muscles relax and that incredible sense of excitement returns.

I gaze down in astonishment as we sweep over the grand mountain range and leave the thorn forest behind as we continue across the continent.

Winds whip in my hair and clothes. The air up here is cool and brisk and tastes of freedom. An absolutely ridiculous grin spreads across my mouth. I gasp as I spot cities and villages on the horizon. We’re too far away to see them, but they must be human cities. Or maybe dragon shifter cities. Or do humans and shifters live together in shared cities?

Since I’ve spent my life trapped inside a forest of thorns, I have no idea what the rest of the world is like.

But now, I’m finally about to find out.

I grin at the open horizon as we soar through the air. I’m going to see it all, learn it all, do it all. Goddess above, I’m going to finally start living.

To my surprise, my excitement doesn’t dim in the slightest even after hours of flying. Because there is always something new to see. A new city or a new mountain range or a new lake. Sights I have never seen before. And the view from up here is unparalleled.

Eventually, the three dragons who are carrying us pull together in a tighter formation.

That’s when I see it.

A great ice castle on the slopes of a mountain, and a sprawling city beneath it.

Air escapes my lungs in a whoosh as I stare at the sheer size of that city. My gaze drifts to the magnificent castle.

The Ice Palace. Home of Empress Jessina and Emperor Bane and the center of power in the Iceheart Dynasty.

I have heard about the splendor of it, but nothing could have prepared me for the real magnificence of it. An imposing wall made of white ice circles it. And beyond, a massive palace with gleaming domes and twisting spires reaches for the heavens. All of it glitters like diamonds in the afternoon sunlight.

My stomach lurches again as the dragons soar over the defensive walls and swoop down towards a wide courtyard at the front of the palace. I stumble as I’m dropped the final few feet to the ground. After so long in the air, it takes my legs a moment to adjust.

Drawing in a deep breath, I push my windswept hair out of my face and then straighten. Next to me, Isera and Alistair do the same. The three dragons who carried us here climb back into the sky again.

I blink at the scene before me.

Two massive doors made of ice tower over us. They’re open, and through them, I can see a grand entrance hall. But in front of it all stands a tall man in white formal wear with silver decorations.

“Follow me,” he says by way of greeting.

Without even waiting to see if we comply, he spins on his heel and starts towards the open front doors. I scramble to follow him on legs that still feel a little unsteady. Isera and Alistair stumble the first few steps too as we all hurry to catch up with the man.

“You are to wash up and change into the clothes provided for you,” he announces while still continuing to walk ahead of us.

“Okay,” Alistair replies.

A new wave of worry sweeps through me as I step across the threshold and into the grand entry hall beyond. Because somewhere in here is Draven. And there is still time for him to take revenge. My heart patters against my ribs as I swallow and glance around the glittering hallway, half expecting to find the Shadow of Death lurking there.

“When does the winner’s ceremony begin?” I ask as the man leads us down the hall and towards another door.

He finally turns his head and looks back at us. And I swear I can see a small smile ghost across his lips as he answers with three words that make my heart flutter.

“In one hour.”