Kiss of Embers (The Dragon Lairds #5)

Chapter 21

Chapter

Twenty-One

ZARA

T he smell of smoke clung to me as I ran toward the edge of the crowd gathered at the base of the soaring volcano. Traveling through fire was an experience I wasn’t eager to repeat, but Galen had kept his word.

Struan and Finn kept pace on either side of me. Galen sprinted ahead, his black barasta flaring around his thighs. The moon rose behind the Mountain of Karn, its silver light illuminating the lava that spread down the slopes in glittering orange rivers. Here and there, steam rose from the ground in thin columns.

As we neared the competitors, heads turned and eyes went wide. Whispers rose.

“…House Baudelaire…”

“The dragons…”

“…no one has seen them…”

“Fell into the chasm…”

Inessa stood at the front of the gathering, her glowing scroll hovering on one side of her and Bolveg standing on the other. She appeared not to notice the commotion as she continued addressing the crowd.

“So, fun fact, it’s only a floe if it’s ice floating on water, which I didn’t know until Bolveg explained it to me last night.” She turned to Bolveg. “Right, demon?”

He pushed his glasses higher on his nose. “That’s correct, goddess.”

She laughed. “Ten thousand years on this plane, and it’s like, Google is right there , you know?” She looked up as the men and I reached the edge of the gathering. “Oh! There you are!” Her gaze moved from Struan and Finn to Galen. “Interesting bedfellows,” she murmured. “Well, not bed fellows.” She nudged Bolveg. “You know what I mean.”

Struan grabbed my hand and shouldered his way through the crowd, pulling me after him. People gasped and jumped from his path. Finn brought up the rear. When we reached Inessa, I hurried to the front.

“We’re here to compete. We finished the second challenge.”

She smiled. “I know. Says it right here.” She gestured to the scroll, which bore hundreds of names. As I watched, Finn’s name flowed across the bottom of the list. Struan’s name followed.

And, finally, Zara Rockford emblazoned itself along the bottom. My heart dropped to my stomach. I was dead last. I’d start the challenge after every other competitor went ahead of me.

“Zara!” Drute moved through the crowd, concern etched on his face. Competitors peeled from his path as he made his way to my side. He gripped my shoulders, his eyes stark. “My gods, I worried I lost you.”

“I’m fine,” I said, bringing my hands up and clasping his wrists. “I’ll explain everything later.”

“You’ll have to,” Inessa said. She glanced at the volcano. “This bad boy is gonna erupt within the next hour. If we don’t start now, we’ll have to postpone for a week.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her about Brader. But I swallowed the impulse. If I accused him now, Bolveg and the Rules Committee would halt the competition and investigate. I couldn’t wait a week. The pack needed the elixir now .

Bolveg cleared his throat. “You heard the goddess. Time is of the essence. For this third and final challenge, you must reach the top of the mountain before anyone else. Be mindful of the lava flows, as well as the geysers. Inessa and the Fountain of Truth will await you at the top. The first contestant to touch the edge of the fountain wins the elixir. As before, you must engage fully, which means hyperlocation magic is prohibited. However, those of you gifted with speed possess a natural advantage.”

My pulse quickened. Speed. I’d always been fast. I eyed the top of the volcano, which was wreathed in smoke.

Inessa extended her arms toward the crowd. Her eyes went misty. “I never thought I’d say this, but I’m really going to miss you guys. Everyone be careful, okay? I’ll see you at the top of the mountain.” She grimaced. “Well, maybe not all of you. Most of you!” With a wink, she disappeared.

The ground rumbled. Bolveg cast the volcano a wary look. “Uh, everyone line up.” He waved his arms, shooing a pair of vampires. “Quickly, please. It’s time to begin.”

Drute palmed my shoulder. “Zara, I need to speak to you.”

“Not now,” I said, nerves twisting in my stomach. “I need to focus. This is what I came here for.”

“Later, gargoyle,” Struan rumbled, stepping beside me. “We’re a little busy here.”

Drute’s expression gave me pause. I lowered my voice. “Is it about Brader?” I looked around. “Where is he?”

“He’s here,” Drute said quickly. He looked from Struan to Finn, his expression uncharacteristically wary. “I think he knows better than to show his face around your…mates.”

Finn grunted. “Then he’s not quite as big of an idiot as I thought.”

I gave Drute what I hoped was a reassuring smile. “Leave Brader to me. I’ve got everything under control.”

He looked like he wanted to say more. Then he nodded. “All right. Alpha.”

I left him, and I headed to the end of the line with Struan and Finn.

Dead last, dead last, dead last. It drummed through my mind as I stared up at the volcano. The guys stayed quiet, and tension stretched between us. Our chances of winning were slim.

Worse, we were vying for the same prize. Even if one of us pulled off a miracle, there would be no winners on the top of the mountain.

The line moved quickly, and soon we stood next to Bolveg. He nodded to Finn.

“You’re next.”

Finn turned to me. He grabbed my hand and pressed a kiss to my knuckles. “I’ll see you at the top, lass.”

My throat thickened. “All right.”

Then he was gone, racing toward the sizzling rivers of lava.

Struan brushed his fingers over my cheek, tenderness gleaming in his blue eyes. “Be careful.” He lowered his voice. “Or I’ll have to give you that spanking.”

Somehow, I managed a tremulous smile. “Okay.”

“Go!” Bolveg shouted.

Struan turned and raced after Finn, his long legs eating up the black soil that spilled down the mountainside.

Alone next to Bolveg, I drew deep breaths as I steeled myself for the sprint. Speed. I’d always been faster than other wolves. Faster than anyone in the pack.

The ground trembled beneath my feet. Lava snaked down the slope ahead of me, the orange rivers hissing steam. Competitors labored up the mountain, looking like ants in the distance. My heart pounded. All I had to do was run faster than anyone else.

“Now!” Bolveg shouted.

I sprang forward, pumping my arms as I sprinted after Struan. Heat radiated up my legs. Within seconds, my feet were burning. But magic must have contained some of the volcano’s wrath because my shoes didn’t melt. Nevertheless, the air thinned as I ascended, and my breath came in quick gasps as I dodged rocks and leapt steaming crevasses.

My muscles burned. Sweat beaded my forehead. But I passed other competitors, buzzing past witches and fae. Vampires and other werewolves. The faces of pack members flashed in my mind, the memories of all the friends and loved ones I’d buried spurring me to run faster, harder, faster.

Struan and Finn sprinted just ahead of me, weaving around boulders and clearing obstacles with seeming ease. But it wasn’t easy. And they were big men. Heavy. Their power was an advantage, but not for this.

In this, I had the advantage. Hope blossomed as I passed more competitors, making up time. I pushed harder, my quads screaming. A geyser erupted several feet ahead, the plume spewing smoke and lava.

I dodged the fiery cloud and kept on running. Sweat poured down my face. Smoke seared my lungs. A weight landed on my back. Crying out, I stumbled forward and went down hard, sliding over the rocks and acrid soil. Rough hands flipped me over, and Brader’s enraged face filled my vision.

“You fucking bitch!” he screamed, wrapping his hands around my throat. Murder gleamed in his eyes. And madness. He was going to kill me.

Panic flared, bringing adrenaline with it as I fought for my life. I bucked my hips, trying to throw him off as I gasped for air. “Help,” I managed to rasp. Regret coursed through me. I’d been so stupid, dismissing him as a threat so I could finish the challenge. But fuck him, I was not going to die on the side of a volcano. Not when I’d just found Struan and Finn.

Brader’s fingers tightened. Spittle flew from his lips. “You think you’re so smart, but you’re nothing but a whore! Spreading your legs for dragons who will use you and toss you aside when they’re done.”

That wasn’t true. Struan and Finn would never be done with me. My vision swam, spots dancing in front of my eyes.

A knife burst through Brader’s chest, the pointed tip reflecting the lava around us. He stared down at it, a bemused look on his face.

Finn loomed behind him. He wrenched the blade from Brader’s back, grabbed him by the hair, and tossed him aside. Brader landed with a grunt. Blood spread in a circle around the hole in the front of his shirt.

“You’re not allowed to have knives,” he gasped, his features contorted in pain and anger.

Finn looked at the curved blade in his hand. “It’s not a knife. It’s a cutlass.” Finn tucked the blade away, then extended a hand to me. I took it, and he pulled me to my feet and cupped my chin. “Run, lass. You’re wasting time.”

My heart squeezed. I wanted to throw my arms around his neck. Instead, I spun and sprinted up the slope. Tears burned my throat as I left Finn behind. He’d sacrificed his chance at the elixir for me. I couldn’t let him down.

Smoke shot from geysers around me. The mountain trembled. Struan lumbered ahead, the back of his shirt soaked with sweat. In a final burst of speed, I passed him.

Golden light shimmered ahead. Straining, I reached for it…

…and touched the edge of the Fountain of Truth.

The volcano disappeared. I stumbled into the center of the clearing from the first night of the Games. Inessa sat on the edge of the fountain, her attention on an iPhone in her hands. The screen glowed in the darkness, and the sounds of a game drifted from the speaker. Just as I opened my mouth to ask what the hell was going on, hundreds of competitors appeared out of nowhere. They filled the clearing, coughing and staggering as they fell to the ground. Their clothes smoked. A witch cursed bitterly as he slapped fire from the hem of his barasta. Finn shoved his way forward, the back of Brader’s collar tight in his fist. Struan stalked behind them, his eyes shooting sparks as he watched Finn shove Brader to his knees.

“Ow!” Brader yelled, twisting around to glare at Finn. “You fucking asshole!”

Finn hauled his foot back and slammed his boot under Brader’s chin. Brader flew backward and sprawled on his back.

The pair of female fae who’d mocked the gym bro the first night of the Games stared down at him. One bent and plucked a tooth from the ground, then tossed it onto Brader’s chest. “Here, dickhead. You dropped this.”

Her friend snapped her gum, then turned to the first woman. “How do you know he’s a dickhead?”

“He has that look.”

Bolveg and the rest of the demons from the Rules Committee popped into the air next to the fountain. Bolveg looked around the clearing, relief evident on his face. “That’s over, thank the gods.” He pulled a cloth from his front breast pocket and mopped his brow.

“Crushed it!” Inessa exclaimed, staring at her phone, which lit up as it played an upbeat song. She pumped her fist, then lifted her head and smiled at me. “Congratulations, Zara. You’ve won the Firstborn Games.”