Princess of Fire and Smoke (Forbidden Court Book 1) Read online

  Disbelief flashes in his eyes and something else. Excitement maybe? But it’s gone in an instant as he drops me to the ground. I land on my butt at his feet and glower up at him.

  “And you should have expected that, Princess.” He throws his head back and laughs.

  Fury flows through me and I can only think about how much I hate this man.

  I pull myself into a crouch and launch myself at him. Tackling him around his middle and knocking him to the ground. There is something somewhat familiar about this, but I push that thought away as I straddle his waist and drive another punch into his face. He catches my wrist when my fist is inches from his face.

  His electrifying smirk sends chills down my back as he flips me over and reverses our positions. “I’ll let you get away with that once, Princess. But try it again and I’ll hit you right back.”

  His smug look disappears as he’s yanked off me.

  Emerson leans down and holds his hand out to me. “Are you okay, Adeline?”

  I nod as he pulls me up and backs us away from where the General is sitting.

  “We could have had a lot of fun together, darling.” The General says as he stands up and glares at us. Blood runs down his face from his broken nose. “That is before I handed you over to your Uncle.”

  “You might as well kill me here. I’m not going back to that monster.” I spit the last word at him.

  “I have every intention of handing you over to Maximus… But you saved my men. I don’t like owing a debt to anyone. If I let you go, we’re even.” His gaze moves from me to Emerson and back, distaste flickering across his face.

  “You’re going to let me go?” I ask hesitantly. I’m not going to make the mistake of trusting this man twice. “What’s the catch?”

  A feline grin spreads across his face. “Let’s just say, I’ll give you a head start.” He echoes Maximus’ words back at me and nausea fills my stomach.

  I want to tell him to go to hell. I want to punch him again. I want to find my bow and shoot him straight through the heart. But I don’t do any of those things. I allow Emerson to take my hand and guide me out of the tent.

  I clamp my mouth together, refusing to speak. I know if I do, the fury simmering in me will explode and get us all killed. As much as I hate the General, I know he’s just given me a greater gift than I could ever ask for. Another chance to get to the other elects and ask for their approval.

  So instead of raging against him, like I want to, I contend myself with thinking up every horrible thing I will do to him. And it warms my heart to know he is listening to all of it.

  The soldiers had collected our horses when they took us hostage. So, we are shown to them and allowed to leave. We ride our horses as fast as we can, trying to get far away from the General and his men.

  I turn my attention to Emerson and Aileen as we are forced to slow down and go single file through a narrow trail. Aileen rides in the lead, with Emerson behind her, and I am in the back. Their voices are hushed as they argue about something.

  “What’s going on?” I ask them.

  “Nothing, really. We’re just working out which direction to go. Don’t worry about it.” Emerson’s response is quick and dismissive as he glances over his shoulder at me. He gives me a tight smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

  “You need to rest, Adeline. You’re not healed yet. Let us take care of this.” Aileen says from the front, not even bothering to turn around.

  Well, great. Now they've decided to become friends. Just in time to try and shut me out.

  “Aren’t we going to Elphine to see Dante?” The thought of seeing my former betrothed gives me a headache, but as horrible as Dante is, even he isn’t as bad as the General.

  “That’s what we’re trying to decide. Really, don’t worry about it.” Aileen says, her back stiffens and she sits up higher in her saddle. She keeps her face forward and refuses to look at me.

  There is a slight widening in the forest trail, and I use it to my advantage. I spur my horse on and sprint past them, pulling hard on the reins, and blocking the trail.

  “What are you doing?” Aileen glares at me. But at least she can’t ignore me now.

  “Aileen, whatever is going on, just say it.” I dare her, tilting my chin up and giving her my most challenging look. She’s never been one to back down from a challenge.

  “Aileen…” Emerson’s warning tone has me bristling.

  “You two can plan all you want, but unless you tell me what’s going on, I will not go with you. Good luck accomplishing anything with the elects without me, then our entire kingdom will go to hell.” I cross my arms over my chest and glare at both of them, daring them to argue with me.

  “Quit acting like a child, Adeline.”

  I know Aileen is right, I am acting like a child. But, so little of my life is in my control, I’m not going to relinquish what little control I have left to them.

  “I started this mission on my own, and I really appreciate everything you two have done for me. But, if we can’t be honest with each other, I think I should make the rest of the journey by myself.” The words are out of my mouth before I can think them through.

  I don’t want to make the trip by myself, but my pride won’t let me take them back now.

  “You can’t trust us? Are you serious? We’re the ones that can’t trust you!” Aileen yells at me.

  “Aileen!” Emerson reprimands her. But it's clear from the tight smile on his face, that he feels the same way.

  “What have I done that you can’t trust? I created a wall of fire that saved an entire village because you made me.”

  “You also nearly died saving the man who has been chasing you for days. The same man you seem to have an unexplainable connection with. He is our enemy, Adeline. Your enemy. He’ll hand you over to Maximus in a heartbeat. Don’t you understand that?”

  “Of course, I understand that. It isn’t what you think. He helped me control the fire. He protected me when I would have died. Yes, it turns out that he is a jerk and used me, but I owed him at the time. And he ended up sparing our lives because of it. Your welcome.” I can't help but add the last two words. If I’m going to act childishly, I might as well go all out.

  “Yes, while that might be true. How long have you been able to communicate with him? How was he able to use your fire?”

  “I don’t know how he was able to use my fire! It didn’t burn him. Maybe, I’m learning to control it? You told me to learn, and that’s what I’m trying to do.” I know that isn’t the whole truth, but there’s no chance I’m admitting that to her.

  “What about the communication?” Aileen persists.

  A strangled sound leaves my mouth.

  I bite my lip, trying to keep the truth from bubbling out of me.

  “Do you talk to him, like our mother could talk to people?” Her voice is barely above a whisper.

  I glance at Emerson for help, but he refuses to meet my gaze.

  “Yes,” I say strongly. I will not be ashamed of something like this. It’s not like it was something I could control, and I didn’t do anything wrong.

  “When did it start?”

  “In Brisla,” Comes my hesitant response.

  “What? Addy, why didn’t you tell me!”

  Something inside of me snaps. I’ve lived my entire life thinking there was something wrong with me. That there was some horrible reason that everyone else had magic and I didn’t. Only to find out that it’s because my own parents didn’t trust me enough to learn how to use it. What if I do have a magic that’s just as powerful as Aileen’s? I might very well be a fire wielder and have a bit of my mother’s mind-reading.

  I narrow my eyes at her and raise my chin, I can feel my voice icing over as I speak to her, but I’m past caring, “You pushed me to explore it, remember? I will not be ashamed of what I can do now. I will continue to learn about my magic and what I’m capable of because I am the Reigning High Princess of Centralia. I do not owe an expla
nation to anyone.”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” Aileen says through gritted teeth. “I think it would be too risky to go straight to Elphine. That’s where the General will expect us to go. I think we should head north to Perth. We can take the main mountain pass and be there within a few days. We can stop by Elphine on our way back to Centralia for the trials if you would like.”

  “We will have to travel through the snow-covered mountains to get to Perth. We don’t have the right gear for it. But, if we stop in Elphine, we can purchase warmer clothes. Is it worth the risk?” Emerson asks quietly from behind Aileen.

  Well, I wanted to make the decisions… Here it goes.

  “Aileen, you know these mountains better than most people do. Can we make it through with our current supplies?”

  “Yes. It’s going to be a cold couple of days, but we can make it. We’ll gather additional supplies in Perth.”

  “Okay, then we’ll travel straight to Perth.”

  I move my horse to the side and allow Aileen to lead us north. Her shifter senses are better than mine and it would be foolish not to use everything we have to give us an advantage.

  Emerson pulls his horse up next to mine in the little clearing. “How are you feeling, Feisty?” He asks as he gently reaches out and places his hand over mine.

  I take a deep breath and his touch comforts me like a soothing balm on my soul.

  The General was all fire and explosions, but this? This is what my parents must have had. Emerson makes me feel comforted and cherished. Like snuggling up under a warm blanket with a good book in my hand. This is what I need to survive this journey, someone I can trust.

  “I hurt, but I’ll be okay. Emerson, about the General…” I began to say but he quickly holds up his hand and brushes it across my cheek.

  My breath catches in my throat.

  “You don’t need to explain. He tricked you and used you. I just wish I could’ve been there to help you.” His voice is rough and full of emotion.

  My heart aches for him, “You were there to help me when I realized my mistake. That’s more than I could ever ask for.”

  He leans in and places a quick kiss on my cheek. “We’ll be more prepared next time we see him.” As I nod my agreement, he adds with a chuckle, “We should get moving before Aileen leaves us. I’ll ride behind you for a while. Let me know if you need me.”

  We ride for what feels like forever. The sun rises and shows us the beginning of the mountains. I look up at them and feel my stomach drop. They're so tall, the blinding white peaks disappear into the clouds. They're much bigger than I remembered from my childhood visits.

  How will I make it all the way up there? My body craves rest, but I fight it, urging my horse forward. I won’t be responsible for us getting caught again.

  As the day drags on, we finally make it to the base of the mountains and stop to rest. My legs almost crumble underneath me when I slide off of my horse, but I manage to walk over and sit against a tree. The forest blurs together as I look around and try to get my bearings. My body is screaming at me asking for me to rest, but I won't allow it.

  Emerson hands me some dried meat, but my stomach churns at the sight of it. I quickly slip it back into my bag when no one is looking. Food has no appeal for me right now, I'm sure I'll eat it later.

  After a rest that is way too brief, for my liking, I drag myself back onto my horse.

  Staying upright in the saddle gets harder with every passing minute and I know I’ve pushed myself too far. I never healed properly or gave my body the rest it deserved after creating the firewall and now my body is failing. But if I tell the others, they’ll make us stop and we’ll be easy targets for the General and his men. If I can hold on just a little while longer, we’ll make camp, and then I’ll rest.

  I try looking at the tall oak tree in front of us and I have to blink several times to get my blurry eyes to focus. My brain feels sluggish as if a fog has rolled over it. I can’t break through no matter how hard I try.

  My teeth start chattering and I have to clench my jaw together to stop them. I didn’t realize it would get cold so quickly. I try tugging my cloak further around me, but I don’t have the strength.

  Dark swirls start creeping into my vision, tempting me to give into unconsciousness.

  I open my mouth and try telling the others that I need to take a break, but my brain can’t process the request in time. Before I know it, I’m falling sideways off of my horse, headfirst into the snow.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “She's burning up.” A deep voice says. I try to open my eyes, but the darkness digs its claws into me, refusing to let go.

  “Just be grateful she’s not on fire this time.” A female voice growls in frustration.

  “Can you heal her?” The deep voice asks.

  “Yes, I can. But, not out here in the open. I know of a place that’s not far from here. Can she ride with you?”

  “Of course.”

  I have a very annoying sense of deja vu as someone wraps their arms around me. The scent of cinnamon and apples floods my senses and the darkness pulls me back in.

  ∞∞∞

  “What happened to her? Why won’t she wake up?” Frustration is evident in the deep voice.

  “She exerted a lot of magic to create that firewall. She should have been resting, not riding all night and day. Her body is just getting used to magic, it drained her completely. She won’t wake up until she’s ready. I've healed all of her burns, but I can’t fix the exhaustion.” Aileen's voice cracks at the end.

  Memories flood back into my brain. The firewall I had to create to protect everyone from the flood. The General's betrayal. Aileen and Emerson's distrust of me.

  “Why didn’t she say anything?” Emerson asks.

  “Because she’s stubborn. She knows we need to keep moving, and she was trying to get as much distance between us and the General as possible. In fact, if she was awake, I'd bet anything she would order us to keep going.” Aileen chuckles darkly, but I don't hear any humor in her voice.

  Yes, that's exactly what we need to do.

  “Well, then that’s what we’ll do. We’ll leave first thing in the morning and she can ride with me.” There is a finality in Emerson's voice that makes my heart happy.

  A deep sigh of frustration echoes throughout the room. “Alright, but I’ll take the first watch. You should get some sleep, Emerson. You’re going to need your energy tomorrow.”

  Someone lays down beside me and I feel an arm wrap protectively around my waist.

  “Rest, Adeline. I'll get you to Perth to see Xander.” Emerson presses a gentle kiss on the top of my head.

  A soothing calm washes over me and a smile curves my lips as I fall to sleep.

  ∞∞∞

  We are back in the apple orchard and I watch as Emerson adds wood to the fire. His brown eyes catch my gaze and my heart beats faster.

  Slowly he walks over to me and holds out a hand. When I take it, he pulls me to my feet, a devilish grin spreading across his face. His arms slide around my waist and he kisses my cheek, causing butterflies to flutter in my stomach.

  Slowly he kisses his way down to my neck and the butterflies are quickly replaced by a fire burning in the pit of my stomach.

  My breath comes out in a low moan and I hear the distant sound of laughter.

  Laughter? That’s not right, why would someone be laughing right now?

  As the vision fades, a gentle kiss brushes against my temple.

  My eyes are heavy as I try to open them. Slowly, I force one open and blink in the early morning light. My eyes meet a blindingly white light that makes me flinch.

  It takes me a moment to realize that I am on horseback, riding through the snow-covered forest. The cool air brushes against my cheek and feels invigorating.

  I open both eyes and gasp at the scenery.

  “Good morning, Feisty.” The corners of my mouth turn up in a smile as Emerson whispers in my ear. “Were you havi
ng a good dream?”

  I turn my head to look at him and he flashes me a wicked smile.

  He can’t know, can he?

  My cheeks warm under his gaze and I avert my eyes to look anywhere but at him. His arms tighten protectively around my waist.

  “How far have we gone?” I ask, trying to change the subject.

  “Aileen says we’ll be arriving in about an hour.”

  “What? An hour? How is that possible? It's a four-day trip minimum and we've only been traveling for a day.”

  “Adeline, we’ve been riding for the better part of three days.” His chest rumbles into my back as he speaks.

  I look back at him in shock. I open my mouth to argue, but on closer inspection, I can see the dark circles under his eyes. He focuses his gaze on the trail, but he isn’t fooling me. He is exhausted.

  “How long have I been out of it?” I whisper quietly, not taking my eyes off him.

  He looks at me wearily, all humor fading from his face. “You’ve been unconscious for over 48 hours.”

  How is that possible? I’ve been unconscious for over two days.

  So many questions fill my mind. I open my mouth to say something, but no words will come out. Emerson notices the shock and takes pity on me. With a long sigh, he tells me what happened after I blacked out.

  They’d given me a night to rest, but when morning came and I was even worse, they’d decided it would be best to get me to Perth as quickly as possible. So, they’d ridden as fast as they could, with as few stops as possible.

  “Well, he’s being quite humble,” Aileen comments from beside us. “We couldn’t have made it here so quickly if he hadn’t insisted on carrying you. He refused my offer to help and he’s been holding you up without complaint while your body repaired itself.” She reluctantly gives him an approving nod.

  Emerson smiles at me and shrugs dismissively. “Aileen’s the one who led us here. I would have been hopelessly lost without her guiding us.”

  I look over at my sister once more and study her face. She hides it well, but I can feel the anxiety rolling off her.