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

  I glance up to where he stands staring at me with fury lacing his face. “Princess, let me out!”

  Anger grips me, and as I stand the ice disappears, replaced by a howling wind. My magic is changing with my mood and the wind threatens to throw us both across the room. It's glorious.

  “I don’t take orders from ANYONE. Not anymore. I am the High Princess and I will be High Queen. I will get justice for my parents, I will stop the great evil from coming, and I WILL get my revenge on Maximus. You’re either with me or against me, General. Which is it?”

  “I’m with you, Princess. I’ll help you. Will you wait here while I get ready?” He looks resigned but not happy about this choice at all.

  I wave my hand in dismissal, “Depending on how long you take.”

  He turns and walks out of the room.

  I have a party to attend and Maximus is going to regret this day. The day he killed me. The day I was sent to be with the one person that makes me happy, only to be ripped back away from him and thrown into this world to be its savior. But, there's no better way to save it, than to kill the evil that is spreading the darkness.

  I walk towards the door and glance at my reflection again, pausing in front of the mirror.

  I’m missing something... It’s a masquerade ball. I need a mask.

  As if my magic heard my request a beautiful silk mask appears on my face. It's made of the same shimmering fabric as my dress, but it has an elegant red stitching along the outside.

  It looks stunning and it accentuates the deep red of my lips perfectly.

  Desire burns in my gut and while I can’t place it, it tells me to start walk.

  Sorry, General. Times up. I have a ball to attend. I chuckle darkly.

  As I saunter down the hallway towards the ballroom, everyone I pass stops and stares at me, no doubt wondering who I am. A few men are brave enough to try and talk to me, but I ignore them. Instead, I focus on the magic, dark and powerful, that's growing inside me, whispering to me. It tells me how easy it would be to throw them out a window or burn them alive. But, as tempting as it sounds, I am here to destroy one man and one man only.

  When I enter the ballroom, the party is already in full swing. Black and white decorations are hung all over the room. As I recognize the decorations my mother worked on for months, my anger burns as hot as the sun. She’d created a wonderland of swirling black and shining white and she would have been thrilled with the way it turned out.

  I glance up at the throne and see Maximus sitting on it. The predictable bastard.

  My plan is an easy one, all I have to do is wait until he leaves the throne and kill him. But who says I can't have fun while I wait?

  I walk over to a server that's carrying around shimmering glasses full of black and white liquid. I choose the black, of course. Taking a sip, I'm pleasantly surprised to taste a sweet blackberry wine. I bring the drink with me as I walk the length of the room, watching nobles and commoners mingling. Watching people vie for my fellow elect’s attention. Trying to get on their good sides, in case they become High King or Queen.

  I freeze as I hear a man talking about me.

  “She just appeared for the ceremony and hasn’t been seen again. Who's to say she didn’t kill her parents? Have you heard about the firewall that happened in Elphine? It’s said that was her too. What if she is the destroyer the rumors say she is? Why should she get a chance to be our High Queen? I say she should be locked in the dungeons.”

  Flames flickered at my fingers.

  Ignorant man, I seethe. If he’d like to see a destroyer, I can show him a destroyer.

  Fire can be so unpredictable. One bump of a candle could have him going up in flames easily enough.

  I catch sight of the man in between the mass of people and raise my hand. As fire dances across from a nearby candle, a dark form steps in front of me.

  “He’s not worth it, you know,” The General says, clearly bored with my actions.

  “I don’t know, I think it would be a fun distraction while I wait.” A wicked smile pulls at my lips as I release my hold on the fire and the flame fades away.

  Speaking of fun distractions... My gaze flickers down to the General’s feet and back up. He’s wearing black trousers, and a black tunic that is opened slightly, showing off part of his chest. He has a fitted black jacket over the top that shows off his muscular shoulders and a rush of desire bursts through me.

  “You sure got ready quickly,” I smile as I take in his black mask. Its simplicity works in his favor, showing off his high cheekbones and strong chin.

  “I was highly motivated. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised that you didn’t wait for me.” He offers me his arm and I accept it.

  “No, you really shouldn’t have been,” I smile seductively as he takes my empty glass and sets it on a table.

  “Will you dance with me?” He asks.

  “Hmm…” I look up at the throne wearily. “I still have a bit of time on my hands. I might as well.”

  I assess my feelings for him as he guides me onto the dance floor and realize they’ve changed. There isn’t any emotional connection like before, just a primal sense of desire. I simply want to use him for fun.

  And that’s exactly how it will stay.

  He wraps one arm around my back and places the other in my hand. Pulling me close as he leads me across the dance floor with ease.

  He spins me through all the steps and twirls me until we are both breathless. When the music slows, we do as well, and he holds me against him during the slow part of the song. His eyes never leave mine and my hand slips up to cup his chin.

  “Princess?” His voice is a low growl and his grip on my waist tightens, pulling me tighter to him.

  My smile widens as his eyes flicker to my lips. I have him.

  His earthy scent surrounds me as I lean into him and place my lips against his.

  Power explodes inside of me, a light warring with the darkness. It weaves its way through the numb dark void my magic has created. Memories and sensations push themselves into me painfully and I feel myself cracking. The light is going to win.

  I don’t want it to win. It hurts too much. Memories and emotions slam through me bringing with them the feelings I’ve tried so hard to suppress.

  Aileen in the maze with the monster attacking her, Caspian's death, my parents' deaths, Aileen lying burned on the ground, the General dying at my feet, my uncle and teacher turning his back on me as I was stabbed… I feel a familiar magic swirling around mine, coxing it.

  A memory of pastel flames covering us. Waking up with him this morning feeling happy and watching him sleep.

  The light is almost to my heart, threatening to bring back all the pain I have hidden away.

  I yank my mouth away from his, holding onto the darkness and the numb void with everything I have in me.

  I will not go back to the heartache again! I can feel the dark chasing the light back out.

  I glare up at him, my power threatening to come forth and destroy him. “You almost had me, General.”

  “Adeline, this isn’t you. Whatever this darkness is, you have to fight it.” He grabs my shoulders and shakes me slightly.

  My hand flickers as ice coats his feet, sealing him in place. “You don’t know anything about me.”

  “I know your parents wouldn’t want you to do this,” He says, struggling against the ice.

  I glance towards the stage and see Maximus and his guards moving away from the throne.

  “Well, it’s a good thing they’re not here then, isn’t it?” I turn and walk away from him. Leaving him frozen on the dance floor and ignoring his pleas.

  I follow Maximus through the ballroom and no one so much as glances in my direction. He slips through a side door and I stay back a bit, waiting for a moment before I slip out after him. I follow him and his guards down hallway after hallway, distancing themselves from the ballroom.

  They finally stop in the counsel room. What is he up
to?

  I let him go into it and sneak around to another entrance to the room. The door is still open, and I watch as Maximus sits at the head of the table, talking to someone who is seated beside him. My blood boils just under my skin as I watch him sit in my mother's seat at the head of the table.

  I’ve had enough of this. I toss the doors open and walk into the room as Maximus jumps up from his seat and stares openly at me. Not recognizing me with my mask and dark hair. “Who are you? Guards!”

  A thrill runs through me as the guards rush me. This will be fun. With a flick of my hand, the guards are thrown across the room and slam into the wall.

  Shock radiates from Maximus. Nathaniel is still standing beside him and I can feel his magic reaching out for me. It feels dark and black like tar as it touches my magic, trying to cling to it, but my magic slides right out from underneath it like oil in water. He glances over to Maximus and shakes his head no.

  “Alright, you’ve made it in here and taken care of my guards. What is it you want? Money, power, a place in the royal court?”

  I cock my head to the side, staring at him blankly. I'm enjoying watching him sweat.

  “Everybody wants something!” He roars, pounding his fists on the table. “What is it you want?”

  “I want my family back,” I say as my voice hits a strange pitch. “But that can’t happen. So, I'll take my revenge by killing you.”

  “Young lady, you’ve got to be more specific. I've destroyed a lot of families.”

  “Really? That doesn’t surprise me. But I’d think killing your own family would make more of an impression.” I raise a brow at him while he processes what I've said.

  Maximus' face turns white with shock, “No, it can’t be.”

  “Why? Because I'm supposed to be dead? Because you killed me?” I let the mask fade away, revealing myself to him.

  “Adeline?” He gasps.

  “Hello, Uncle. Are you ready to die?” I ask and flick my hand, watching gleefully as my magic throws Maximus and his minion into the wall. His face contorts in pain as he slides to a crumpled heap on the ground.

  “Adeline!” He grunts, “You don’t want to do this.”

  “Actually, Maximus. I didn’t want to do this, then you killed me. I was at peace, with someone I loved. Then I was ripped from that peace for the sole purpose of defeating you. So, this is exactly what I want.” Black flames shoot up my hands and cover my arms, slowly consuming me.

  “Even if I share a horrible secret with you? One your parents kept from you?” He sneers up at me.

  I roll my eyes at him. “It turns out, my family kept a lot of secrets from me. I'm not all that interested in your grand reveal.”

  The General chooses that unfortunate moment to walk into the room. He glances at Maximus on the ground and me standing over him covered in flames. “So, this is where you wandered off to, Princess.”

  “I don’t have the time to deal with your mind games, General. Go away.” I focus my attention back on Maximus, letting my flames dance high and higher. Watching the horror in his eyes grow with them.

  “Well, that’s good. Because I'm not here for you.” He walks past me and straight for Maximus, bending to help him up from the floor.

  Of course, it was all a lie. He warned me repeatedly that he didn’t want anything to do with me.

  “Isn’t this a fun turn of events, Adeline? Look who works for me now.” I raise a brow and looked from him to the General and back again.

  “Well, I figured he worked for you the whole time, but I'm okay with incinerating him too,” I say with a shrug.

  “Don’t you want to know who he is before you kill him? His name perhaps?” He raises a smug eyebrow at me.

  Don’t do it. Don’t ask. He’s bating you. I chide myself as I eye the General. He gives Maximus a scowl and shakes his head at him.

  “Who are you?” My voice comes out in a growl, full of frustration.

  “That’s no way to treat a loved one, Adeline. I taught you to have better manners than that. You'll have to excuse her, Caspian. She’s been through a lot lately.” Maximus beams at me, a knowing twinkle in his eyes.

  I slowly spin my head to look at the General, watching as he raises his eyebrow and shrugs.

  I'm not convinced. Nice try though. I raise my hand, prepared to burn them all to ash when the General steps forward.

  “Addy,” He takes his mask off and smiles.

  Ripples form in the air and I hear the sound of broken glass falling to the ground. My head pounds and something shatters around me and it’s like I’ve come out of a fog. I can see Caspian’s lopsided smile from my memories and the way he cocks his head to the side when he studies me. He's older and has changed a lot, but in a way, he’s still just the same.

  Caspian! He’s alive. My heart begins to beat furiously, and his magic once again wraps around me, taunting and teasing me, trying to push away the darkness.

  “Addy, you’re better than this,” He says, taking another step toward me.

  He’s alive… And working for Maximus. The man who just killed me.

  I can feel the sneer forming on my face, “I was better than this, then I died.”

  This whole time he was really alive when he made me believe he was dead. He lied to me and he betrayed me. And after everything we went through, after everything my father did for him, he’s sided with Maximus.

  My heart breaks all over again and I throw my hand out towards him. A gust of wind hits him so powerfully, I hear his bones crack as he slams into the wall.

  My heart falters for a moment and it feels like it’s being ripped out of my chest, but I ignore it. Don’t think about it, just kill Maximus and get out of here.

  "Your turn,” I say as I focus my attention on him. With a flick of my wrist, he is hovering in the air.

  “Hmm… Should I burn you, or break you?” I murmur as I consider my options.

  “I’ll admit that last surprise didn’t go over quite like I’d imagined. It looks like there is a bit more of me in you than you’d like to admit. Caspian did lie to you and betray you. But what about the other man in your life? Has he done anything horrible to you? Are you willing to kill him too?”

  I freeze.

  There is no way. Emerson is supposed to be far from here, waiting until the trial is over. Isn’t he? Doubt floods my mind. It would be just like him to try and sneak in here to see me. Stubborn idiot.

  “I’m glad I have your attention, now. Because it would be a shame to kill the boy.” Maximus nods over my shoulder and I see Nathaniel holding a knife against Emerson’s throat.

  You’ve got to be kidding me, I groan loudly. Will I ever catch a break?

  I debate on how quickly I can kill Maximus and his henchman. Could I do it before he killed Emerson?

  "I’m sorry, Feisty. I thought you were in trouble, so I came to help you. But they caught me,” His eyes burn with fury as they look towards Maximus.

  My hand tightens and the air starts draining from Maximus’ throat. Strangulation is a good way for him to die.

  Maximus clutches his throat gasping and Nathaniel digs the knife slightly into Emerson’s throat, causing blood to drip down it. My hand raises slowly, calculating exactly how much magic I will need.

  “They have Aileen too!” Emerson warns me, grunting against the knife.

  Of course, they do, because they know I would never hurt my twin.

  And I know when I’ve been beaten.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  I drop Maximus to the ground and try to release my power, but it holds on, refusing to budge. It spirals outward in a mass of fire and wind as the darkness creeps over me.

  Enough. I yell at it, but nothing changes.

  It begins fighting me and when I can’t control it, panic washes over me.

  Stop, please! I silently beg it.

  Caspian groans from the floor, fighting to get up.

  Let me help, Princess.

  His words break throug
h the void and his magic is faint as it swirls out to me.

  I grab onto it like a lifeline as it pushes at the darkness, fighting it when I can’t. Together we hold onto it with all our strength. Suddenly, the light breaks through and radiates out of me. I look down and see my dress turning from the black silk back into the men’s clothing I had been wearing. I reach up and pull a lock of my hair around to see the familiar bright red spiral.

  I’m me again. I sigh in relief.

  The General… Caspian’s magic fades away abruptly, so I kneel on the floor beside him and pass my magic over him.

  He’s still alive and I know I can heal him. I hesitate slightly, then I remember the way he fought against my magic when he was watching me die.

  He fought to save me. I suppose I should do the same. So, I focus my magic on him and think of two words. Heal him.

  A spark lights under my palm and a blinding light blasts from it, covering him in its brilliant glow. I can feel his bones mending, his strength returning, and our annoying bond sealing back together.

  Princess? His eyes flutter open and he stares at me in confusion. You saved me?

  My face is a mask of anger, hiding the horrible pain that began echoing through me when I started healing him. “We’re even. I don’t want to ever see you again. If you so much as attempt to focus your magic on me, I will destroy you. Do you understand?”

  I see the agony on his face, but I refuse to wait for his response. I’ve said what I need to, and I stand, turning to face Maximus.

  “Darling niece, it’s good to see you looking like yourself again.” Maximus' smile says he already knows he's won this round. “But it looks like we have a dilemma to fix.”

  “Yes, we do,” My hands tighten into fists as I glare at him.

  “Here are my terms, and they’re non-negotiable. I’ll allow you to compete in the trials and you can’t try and harm myself or Nereus again,” He smiles at me.

  “What about my friends? You have to let them go.”

  “I don’t think so. They’re my leverage.” His smile widens.

  “You don’t need leverage. If I give my word, I won’t break it.” I respond fiercely.