The Queen of Ash and Flame

Chapter Eight ✓

 Aria and I carried a lush silver platter, decked in devine food that wafted the most amazing smells. Soft steaming bread, thick plum sauce over long grains of rice. Sliced pinkish meat. A golden goblet full of what looked like glittering wine.

I followed Aria through the long and twisting hallways. We bowed every time someone passed us, dipping our heads slightly.

"Just through here," she whispered.

We entered a huge room, the black sparkling ceiling shining like the night sky. The floor looked like a void you could fall through at any minute.

Rubies were set in the wall, like flowers in the field deep in the forest. Peaking through the deep black.

I counted five crystal chandeliers in total, it looked like the ballrooms my mother would tell me about. How human princes and princesses would twirl around, swaying to the music for hours on end.

It had the same concepts I had imagined, but little me didn't think of silver gargoyles hanging from the wall. Grousesom painting and art, all displaying battles and tourture.

But to my horror, some of the things I thought were just paintings were far from that.

Live fae and humans strung up on cables and crosses, nails in their body, slashes from whips, bruises from who knows where.

Most were quiet but some whimpered, crying at the pain of their injuries.

Five year old me never imagined a dark and gloomy throne room, and never thought of bodies strung up, being left for dead. I kept the disgust and horror off my face, keeping it neutral, like Aira's was.

I followed her to the back of the room, where a tall glinting obsidian throne sat. Monsters carved into the sides, making it look like a dragon and a serpent were fighting.

The stone animals looked so real, like they could spring alive at any moment, that they would crawl over to me and rip my body apart.

A tall woman sat on the chair, her dusty pink hair glowing like a fire in the night. It was a burst of colour in the deep black.

She was wearing a slim cut silver dress, accented in white and black feathers on some animal that was not of any bird I had ever seen. But some huge winged animal unknown to humans.

I felt power rippling through the room, I thought the power was emanating from the woman upon the throne but it was coming somewhere else. Close, like I was hovering my hand over a flame, but not touching it. Only feeling the heat of that pure strength and power.

I glanced under my brow to the person beside the throne, that's where the power was coming from. Him.

He was tall, blackish blue hair that fell around his face. The queen sat upon her throne laughing and talking to the terrifying creatures around us, She was holding the man's arm.

So he must be the queen's killer, I thought.

He was leaning on the black stone pillar to her left, a mischievous smile danced upon his face. He looked calm and collected, but also amusing himself in the conversation.

I followed Aria through the towering and powerful fea, until we reached another woman in the same outfit as the other maids I had seen. She took the platter and walked up to the throne, she bowed then placed the platter on the ground near the throne.

The queen took no notice of us, but some of the fairies glanced at us. For only a second. But I felt cool dangerous eyes on me, I glanced to where I felt the glare coming from.

I was met by glowing purple eyes, cold and sharp. I menatlly shivered from the intense glare I was receiving. Those eyes had traces of amusement but also hints of anger. I was thankful Annista had taught me how to hide my glowing eyes. A giveaway of the power I held.

The queen's killer, the most dangerous fae of all.

I followed Aria weaving throughout the talking, drinking, and dancing fairies. Those eyes still daggered into my back.

It was night, so I decided to take a walk. The halls were now quiet and the sleeping castle was much more gloomy. The walls echoed whenever a maid or a guard walked by. Their feet clapping against the marble floor.

But with my experience in hunting I was quiet, like a soft breeze in the air. I glided to the kitchen and slipped out the back door, my warm face was met with cool, crisp night air. I sucked in a huge breath, the air here was so clean, so fresh, it was intoxicating.

I strayed away from the warm light of the kitchen and into the dark courtyard. The moon was huge and bright, shining like a coin set in the starry sky. It was full, a beautiful round rock.

I headed to the tall hedge maze, the walls ranging double my size. The leaves were thick and packed together, keeping me from seeing into the other paths.

I walked quietly into the giant labyrinth, I had to figure my way around the palace somehow. I patted my thigh, feeling the dagger under the folds of my rag dress. My other weapons I had left in the secret room. Not wanting them to be clinking and giving away what I was hiding.

I stepped into the maze, whenever I reached a turn in the foliage. I would summon heat to my fingertips and slightly scorched the greenery. Leaving clues for me to find my way back.

My fae eyes were better than my human ones, I could see much clearer in the dark. They would have been good for hunting.

I travelled for only a couple more minutes before something walked out in front of me. I paused my hand going to my thigh.