The Heiress of Fire

Chapter 5

Oh my God, my head is hurting so bad. I can't remember what happened. One second I was with Carter at the store. The next second I got smacked in the head. Was I robbed or something? Did I get kidnapped? I don't know what is going on right now. I open my eyes and back myself up to the headboard of the bed, and I look around the room. Where the hell am I? I've never been here before. I have no idea where I am. I must have been kidnapped, but I look down, and I don't see any restraints on me anywhere. Either these are the dumbest criminals in the world, or there is something much bigger happening here.

The room is pretty big. I am surprised, must be a wealthy criminal. It is full of weird little objects. There are lots of dark oak wood and stone; it looks like a very average room. I think it is also like a few degrees hotter than earlier. I am starting to build up a sweat. I really want to see where I am, but I look, and of course, my phone isn't here, or on my body anywhere. There's no way I can contact my mom or Carter. They must be freaking out right now. She will probably be alone, but I know Carter will try to stay with her for as long as I am gone. He's a good kid.

I decide to see if I am locked in here, and I make my way to the door, and I stand there hesitating. My brain starts to think of all of the things that could go wrong. I put my hand on it and twist it, and weirdly enough, it opens, and I open it more cautiously. There is a wide hallway, and I don't know where it is leading me, so I follow it. My body is overheating the more I walk down this hallway, and it is still super sore from whoever bashed me in the head.

It either seems like I am in a mansion or some castle, but who in the hell lives in palaces these days? I have never been out of the country, and America doesn't have any castles like Europe, so I am taking a wild guess here. I finally come to the end of the hallway and see a vast room, none like I have ever seen before. There is a throne in the middle of this room and a person sitting in it. My breath catches in my throat. I see her get up from the dramatic throne. I step onto the white floor, and I hesitantly walk over to where the woman is. I don't think she sees me though, her side is turned towards me, which that body looks super familiar to me.

"Who are you?" I muster up the courage to ask, trying to sound as brave as I can. The woman turns and looks at me, her bright orange eyes baring into my soul. I try to look away but I can't, she is the most beautiful girl I have ever seen in my life. She takes my breath away. I can't breathe as she walks towards me. The dress she is wearing looks like it is on fire. She walks with such grace.

"You don't recognize me?" she asks, and she touches her fiery hair and smoothes it down. How could I forget that hair, but her face? I can't stop staring at her. I knew she was stunning without seeing her, but now in person, I can't stop.

"Why would you kidnap me, though?" I almost yell at her. Just because she is beautiful doesn't mean she gets to get away with everything. I can't be here for a long time, wherever here is. I need to see my mom. I need her to know that I am okay.

"You said you would do anything to know if I am real," she answers honestly. She doesn't seem to think what she did was wrong.

"I didn't mean to do this! I want to go home, please let me go," I plead, trying to look into her eyes, but she gives me a hard stare. I don't think I am going to be going anywhere anytime soon.

"You are staying here with me. I can't let you go back," she says, not breaking eye contact with me. I don't know where we are.

"Where the hell are we?" I ask, if she's going to keep me here, then she better be ready to spill all of her secrets, or I'm going to start screaming.

"I am the Queen of the Fire Realm. You are in my castle right now," she answers, and I take two steps back. This can't be real. There is no such thing as a fire realm. She is lying to me. But when I look around me, it is starting to make sense now, just me, a mortal burning up in her kingdom—what a great way to start my weekend.

"But why do you want me here? You can use one of your subjects, right?" I am trying to say anything to get myself out of here. I want to go home.

"You kept showing up in my dreams, and you were so nice to me, and I had to have you. We will get married soon, so be prepared," she says this like it is nothing at all to her. Marriage? What kind of drugs is she on? There is no way in hell I am marrying this psycho girl.

"I am not marrying you! I don't like you!" I yell at her and stomp off to my room, heading down that dreadingly hot and long hallway. I slam my door, hoping she can hear it, but I don't think that she can. I don't know where she gets all of this bullshit. Why does she think that I will marry her? Just because we dreamt about each other and I said some nice things to her. It doesn't mean she gets the right to kidnap me and drag me down to literal hell and force me to marry her. Maybe I am the one trippin on some drug, maybe Carter convinced me to take something, and now I am completely out of it.

"Wake up, wake up, wake up!" I keep smacking my head over and over. I am slowly starting to go crazy here. I don't know how much longer I can do this. There is nothing to do. I know if there is a castle, there has to be a city, right? She rules some fiery kingdom, and maybe they will be willing to help me.