When It Reigns (Cursed Reigns, #1)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Scarce torches flickered a dim glimmer, casting ominous shadows throughout the narrow passageway. Zoran stuck to the shadows against the wall that was dominated by a gruesome mural depicting the Battle of Ashes and Ruin. He raked a hand through the dark hair between his horns as he glanced at the painting. I skirted behind him, careful to keep to the shadows and ensure my footsteps were light as I tracked after him.

The mural enraptured me with its haunting beauty as I scanned the vibrant hues of the Phoenixians. Their feathers ranged from turquoise and navy blues to bright yellows and fiery reds and oranges. Their wings were intricate masterpieces of colors blending together, and they wore the standard military garb of the Guardian Force - black, leather armor reinforced by gold breast plates created by melting and shaping the beaks of their fallen phoenixes into the indestructible armor.

The admirable Phoenixians were once a strong, altruistic species whose sole duty was to protect all Traeveria from demons and the forces of evil. Their devotion to guarding our nation was admirable and selfless.

But that all changed when the demons invaded their homeland only half a decade ago, unleashing a bomb of their molten blood on the volcanic island of Azmar. The deadly substance leveled the entirety of their islands and obliterated their whole species. Every Phoenixian and their phoenix went extinct that day.

"Two-hundred fifty thousand Phoenixians gave their lives to save ours and no one talks about it."

I jumped, heart lurching to my throat at the sudden sound of Zoran's angered voice.

"This mural is hidden away in a vacant corridor of the academy even though the war happened not even fifty years ago," he continued without looking at me. He lifted his gloved hand and brushed a finger over the surge of black liquid spilling over the island. "It's like everyone has just forgotten and pretends like the Phoenixians never existed."

"It's one of the reasons we're still at war with the Ravos Kingdom," I reminded him, stepping out of the darkness. "The explosion from that bomb caused the massive tsunamis and earthquakes across Traeveria that created our Wrexial Mountains and the eternal ice age we live in. We had to flee our neighboring island, Aramore, when the remnants and fallout from the bomb destroyed our land. And now our southern towns; Eaton, Quincey, Mavis, and Solas are all far from the protection of our walls just to provide our empire with crops that we can't grow in our freezing climate, and now they're all deserted from the frequent demon attacks."

"I don't need a lecture - I know our world's recent history. I just don't know how we can ignore an entire cleansing of a species and keep it hidden like this."

"The wounds are still fresh. We're mourning the horrendous loss of our allies."

His hand clenched in the fingerless glove and he dropped it to his side, turning to face me. "They were many times more powerful than Draconians, princess. The Guardian Force was built up of only Phoenixians for a reason. They were forbidden from even mating with Draconians because their offsprings' powers would be diluted by our weaker essences. You cannot tell me that you expect to join the Elemental Forces and survive in this war without an Insignia when not even one Phoenixian lived to tell the gory tale."

I threw my hands up in the air in frustration. "Give me some credit. I know how to use a dagger and I just killed half a dozen demons."

"Serene killed that many demons. You can't even kill a Ravos shifter or summoner without feeling disgusted in yourself, and you wouldn't let me kill Bastion. You're not cut out for the Force, and you know it."

"I need to defend my empire."

"No. You need to prove it to yourself and everyone else that you're suitable - that being powerless doesn't make you any less a Draconian even if your father seems to think otherwise."