Queen of Light (The Light-Bringer Trilogy, #3)

Eight

Cal tossed and turned. She couldn't hear anything but Matias's-James's-screams. They tore at her heart painfully, bringing tears to her eyes.

Fed up with trying to sleep, Cal rolled out of bed and grabbed her cloak and boots.

Out, her magic purred.

No, she thought. Not yet.

Cal slipped her feet into the boots and walked out into the darkened corridors. Moonlight streamed in through the large windows on her right. Snow was blown around by the wind outside. She wandered the halls, her legs moving of their own accord. Cal walked out onto a balcony, her cloak and hair whipping in the arctic gales.

She let her magic loose enough to hear the frigid air around her. It helped her stay together. Stay sane.

Footsteps crunched in the snow behind her, but she didn't turn to look.

"A but cold out here for a stroll, isn't it?" asked Andrei. "And... blustery."

"What's a bit of cold going to do?" she asked. "I'm a Pyro. I can hear the air."

Andrei was beside her. "Why are you out here?"

"I couldn't sleep. I can't stop hearing his screams."

"Come back inside."

"It's his birthday tomorrow. Did you know that? He will be twenty and yet he won't be able to celebrate it. My husband has to miss out in his birthday because of a bloody demon." Cal turned to look at Andrei, flame flickering in her eyes. "I will kill them all for what they've done."

Andrei swallowed, his eyes full of sadness and compassion. "There is a darkness inside of you, Cal. I can see it. I fear not for yourself, but for everyone else if it consumes you."

She looked away. "I'm fine."

"If you say so. I hope that you know that you will have to live without Matias one day. You will outlive us."

"What do you mean?"

"You're Baldur's granddaughter. The first four generations of a god's children have longer lives. The House of Fire is proof. I'm sorry, Cal, but Matias is going to pass long before you ever do."

Her mind became foggy. "I will find a way to save my husband from Prince James. No matter the cost."

She strode away from Andrei without another word.

-

She stood on the shores of the Jumelé Droit, the golden sand warm under her bare feet. She watched the two kids chase each other closer to the waterline. The girl with long inky black hair, olive skin, and pine green eyes chased an older boy. The boy had a smile on his face, his steel grey eyes alight with red hair dancing like fire.

Strong arms embraced her from behind and she leaned into her husband's body.

"It's so nice to see them getting along for once," said Matias.

Cal turned her head to look at Matias. Her jaw dropped slightly. His eyes were the same colour as the boy's, the scar James gave him wasn't on his face. He looked well, whole-unscarred by these past several months.

She smiled sadly. "It's so nice," she said, not tearing her eyes away from his.

He pressed his lips to hers and nipped at her bottom lip. He pulled back, his eyes full of sorrow.

"Wake up, Cal," he said. But it wasn't Matias's voice. It was Lucas's. "Cal, wake up."

Cal's eyes snapped open and she looked up at her brother. "Lucas? What's going on? Is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine," he said. "However, James is asking for you. And it's almost noon."

Cal furrowed her brows. "Why?"

Lucas shrugged. "He just wants to speak with you."

Cal rolled out of bed and shooed her brother out so she could get dressed. She secured Azar at her waist and tugged on her boots before meeting her brother in the corridor outside.

Lucas led her through the corridors. He was surprisingly without his sky blue cloak and leather gloves; but he still wore his cobalt vest and trousers tucked into his leather boots. They stopped in front of a closed door, and Lucas knocked on it.

"It's Scout Bjorndottir," he said. "I'm here with Princess Calista."

She heard the click of the lock and the door opened. She followed Lucas into the smaller guest chambers. It was smaller than the room Cal was given, but her view of the demon prince was unobstructed.

She stopped several paces from the ring of salt. "You sent for me?"

"You look terrible," said the demon.

Cal crossed her arms. "Thank you for noticing. What do you want?"

He smirked. "My, my, you're irritable. Is your magic screwing around with you?"

She scowled. "My magic is fine."

James rolled his eyes. "Right... Well, I have too much time on my hands. In fact, I tend to start plotting when I'm bored."

Cal stepped up to the edge of the salt line. "You can continue to plot. I am not going to take any risks with you."

"Fine. I will continue to plot. I will break out of here, and then?" He chuckled. "Then I will make you and your beloved scream."

Cal didn't flinch. "You won't be getting out of here. We'll save Matias, and then you're going back to Helheim where you belong," she snarled, her anger rising.

"I'll go back. But first, I will chain you up and make you watch as I slowly but painfully surely carve up Matias. I will break all of his bones and finally, I will burn him alive while I inject you with-"

"Enough!" She strode closer until she was inches away from him, flames dancing on her hands. "I swear on my life, I will send you back to Helheim myself if it's the last thing I do!"

James's eyes flicked down to the ground behind her and then back up at her. He smirked and dread knitted itself in Cal's stomach. James smiled sweetly and held his shackled hands up.

"One more thing, Light-Bringer," he said. "Always thoroughly search your prisoners."

He twisted his wrists out of the shackles and they fell to the stone floor. Cal reached for Azar, but it was too late. James thrust his hands out and pushed Cal away hard. She flew through the air and collided with the stone wall across the room, her head cracking against the wall, and everything went dark.