City of Fire

Chapter Thirty-Seven

"Zane"

He hated this...

He glowered at himself in the long dressing mirror. Maids had shown him the way to his rooms, hastily leaving but he saw their flushed cheeks as they'd all but ran from the room. One had caught him undressing, squeaking and all but collapsing onto the floor in a heap. He snorted at the memory, anger whelming up inside him at their stupidity and weakness. His shoulders bunched as he pulled on the black silk shirt. The fabric was cool against his skin and felt refreshing compared to the heat that filled the castle. He turned back towards the mirror, his eyes falling on the now pink scars. They ran in half crescents across his body but he knew in time they'd fade. He buttoned up the shirt, noticing how it was embroidered with silver stitching. Turning back around he picked up a coat, the shoulders, sleeves and tails all embroidered with the same silver stitching. Sweeping his black hair over the collar he stood in front of the mirror once more.

He looked striking and deadly all at once, the black and silver giving him a dangerous, perhaps forbidden aura. His black hair was swept down in front of his eyes, so only the hints of their silver depths shown forth. The black leather breeches gave him the flexibility and room he'd need if there was an attack, while black boots came to his knees. His toned body and icy aura was nothing but feral and a dark smirk touched his lips.

At ease, but still on guard, he inwardly congratulated himself. If he appeared feral and dangerous, the Fire Council and other Fire Dwellers wouldn't come near him. He wasn't naïve, no one trusted him here. In fact they'd probably want him dead.

Pain lanced up the side of his head, knocking the breath from his lungs and he collapsed onto his knees, his vision swimming. Images, distorted and broken, flashed before his eyes while screams filled his ears.

People were running and screaming, fleeing their homes as flames danced through the bitter air. Ice sprung from odd directions, encasing them or running them through and Zane watched, horrified as he saw a figure turn towards him.

His father...

He sucked in a breath, yanking himself out of the nightmarish memory and lay on the floor, his breathing heavy. He'd known why his father had sought revenge. He'd wanted justice, and so sought to get it by destroying the Dwellers who had failed to come to their aide.

He groaned when another throb of pain lanced up his spine and into his skull. He didn't know why though. Why had he done it? He knew he wouldn't remember. The Wind Dwellers had made sure of that. After a few minutes he pushed himself to his knees, inwardly grimacing as he saw the dirt on the pants.

Then something caught his attention...

It was a raven...

It was perched on the windowsill, its eyes trained upon him. They stared at each other for a long moment before it spoke.

"Decide, Blood Prince, or all shall burn." The raven's words stayed inside his head long after it had taken flight and flown away. He stared at the wall, his body numb.

Another memory flashed before his eyes...

It was a river...

But instead of it clear and blue it wasn't. It was red.

A river of blood...

And his hands were covered in it...

He shakily stood, his mind not registering what it had just witnessed. He cleaned his pants and straightened his coat until he once again looked cold and feral, even though on the inside he was far from it. It was as if a crater was inside of him, empty and vast. So vast that he couldn't fill it and he swallowed, staring at himself in the mirror for a long moment. He didn't know how long, but he blinked when he saw the dark eyes looking back at him. Pink lips spread in a grin but a moment later it was gone, leaving him alone.

Alone...

Yes, that's what he always was...

He turned back towards the door, the distant thrum of a horn being sounded reverberating throughout the castle, signaling it was time, and pulled it open.

And that's how he wanted it...