Fire Weaver (Fall of the Fey #1)

Chapter 35

Ferra raced back the way she had been dragged down when she first arrived. She had a bone to pick with the disgusting pig who called himself a king. Although weaponless, she had a burning rage boiling her blood, burning a fire in her stomach.

After she had dealt with the king she was going to find Tobi and then she would take him away, maybe smuggle him to the country of the north where Carmel was from. It seemed like a nice place based on the people it produced.

She had memorised the way to the throne room because she had been brought there before she was thrown in the cell. The king had stood above them smiling and these are the words he had said: 'Congratulations, you have been chosen to be a part of something. Something that will change the world and your sacrifice will be forever remembered.'

His eyes had glowed with an eerie fever. The light of a fanatic, the look of the insane. The other prisoners had still had fight then. They had struggled against their bonds until that God damn bastard who controlled their collars had tightened them in warning.

They had dragged us into those cells and the other loud people were treated the same way Ferra was because 'the king couldn't stand the ungodly noise.'

The guards hadn't even hesitated, they had dragged her struggling body out of the cell and her mouth had been forced open. She could still feel the cool metal, taste it. Sharp and metallic as the pliers were clamped on her tongue. she screeched and fought harder but she couldn't escape.

Then the man had been there, prying open her mouth again while she cried hysterically. The man who had spoken for her when Carmel had arrived. He had said not to worry and he had healed her.

She knew she would have died without him.

Ferra stormed into the throne room and paused. The room was filled with humans and the king paused, mid-speech, staring at the sorry sight that she was. The humans turned to look at her before turning back to the king.

He turned purple before he yelled. 'What are you standing around for, get her!'

The humans surged toward her and she closed her eyes, there was nothing she could do. She heard the clank of steel on steel and opened her eyes again to see the Fey man. He would fight a room full of humans to save her.

There were so many but they still fell at his feet. He couldn't avoid all the swords that sliced at him and it seemed like seconds passed that he covered in cuts, some minor and others severe.

It seemed inevitable when a guard crept up behind her and said over the din: 'Stop or I'll kill the girl.'

The man turned and saw her. He dropped his sword and held up his hands.

'How interesting.' The king said from where he stood. 'What did you expect would happen when you walked in here?'

***

Mel had been lost until she heard someone say: 'I'll kill the girl.'

It had echoed down the hall to her left and she had ran for it as if she was running from a storm in her true form. She turned to fire the doorway. Lucius and Ferra were kneeling before the king as he flounced before them, preening.

'And once you have been sacrificed, an army unlike any the world has seen will rise up.' The king told them. She guessed she had missed the beginning of the explanation and didn't particularly care.

She did not announce her presence. Mel did not need to make her enemies cower before they died.

The king screamed as fire licked up his throat. The other humans in the room were likewise afflicted. Lucius pushed the sword away from his throat and stood as soon as the screams began and Ferra copied him. They edged around the dying men to were she stood and although Ferra could not speak Mel got the distinct impression that Ferra would have thanked her if she could.