Fire {Elements of Power 1}

Chapter Thirty Five: Roxy

Cin stopped the flames and grabbed me by the hair again. "Come on. We need to go and see your mother." What Cin could do to hurt me would be nothing compared to my mother's wrath. We both knew this, which is probably why he dragged me along with such evident satisfaction.

She was in the under-rooms, quite a few levels down, and she was raging. If my mother had been a Protector the entire palace would have been in flames.

"You!" She wheeled on me, eyes wild, as Cin brought me into a large, sparse stone room. "Worthless child! I bore you, nurtured you, groomed you to rule and you repay me with this! You turn your back on our people for an... an Air-Head!" She spat out the last word in deep disgust.

"Calm down, Seraphina. She's young. Let's hear her side of the story." I looked more carefully around the room to find my supporter. It was Vincent. He was standing a little way off from my mother, as though he was afraid of getting too close. My mother's personal guard were also scattered about the room, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Stay out of this, Vincent. I should have never left her under your instruction, not if this is how you've let her turn out. Come here!" she barked in my direction. I stayed rooted to the spot, so Cin pushed me forwards, hard. I stumbled towards her and fell onto my knees.

"You will tell me why you turned out to be so incredibly worthless or Cinaer will make you."

I stayed stubbornly silent.

"I said speak!" Her eyes blazed and she nodded at Cin.

Heat, such as which I had never felt before, coursed over my body, scorching my skin. The smell of burnt flesh filled my nose, making me feel sick. I bit down on my lips so hard that I tasted blood. I would not let her win.

"Tell. Me. Why."

The pain increased.

"Seraphina! Stop! She's just a child."

"If you can't watch then you might as well leave now. It's only going to get worse for her."

"Cinaer, as your superior I order you to stop."

I heard Cin laugh, but couldn't see him through the flames. "You won't outrank me for long. Once I turn the traitor in the King will realise how valuable I am to him."

While they argued, the pain blazed on. My blood boiled in my veins. Why was I doing this? Was he worth all of this pain? Why should I care if he lived or died?

"I love him." The words came out as a whisper, but they seemed to diminish the heat. I felt stronger and more sure of myself.

"What was that? She said something! Cinaer, stop the flames if she's willing to speak."

"I love him," I said again, louder this time.

"Who?"

"Brae," I said simply, as though it were the easiest thing in the world. I managed to stand, my realisation making me stronger. "I love him. That's why I'm going to help them."

My mother was shocked into silence. Vincent looked stunned but emotionless. Cinaer blazed. I felt a further lash of fire hit my back, but managed to stay on my feet this time. The pain stopped as quickly as it had begun; Vincent reached Cinaer and held him back.

A moment of silence passed before my mother managed to regain some of her composure. "Tell me what they've planned."

I shook my head. I wouldn't sell him out.

"You don't have any other options here, Roxanne. You need to tell me."

I remained silent. This was too important. I closed my eyes to block them out, focusing only on Brae's face and the disappointment in his eyes as he confronted me. I would prove that he was right, that I could be good.

I was expecting her to rage, to scream, to curse. But the next voice I heard was Cin's, only it was smooth and thick, like honey.

"Won't you tell me the plan, Roxanne?"

"I'm meeting them in the grove to the west of the garden, bringing Lorelie with me. I'll free all of those under Control and then show them out of the West exit." I clamped my hands over my mouth in a bid to stop any more information escaping. How could they!

"That's treason! You used Control on another Protector, breaking one of our highest codes!" Vincent was alone in defending me once again.

"It's no higher an offense than telling an Arcan political secrets, or falling in love with one," Cinaer spat.

"What are you going to do now?" Vincent asked, almost softly.

My mother paused for a moment, considering my fate.

"She can help us. We'll send her out as bait, with the Brizan, then we can surround them and perform the Control."

"I won't help you." I spoke resolutely, my voice steady. I was not going to send Brae into a trap.

"What makes you think that you're going to have a choice?"

Control. She was evil.

"Shall I go and get the King?" Cin asked, sounding eager.

"No," my mother answered quickly. "Now that we have a way to keep her... manageable... there's no reason to involve my father. I would rather not taint the family name unnecessarily."

"But-"

"Need I remind you that the punishment for using Control on another Protector - or a member of the Royal family - is death, whatever the reason? Besides, you'll never get the throne on your own, which we all know is what you want. Your best chance is to proceed with your original plan of marrying my daughter. Keep her under Control and you should be quite happy."

I let out a low growl. I was not my mother's puppet, or Cinaer's route to the crown. Cin must have liked the idea more than me, however, as he didn't protest again.

"I can't let you do this, Seraphina," Vincent said boldly.

"You don't have a choice, Vincent. The punishment for treason is also death, so unless you would prefer to watch your protégé die, you'll keep quiet." He shook his head defeated. I appreciated his attempts to help, but my mother had everyone exactly where she wanted them. But she shouldn't have been relying on me to fall into line: I had no intention of betraying Brae or of dying. There had to be another way out of this.

"We don't have long." My mother's plans cut into my train of thought. "Vincent, you can go and gather the other Protectors. You all need to be hidden in the garden before our guests get there. Cinaer, you should get Lorelie and take her and Roxanne outside. Control them so that they stay put and keep quiet, then join the others. Once they're in the clearing we can strike."