Starrlings 1: House of Fire

chapter 91

L U M I

"Lumi, no!"

Behind her, Lumi realised the winter starrlings and Raphael were still huddled together, their wolves protecting them from the harsh blast of heat. Raphael was creating a wind, trying to push back the fire from the group, but when Lumi looked at him she saw the perspiration on his face. It was so hot. So much fire.

The dragon, still in chains, roared at the fire and the wind, and snapped at Raphael, who was nearest. The prince was forced to step back, and Kala screeched in anger at the dragon.

"Join me," Tai said. His words were in the Fire tongue, now, so only she could understand them. Tai was speaking just to her. He wanted her to join him.

She remembered watching him practise sword fighting, so long ago in the palace grounds. She remembered hoping desperately that he would ask her to join. That he would look up at her and smile and wave, and beckon for her to stand by his side.

Now, lit up monstrously in the fire, Tai held his hand and beckoned her.

She inhaled deeply, smelling the glorious smell of fire fuelled by magic.

And then, with all the effort she had, she focused on the quell.

Her hands burned with the effort, but she saw the fires of Tai's men diminish in strength, and she knew she was doing it. She was quelling. And if she pulled hard enough, she was sure she could stop Tai's power.

"You think too highly of yourself, sister, if you think you can quell this," Tai said with a laugh. "They are loyal to me. They know I am the only one who can free them from the shackles of Lombardia."

At this, Raphael stepped forward to stand beside Lumi.

"Tai, enough of this!" Raphael said. His words were like magic. "You are on my land, the traditional land of the native air starrlings. The Fire War is over."

Tai grinned at Raphael. "The Fire War may be over, princeling. But the new war is about to begin."

"Tai, stop this!" Lumi yelled.

"We don't want a war!" Raphael said. "We're meant to be allies!"

"The purity that is fire will never ally itself with you," Tai said coldly, glaring at Raphael.

Raphael pulled himself up onto the back of Kala, who gave a screeching cry, that sent a shockwave of thunder through the cavern.

The men around Tai responded, rushing to stop Raphael from intercepting Tai. There was a battle of fire against air. But air was not made for war. Air was made for peace. And Raphael knew his bird was no match against the men, even as Kala's vicious talons sunk into one of the men's chests, clawing at his face.

The man fell back, but two more took his place, throwing fire at Raphael. Kala screeched, and beat her wings hard, so that the resulting wind pushed back at the men's flames. Raphael was unbalanced and almost fell off his bird.

Then Katja was by his side, astride her wolf and joining his force of air with her own force of winter frost that blasted at the men closest to her.

"Is this what you want?" Lumi cried. "Another war? Our people sent to lay down their lives in a foreign land?"

Tai laughed. "Our people will not suffer for this war."

"Of course they will, Tai! That's all that war is! It is only suffering! I thought once that I wanted to be a part of that. I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my father and Auntie V. To lead into war... to be the warrior that I had always imagined. But that's not who I am! And it's not who you are, either! There is no reason to start a new war!"

"Don't you see?" Tai asked. "The war has started already. Pythos Savvas led a charge of Vastiens in an attack against the Lombardian king! The war is here. Lombardia will retaliate against Vastier with a force ten times as strong. I've played the smallest of moves. But sometimes the small, invisible moves are the most powerful. And now, the Fire Lands will sit back and watch."

"Why are you doing this?" Raphael yelled, and his voice boomed in the echoey cave, as he tried to fight off another of Tai's men.

Tai smiled up at the prince. His smile struck Lumi as horrific, as so darkly evil, as it was lit up by the fire in his hands. He looked maniacal, like he was gleeful at the prospect of war.

"Oh, Raphael, princeling," Tai said. "The pieces I've played have been right under your nose all along. But it was always easier to suspect the Vastiens, who you've hated for all your life. What is it your father told you? Vastiens killed your mother?"

"How dare you speak of her! Vastien rebels murdered my mother!" Raphael said.

Tai laughed. "Your father told you that, so you would grow up hating and fearing the Vastiens."

"What are you talking about?" Raphael said. "My father didn't lie!"

"Your mother was only sixteen years old when she gave birth to you," Tai said cruelly. "Younger than you are now. A child. She was stolen from her home, taken from her family. All because she was an air starrling, and your father needed an heir to his throne."

"That's a filthy lie," Raphael said. "My parents were in love."

"If you believe a child can love a man more than twice her age," Tai said with a laugh. "And then, when her people tried to free her, your father, your king... he had her killed. He killed her, rather than let another air starrling free into the world. He already had you. He didn't need her anymore."

Now Raphael had hurtled from his falcon's back so that he could attack Tai head on. But Tai's men were there, holding the prince back. Raphael struggled against the two of them, and then screamed in pain as one lashed a hot sliver of fire into the prince's back.

"Raph!" Katja screamed, and she tried to break free from the men and the tigers that had circled her. Helvig charged at the men, and both men scrambled out of the way of the wolf's jaws, as the wolf let out a blast of ice magic.

Raphael seemed to have sustained a horrible burn from one of the men. He was almost limp in their grip, with his arms held against his back, and his head lowered.

Katja struggled in vain against her captors, while all three of the wolves let out a burst of ice magic in retaliation. Lumi saw one of Tai's men go down, but it seemed as soon as the fire starrling had hit the floor, there were two more to replace him.

"Tai, stop this!" Lumi cried. "Let Raphael go!"

"You can never get away with this, Tai," Tom yelled out. He was on Kobuk's back, clutching onto his wolf, his dark skin turning a sickly grey. "You've hurt the Lombardian prince. You'll be sentenced to death for this. You'll finally understand Matthias's power."

"I've always known Matthias's power is a cheap mockery of the real thing," Tai said, stepping over one of his fallen men. "Matthias rules with greed and gluttony. His idea of power is sitting in a locked tower, gorging on wine and the carcasses of animals, while his people starve."

"How dare you," Raphael said, but his voice was weak. One of his captor's retaliated with a blast of fire that made Raphael cringe away.

• Author's Note •

Thanks for reading!

What's your favourite house? Fire House? Winter House? Maybe even the Light House or something different?

See you next chapter!

elle xx