Burning Hearts

Chapter Thirty-One

Elle

“Fisher go to King Corbin’s palace now. The phoenix dragon is there. Hurry. Take the strongest you can that are here now.” He grinned and I returned it. “Leave him, Elle.” “But why? I now know where you are. You were foolish to leave whatever barrier that protected your detection from me.” I smirked. “Last warning Elle. Leave him and I will consider sparing your life.” She is a foolish queen if she thinks I’ll give up that easily. “Never. You will be but mere ashes soon enough and Syndra will rule this world.”

She blasted the prince with her white flame. He may not be able to feel the fire, but I can. I screamed as my clothing began to singe. I was being forced out of the prince’s mind yet again. “You bitc.h I will get you. You can’t escape me.” I shrieked in agony and couldn’t hold on any longer. I felt the connection burn away to nothing.

My clothes had caught fire. I ran to the pool and dove in. I made my way back to the surface sputtering. It was a good thing I have a barrier around the yard to keep the snow out though the snow would have helped to douse the flames. I swam to the stairs and climbed out. I was drenched. Syndra is not going to be happy I lost the other brother if she finds out. I need to hope Fisher can get to her in time.

I removed my clothes where I stood and walked into the house naked to my bedchamber. Many guards lined the walls to my bedchamber. I didn’t care that they could see my body. All of them have had a taste of what I can do in bed. I control all of them. I could have all of them in my bed if I wanted. I paused in my steps. “You and you, come with me now.” I pointed to the guards on each side of me. They didn’t hesitate and began following me.

I opened my doors and moved to my bathroom. “I want you both naked by the time I get out of the bathroom.” I commanded them. I leaned my head over the bath and squeezed the excess water out of my hair. I grabbed the towel and began drying enough of the rest of my hair, so it wouldn’t soak my bedding much.

I grinned when I saw both men naked and their dic.ks standing at attention at the sight of me. “What are you waiting for?” They closed the distance to me and sandwiched me between their bodies. Their distraction is just what I need as I wait to hear from Fisher.

~~~

Casen

I was fueling Tana’s mark. She has lost consciousness again. Robyn is tending to Callum and Kalina and Alandar wrapped Tana in the blankets they collected. Her body is like an icicle again. I still can’t believe Callum has been on my side this whole time. I feel very emotional, but I can’t break right now. I need to stay on task to get Tana feeling better.

I caught Callum’s eyes seeking me out. He gave me a small tender smile. “We should situate her on the floor and Drew can warm her from her back.” “The floor is cold though.” “You’re right. Let me grab some cushions or a pillow.” Kalina said. She left my side and a few minutes later returned with some cushions. I stood with Tana in my arms. Kalina and Drew arranged the cushions to make sure Tana’s body wouldn’t touch the cold ground. I carefully sat with her on the cushions. Kalina rested one against the front of the throne and I leaned against it.

“Why is my brother still sucking on her mark? What is wrong with her?” Callum demanded. “She used too much energy to call upon her light magic to expel Elle from your mind for good. She is freezing and we need to warm her as fast as we can. Casen’s kiss is sending a steady energy flow into her to help revive her as soon as possible.” Robyn explained.

“Why don’t we build fires near her?” Callum suggested. As if a lightbulb went off, everyone began scrambling for the metal containers my father sometimes has burning throughout the throne room. Several were placed quickly close enough to us, but not enough to burn anything. Brayon changed and began blowing his purple flame into the containers. As more were placed, he ignited them as well.

I felt Tana’s body begin to shiver. I think she is regaining consciousness. I didn’t need to tell Drew to help. He was removing his shirt and removing the blanket from her back as he wrapped his arms around her. I had to admit I was being heated even through the blanket as he let his body heat flow. I stopped sucking on her mark as her beautiful eyes came into focus.

Her body was shaking more violently though. “My mum was a queen.” She whispered. “My mum met me. She was queen of the White Flame coven. I have been a royal all my life. My mum and dad were true mates. I can call my flame in human form because of my mum, not my dad. She said she could surround herself with a flame too. She had a flame. She also said we are part fae.”

I held her closer to me. I could hear her stomach begin to grumble. She looked at me and Robyn was ready. Robyn, Solay, and Kalina began hand feeding Tana. She didn’t eat as fast as the first time she exhausted herself, though I can feel her need to do so. I don’t think she can muster the energy right now though. They switched out plates, removing the covers that were keeping the meat hot for her.

There was a commotion we could hear coming from outside. Orien rushed towards the doors with others. I didn’t have to wonder what was happening. Fighting bodies burst through the doors. I didn’t know who they were, but they smelled of evil. Orien was fighting hard. Our brothers joined him. I need to help. Drew was eyeing the fight. “Drew keep hold of her.” I commanded him as I pushed her into his arms. Robyn handed Drew the plate of meat to have him continue to feed her.

I ran towards the fray, and I was flanked by Robyn, Kalina, and Solay. I felt a presence at my back, and I smelled Callum as we charged into the fight. I tried to call upon my dragon and I couldn’t change. It now made sense why no one had changed yet. It doesn’t matter I can fight without my dragon form.

“They must be dark witches. I think they spelled us from changing.” I gasped out as I avoided a blast of magic aimed at me. I couldn’t see Callum for a few moments. “Catch.” I heard him. I turned in time to see him toss a gladius at me. He maneuvered handing out weapons to everyone for what he had in his arms. Orien grabbed the other gladius and we slashed at the dark witches.

The tide seemed to be turning as we pushed them back with our weapons. I was fighting a huge man with dirty muddy brown hair and a face covered in scars. He was grinning at me as I avoided his attacks. He was avoiding mine as well. I couldn’t damage him no matter how hard I tried he seemed to read my mind. Then it hit me. I began spinning my gladius and his brows arched with a slight nod to being impressed. He had no idea what I was about to do.

He kept his eye on my spinning gladius as he lunged for me. I tossed the gladius high and caught it with my right hand. I spun it once and sliced his arm off just below his elbow. He shrieked. He grasped at his arm as he fled. I felt a little smug until I heard a deep growl from behind me.

I turned and Drew was growling at two dark witches as they advanced on Tana and him. She was clinging to his back as best as she could. The blanket had fallen to the ground, and I could see her visibly shaking hard from the cold. I raced towards them, but it was as if time was slowing down.

Tana dropped to the ground, landing on her shaky feet. Then she pulled her flame around her. The dark witches lunged for her. She shoved Drew to the side and used both her hands to engulf the dark witches in flames. She was starting to collapse, but the dark witches were being consumed by her flame, turning them to ash. Callum got to her and wrapped his arms around her. He held her up as his clothes began to burn and his skin sizzled from her flame. Drew couldn’t even touch her.

The dark witches disintegrated to ash. Callum collapsed as she did too. She landed on him. I slid on my knees the rest of the way to them. I gathered her into my arms. She was white as a ghost. Her body began to shift in my arms, and I felt a flicker of hope until I opened my eyes. She was fading into ashes. Soon her body was nothing but ash at my knees.

I wanted to cry, but something told me not to. I heard it within the next minute as many around us sniffled. “Back away from her. Give us a wide berth,” I commanded. Michael and Brayon picked Callum up and moved him away. Drew moved away too. Robyn rested her hand on my shoulder. “You too. Move away before you get struck.”

I heard the lightning crackle. It was intensifying as each second passed. I moved away a few feet. “Cover your ears and close your eyes.” I ordered them. I placed my hands to my ears and closed my eyes. A bolt of lightning shattered the glass dome ceiling and the glass rained down around her ashes and me. Then, like before, several struck her ashes. I had peered through my fingers and sure enough the sparks of red were rising from her ashes.

I heard the gasps as they witnessed the sparks and red flame that engulfed her ashes after the lightning strikes stopped. I stepped towards her ashes and waited. Soon I saw her fingertips appear and form. I waited until her hand formed fully and soon her other hand reached up. I reached down and grasped her hands and pulled them up. The ashes rolled down her body to the floor. She was covered in her flame and just as naked as the first time. I yanked my shirt off my body and placed it over her quickly.

She smiled but still collapsed in my arms. “I need food,” she said softly. I looked around and spotted the plate of food she had been eating, but it was now covered in glass. “She needs food. Is there any untainted by glass?” “No.” “I need to get her back to the house then.” I could feel that I could change again. “Help her get on me after I change.” I stepped back and changed into my dragon.

Adrian and Orien lifted her to my back. I felt another body and I smelled Robyn. “I’ll protect her just in case.” She said. Adrian and Orien had changed and as I took off, they followed me. They flanked me with their dragons shifting to keep their eyes on the surroundings as we trained to do.

I landed quickly and Adrian changed back to help get Tana off me. I changed and he handed her to me. I ran inside towards the dining room. I was surprised to see plates of hot meat placed around a plate at Tana’s seat. I sat with her in my lap, and she wasted no time grabbing at the meat. If I thought she had feral tendencies before she topped herself.

Orien sat next to me in my seat. Soon, Adrian and Robyn came into the room with Chase in Robyn’s arms. Soon, plates of cut-up food were being placed on the table. I was confused. Robyn gave Chase to Adrian, and she reached to hold his hand. Robyn then touched Tana. I could see Robyn’s face scrunching, but soon Tana was slowing down her eating.

Adrian guided Robyn onto his lap as he sat in the chair on the other side of us. Adrian bit Robyn’s neck at her mark and she cried out. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and she grabbed at the meat and began eating. Adrian focused on feeding Chase. I realized he had been fussing. The three of them ate as if they hadn’t eaten for a long time.

“What happened?” I asked. “Robyn tapped into Chase’s power to heal. It is more powerful than her own. It still drains both of them regardless. Robyn needs to replenish her energy and so does Chase, though Chase will recover faster. We don’t like using his power to heal if we don’t have to,” Adrian explained.