Page 125 of Born of Starlight
They burned. Nothing, no one would stand between us and live.
Two guards approached her from the entrance, dragging someone between their arms.
When Firose stopped and turned, my fiery blood ran cold. She held a sword’s blade to the soft skin of a cloaked woman’s neck. The two guards still restrained the woman by the arms. A rust-colored cloak covered a lithe frame, and long chestnut hair had loosened from its braid.
The remaining Lynx surrounded Firose…and Elsie.
I ate my words—Iwouldn’tkill anyone that stood between us.
“You know.” That sickly sweet tone felt like poison finding its way into my ears, paralyzing me with fear. Firose was poised to take Elsie’s head—it would only take one well-aimed swing. “You would think by now that you would learn. You cannot win, Fenris—you will lose everyone, everything. So now, we make a bargain. Because I do love a bargain.”
Firoses let the blade draw a trickle of blood from my sister’s neck.
“I take her life...or I take yours.”
Elsie looked at me without fear. Only cold determination brimmed in those familial hazel eyes. She mouthed the words. “Kill her.”
She would die for me—that determined look told me so.
I stood torn. Even if I got to Firose through the guards, there were still the Lynx circling Elsie. If I burned the Lynx, Firose would have time to strike.
I heard a familiar growl approach behind me. Van’s shadow cast over me.
“Stand down, boy.” My words were strained through gritted teeth.If he attacked, I couldn’t be sure he would get to Elsie before Firose.
“Put that away,” Firose commanded.
“Come to me,” I told Van. He growled in disagreement before the ink appeared on my arm.
No good moves were left.
Checkmate.Again.
She knew it. Not even the most potent flames in the realm could save my sister if I made the wrong move.
“The choice is simple. Yield, and she goes free. Or fight, and she dies.”
The choice wasn’t hard. She was right about that at least.
No one else would fall because of me.
“Fine.”
“Fen, no! Don’t you dare!” Elsie’s shrieks of defiance cut through the battle-filled night.
“In blood.” Firose pulled Elsedora’s head back by her braid to expose more of her neck. The trickle of blood ran faster, prompting me to use my broadsword to cut a slit across my flaming palm.
My blood hit the ground with a sizzle before I dropped the broadsword and lowered my flaming ring. “I’ll surrender willingly, but I owe you nothing more than my life.”
Firose removed the blade from Elsie’s neck and threw her to the ground in front of me. Elsie spun and scrambled to pull a blade from her hip.
Firose blew a cloud of fine dust, causing Elsie to freeze mid-motion and fall, appearing paralyzed. My sister’s throwing blade never left her hand. Her body slackened against the ash-covered ground.
Firose commanded her guards. “Restrain him, leave the girl.”
No,Sources—Elsie couldn’t be left here defenseless.
The guards began to drag me away.
