Page 50 of When Roses Burn

I had no idea why they believed this. No one had ever returned with jewels… as far as I knew.

The dragon swept overhead again; its wing tipped to the left as it arched that way. When the dragon opened its mouth and bellowed again, a stream of black erupted. While it wasn’t the lethal fire all other dragons spewed, I didn’t doubt it was every bit as deadly.

“Will it kill me?” I asked.

“Not if you don’t try to run.”

I wasn’t sure if he was telling me the truth, but I wasn’t going to take any chances with that thing. The dragon soared out of view as Knox clasped my elbow and led me toward the castle’s large wooden door; along its frame were the same symbols as on the pennants.

Knox opened the door and stepped aside to gesture me inside. I stepped through the doorway and into a room with flickering candles and lanterns, but the surprise of finding lighting here wasn’t what made me hesitate… it was the giggle from somewhere above.

My head tipped back, but I didn’t have time to figure out what made the sound before Knox stepped through the doorway and a cascade of white powder poured onto him.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Briar

I jumped back, but not in time to avoid the powdery substance from blowing over me after it hit him. I stood, too astonished to move as it clung to my face and dress. Uncertain of what it was, I didn’t dare breathe in case it was poison.

Knox didn’t have the same reservations as me as he exploded. “Son of a bitch! I’m going to choke all of you!”

His words surprised me as my lungs burned. It didn’t matter if I wanted to inhale this stuff or not; I wouldn’t have a choice soon.

More laughter came from the archway over the door; the patter of footsteps scampering away followed it. Judging by the sound, they were tiny feet, but I had no idea where they were hiding or what they belonged to.

Unable to hold my breath anymore, it burst from my lungs. I inhaled and then coughed when some of the white substance went up my nose. My coughing drew it into my mouth, and once I stopped flicking my tongue in a useless attempt to dislodge it, I calmed enough to detect the earthy taste of flour.

“What…?” I muttered as I looked down at the white powder clinging to me.

I hadn’t been covered anywhere near as badly as Knox, who still had a pile of flour sitting on his head while more of it coated his body. I tried not to laugh when he shook his head, flinging it everywhere, but while I knew laughter would only draw his ire, I couldn’t hold back a giggle.

When Knox’s gaze flew to me, his eyes burned with the same intensity as the fire they resembled. My chuckle faded, but I couldn’t stop grinning.

From behind him, Dromon cursed as Lyra muttered threats of death. More laughter came from the lengths of timber running across the cathedral ceiling as the footfalls continued. Whatever was laughing and running remained hidden.

“Fucking sprites,” Lyra muttered. “Annoying little bastards.”

“There are sprites here!” I blurted. No wonder I couldn’t see them; sprites were known for their playful, prank-loving nature, as well as their ability to become invisible. “How amazing!”

Six eyes burned angrily into me while Pierce remained with the horses. They weren’t anywhere near as happy about this revelation as me, but their dour moods wouldn’t dampen my excitement.

I’d never encountered sprites before but had always wanted to. I’d heard tales of their mischievousness and was eager to learn more about them, but they usually could only be found in forests or near water.

They didn’t typically like being around other eternals and often hid from them. Before I was locked away, I did explore our kingdom some, but I’d never encountered one in the woods, and there was nothing for them in No Man’s Land. That dead place would be a blight to their nature-loving souls.

“They moved in after the curse,” Dromon said as he brushed past the others. He brushed away the small amount of flour clinging to his shirt. “And they’ve been assholes ever since.”

“But you need us assholes, and you love us,” a small, feminine voice with a lilting accent said before a dainty female materialized on one of the rafters. She sat with her hands perched on the wood as she kicked her feet back and forth. Her beautiful, orange butterfly wings fluttered before she folded them against her back.

“Fuck off, Bertie,” Dromon responded.

At around a foot tall, the sprite’s silvery blonde hair brushed the rafter when she tipped her head to look at me. Her sparkling blue dress matched her eyes.

“Who’s the girl?” she asked.

“I’m Briar,” I replied with a wave. “It’s nice to meet you.”

At least there was something good in this kingdom, and I was excited to get to know the sprites better.