THE SILVEAN

CHAPTER 9

'Run'.

Vivian blinked with the dagger still hovering in the air, black smoke curling off the blade.

'What ?' She whispered, 'I said run', I yelled a bit louder 'Before I decide not to let you'. The Head watcher's smile vanished in an instant turning dark 'Do it' He growled 'Kill her Or else I'll kill both you and your brother'. Vivian's hand shook then she dropped the knife, turned and ran into the crowd. Gone.

- - - -

Silence

For just a split second then chaos erupted with Kael jumping from the roof and Perry already moving, guards surrounding me while the head watcher raised his hand.

'Take her', I stared at my hands at the ash, at the MATE mark on my wrist.

The voice 'NOW'

The stone 'BURN'

So I did.

- - - -

I didn't scream, I didn't cry. I just exhaled and the world caught fire, not real fire. The one of ash, black and cold.

It poured from me, from my chest, from the necklace. The square went dark with the air tasting like death, I watched the guards fall to their knees choking gasping for breath.

The head watcher shielded his face from the ash 'Stop !' he barked but I walked through the ash towards him, each step louder than the last.

Kael was at my side in two seconds, Perry on the other, both covered in soot, both staring at me like they didn't know me. Good.

'Get back', I told them 'This is my fight'.

- - - -

The head watcher stood alone now. No guards. No smile. Just his grey coat swaying in the wind and silver eyes, 'Stone bearer', he said 'You don't know what you're doing'.

'I know exactly what I'm doing' I clapped back. 'You'll kill them all', 'The city, the people'. 'They killed my mother'. 'Your mother was a traitor'.

The words hit me hard as the ash flared. Kael grabbed my arm, 'Eira, don't'. I looked at him, at the worry in his eyes, at the mark on my wrist MATE. I nodded once pulling the ash back but it didn't disappear, it circled me like a crown.

- - - -

The head watcher lowered his hands 'You're strong', he said. 'Stronger than your mother', 'Join us', 'We can rule together', 'The council. You. The stone'.

Perry laughed mockingly 'Hard pass', the head watcher just ignored him and kept looking at me.

'I can give you answers about your father', my breath hitched, the memory hit me hard and I tried to fight the urge not to kill him right then and there.

'About the deal you made when you were 7', my heart stopped 'What deal ?'. 'The one that kept you alive', he said 'The one of that bound the stone to you'.

Kael stepped in front of me 'She's not going with you'. 'Then she dies', the head watcher said. Simple. Cold. And he moved.

- - - -

Fast, too fast. He had a blade in hand, grey with council steel, he aimed for my heart.

Kael blocked it with his arrow, Perry with his sword. I didn't move, the ash moved for me wrapping around the blade and shattering it to pieces.

The head watcher stumbled back his eyes wide for the first time I saw fear in his eyes, not the raw one, the one that came from the unknown 'You can't---'. 'I can' I said.

Voice not mine, it was deeper, older, it was the voice and me together. I raised my hand and the ash struck, not to kill but to mark.

It hit his chest and burned through the coat, leaving a mark of a crown. Inverted. Upside down. His crown broken and he let out a piercing scream.

- - - -

The ash faded as the sky cleared, the square now empty except for us and him, on his knees bleeding.

Kael was breathing hard, Perry grinning like a maniac 'You're insane', Perry said to me 'And I love it'. I looked at my hands, no ash, just me tired and shaking.

The head watcher looked up at me 'They'll come for you now', he said 'You just declared war on the whole council'. 'I know' I said as he laughed coughing up blood in the process then vanished like he was never there.

We didn't chase him we were too tired to do that. Kael pulled me into a hug his grip tight yet shaking, 'Don't ever do that again'. 'I can't promise that', I whispered 'I know', he said touching my hair.

Perry kicked a stone 'Well. Now we're officially public enemy number one', 'Congrats, Ash Queen'.

Ash Queen. The name stuck, we went back to the safehouse. Vivian was gone, no surprise there but she left a note on the table.

I'm sorry I ran

Don't come after me

-V

Kael burned it, that night sleep couldn't come by quickly because on the wall. A new poster with my face under it.

EIRA LIORA WANTED

ASH QUEEN, DEAD OR ALIVE

REWARD : 50 MILLION

And underneath that in a different handwriting.

"We see you

-Council"