Chapter 2: Crimson Shadows
295 Words
Kael moved before the light faded.
One hand on Lyra’s arm, the other summoning the Ebonfire black flames that hissed and twisted in the rain, swallowing the crimson glow before it could reach them.
The blast hit his shield with a deafening roar, shattering windows and rattling the ground. Lyra stumbled back, staring at the fire curling around his fingers.
“What… what are you?” she whispered.
“Not the question you should be asking,” Kael muttered, scanning the rooftops. “You should be asking how fast you can run.”
A figure emerged from the smoke tall, cloaked in red, eyes burning like molten gold. The scent of blood hit Kael’s senses before the assassin spoke.
“Drennon,” the man said, voice slick with mockery. “The Court sends their regards.”
Kael’s jaw tightened. The Crimson Court never sent someone unless they wanted a message written in blood.
He turned to Lyra. “Go.”
She shook her head, rain streaming down her face. “If they’re here for you, they’ll come for me too.”
A second blast erupted from the assassin’s palm, and Kael barely caught it with a wall of fire. Heat rippled through the air, steam rising from the rain-soaked asphalt.
“You’re making a mistake,” Kael said, stepping forward, fire flaring brighter. “She’s not part of this.”
The assassin smiled slowly. “Oh, but she is.”
The moment the words left his mouth, Kael knew the Court had found out something they shouldn’t have. Something about her.
He didn’t wait for the next strike. With one arm around Lyra’s waist, he pulled her close and vanished in a burst of shadow and flame, leaving nothing behind but the hiss of rain.
- Writer
