Chapter Three: A Stranger’s Truth
784 Words
Kaelith stared at the man, heart thudding like war drums.
“You knew my mother?” Her voice came out sharper than she expected.
“I did,” he said, stepping off the bridge and onto the cracked stone beside her. His eyes were dark and unreadable. “She was the Ember Queen. And you are what’s left of her flame.”
Rian reached Kaelith’s side, eyes narrowed. “If you knew her, then you know she’s dead. Everyone knows that.”
“She vanished,” the man said. “But not before hiding her child where no fire could reach. You.”
Kaelith’s hands clenched. “I don’t even remember her.”
“You wouldn’t,” he said. “She made sure of it. Memory spells. Firebound seals. All meant to protect you until you were strong enough to return.”
“Return where?” Rian asked. “To the palace ruins? The city they burned to ash?”
The man looked at Kaelith. “To the throne.”
She took a step back. “That’s impossible. I’m just—”
“A girl with fire in her veins,” the man finished. “You were born in flame. The last ember of a dying legacy.”
Kaelith’s stomach twisted. It was too much. Too sudden. Too unreal.
“And you are?” Rian asked, arms crossed.
“Name’s Elion.
-
“Name’s Elion,” the man said. “I was one of her Shadows. A sworn protector of the Ember Queen.”
Kaelith blinked. “I thought all her guards died during the siege.”
“They did. Most of us, anyway. I survived—barely. Long enough to see her place you in hiding.” Elion’s voice grew softer. “You were a baby, wailing against the storm. Wrapped in crimson silk, flame-mark on your shoulder already glowing.”
She instinctively touched her shoulder, where the strange burn had flared just the night before. “What does it mean?” she whispered.
“It means the fire recognizes you,” Elion replied. “And soon, others will too. Especially those who want that fire snuffed out.”
Kaelith glanced at Rian, who stood tense but quiet. His usual snark was gone—replaced by something unreadable.
“This is madness,” she murmured. “Even if I believed you—which I’m not sure I do—what does any of this have to do with now? I’m no queen. I’ve never ruled anything. I live in a cellar and hunt rats for dinner.”
Elion didn’t smile. “Yet your enemies believe you matter. Enough to put a bounty on your head. Enough to send Whisperers to find you.”
Kaelith’s breath caught. “So that bounty…”
“Was real,” Elion confirmed. “And they’re closing in. If they capture you before your powers awaken fully, they’ll extinguish the last hope of the Ember line.”
Silence fell like ash.
She wanted to laugh. Or cry. Or scream.
Instead, she said, “Why now? Why after seventeen years?”
“Because,” Elion said, “a Seer’s vision has been fulfilled. The stars have shifted. The signs point to your rise—or your ruin. And the man who killed your mother now wears the Crown of Cinders.”
Kaelith’s heart skipped. “The Ash King?”
“Yes. And he fears what you might become.”
Rian stepped forward finally. “Alright. Say we believe this. What now? You take her to some rebel camp in the mountains? Train her to throw fireballs until she can take on an empire?”
“No,” Elion said. “I take her to Emberholt.”
Rian’s eyes widened. “That place is cursed.”
“It’s her birthright,” Elion countered. “The Flame Temple still stands. Buried in ash, but untouched by time. Her training begins there.”
Kaelith looked between them. “You’re serious about this.”
“As serious as the war coming for you.”
Her legs felt heavy. Her breath, shallow. The world she knew was unraveling fast—and she stood at the edge of something far too big to comprehend.
Rian caught her eye. “You don’t have to go with him. We can keep moving, lay low like we planned.”
Kaelith hesitated.
A week ago, she might’ve taken his offer. But now? The fire within her wasn’t just heat. It was calling.
“I need answers,” she whispered.
Elion gave a slight nod. “Then come with me. And I’ll show you who you are.”
She met his gaze and said, “I’ll go.”
To be continued...
- Writer
