Fated to flame, p.1
Fated to Flame, page 1
FATED TO FLAME
S. A. GLADDEN
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Acknowledgments
Author’s Bio
About Rize
Fated to Flame text copyright © Reserved by S. A. Gladden
Edited by Rebecca Dimyan
* * *
All rights reserved.
Published in North America, Australia, and Europe by RIZE. Visit Running Wild Press at www.runningwildpress.com/rize Educators, librarians, book clubs (as well as the eternally curious), go to www.runningwildpress.com/rize.
ISBN (pbk) 978-1-955062-53-4
ISBN (ebook) 978-1-955062-54-1
CHAPTER ONE
HELLENIA
The crackling of fire was the primary sound in the sacred chamber, putting Leon Exousia’s mind at ease. He kept to himself naturally, but it had become more of an occurrence for him to find himself seated on a cushion, staring at the bluish-white hue of the magical flame in front of him. The priestesses that regularly tended to the altar had departed not too long ago, leaving the lingering scents of myrrh and sandalwood burning in the small urns nearby. The gentle curls of the incense smoke created a myriad of patterns in the flickering light, catching his eyes as his mind drifted a million miles away.
His thoughts touched briefly on his father, as they were wont to do whenever he turned introspective. High Lord Vretiel Exousia’s death had come much too sudden; Hellenians had exceptionally long lifespans, and while he knew his father had been approaching the tail end of his, the sickness that eventually claimed him left the realm in a state of shock and ripe with gossip. While Leon had been prepared for much of his life to succeed his father, it didn’t mean that he felt ready to do it now.
It also did not help that there was a more pressing concern on his hands, one that weighed on him heavier than his newly assumed position as High Lord.
The Flame was dying.
“I knew I’d find you here, moping.” A playful voice echoed through the room, accompanied by approaching footsteps. They stopped just behind Leon’s kneeling figure. “It’s lower than it was even yesterday."
“I know.” Gold eyes reflected the dull spark of the magical flames on the dais in front of him, while his lips turned downwards in a frown. Turning his head slightly to the sound of the newcomer, Leon raised a dark eyebrow. “Have you come to lecture me, Elliot?"
“Me? No…” Elliot drawled with his usual smirk splayed upon his full lips. Spiky, ice-blonde hair was his bread and butter, contrasting starkly with his deep skin tone and blood red eyes. He was unusual for a Hellenian, tending to lean heavily towards human trends in fashion and mannerisms while preferring to wander amongst mortals than he did his own kind. Yet, he weathered any gossip and odd looks with the charm of a demon who knew exactly where he stood, and that was thankfully by the late High Lord’s son as he had since they were little. “You know I don’t lecture. I’m just telling you to get off your ass before the Draconians beat you to it."
“Not like they could if they wanted to; we hold the Spark, after all.” Leon rose from the cushion, stretching his long legs and giving his wings a quick flutter before returning them to the usual folded position against his back. It was a sign of disquiet that he hated displaying, being a demon that preferred to keep his emotions close to his chest. But hailing from the royal line meant that his wings were his crown, noticeable to all in shape and style as signal to his importance to his people. “You’ve come to tell me what I already know, I see."
Elliot unearthed his hands from his pockets and gave a good-natured shrug. “Someone has to say it. And even though I know that it’s not obvious to most, I know you’re feeling Lady Selene's death pretty hard, too. She wasn’t just another Prime to your father… it was real, what they had.” His voice dropped a bit of its usual lilt. “That shit almost never happens."
Errant fizzles and popping noises from the faltering Flame filled the silence that stretched between the two friends, each lost in his own sphere of thoughts for a moment. Elliot was correct in his assessment, and it made the resulting tragedy that much worse. Leon had seen the change in his father from the first time he had encountered Selene; he had become softer, smiled often, and liked to visit the human realm for more than just duty. Selene had given him a reason to learn the world she grew up in and explore life beyond the gothic hills of Hellenia.
And now, they were both gone. Her heart had been broken with the loss of her love, and even though Leon did his best to tend to the widowed Queen, nothing could replace what had been taken from her. It had almost been a relief to see her pass into the ether to join Vretiel, because at least then she was free from mourning.
Unfortunately, it also meant the premature fading of the Flame. Ideally, they would have had at least another century of passage between the realms granted, but the Flame died with the Prime, starting the cycle anew. Leon just thought that he would have more time to prepare for the sacred quest. The absent Gods have other plans, evidently.
“Listen. I don’t know why you’re even hesitating. Any other demon would be jumping at the chance to seduce the next Prime. What’s wrong with you?"
The new High Lord gave a sigh and shook his head a bit. “I’ve never done this before. It feels… odd."
“So? Humans are easy. Just throw a bit of charm in there, smile just right, and they follow like puppies,” Elliot described, his black nails glinting in the ambient light as he mimicked an animal dutifully trotting behind its owner.
Cutting him a sharp glare, Leon made a tut of disapproval. “I’m not like you. I don’t go out snagging a new woman every night for fun."
“… well, that’s rude. You say that as if I’m a common whore. Which wouldn’t technically be wrong, but still…"
“Oh, save it. You aren’t helping."
Elliot let his expression finally settle into something less playful and more subdued, peering at Leon with a surprisingly perceptive gaze. “I’m worried. Not for Hellenians, because we’re resourceful. But I am worried for you. You’re fresh into this High Lord business, and while I know you know what to do, it’s different when everyone’s looking at you. You gotta be strong for a whole race of people, now. The time they’ve given you to grieve has a limit, and that wick is burning fast. No pun intended,” he finished, gesturing ahead to the wilting Flame.
A muscle in his jaw twitched almost imperceptibly as Leon’s golden gaze shifted from his best friend to the ground. “You’re right.”
“I know I’m right. Just making sure you don’t lose sight of yourself.”
Sucking in a breath, Leon turned back to the Flame and reached out to it with one hand, his long black fingernails curling into a simple motion as he concentrated a bit of magic into his actions. In turn, the light flickered dangerously low, almost going out and plunging the room into darkness before climbing back up to its previously held level. What emerged was a solidified, glowing teardrop, pulsing slightly from within before dimming to a dull hue. It settled in Leon’s palm, warm and smooth like freshly blown glass as he studied it pensively, knowing what had to be done next.
“Would you mind accompanying me to the Dreamweaver’s coven? They should be able to assist in narrowing down the general location of the next Prime."
Elliot grinned boyishly, his lapse into a serious demeanor already brushed away. “Oh, you know you don’t have to ask me to go see a bunch of women. You just lead the way.” He turned on his heel and followed Leon out of the chamber, reaching out to clasp a reassuring palm on his shoulder as they walked out into the courtyard.
The light that never seemed to progress past sunset cast comfortable hues of orange tinged with purple on their bodies as they moved, the cobblestone path leading them on their way. Elliot glanced over at his friend, light glinting off of the curved horns on his head as he did so. “Are you nervous about all this because of Rina? I mean, now you’re gonna have to get up close and personal with the new Prime pretty soon, and I know what she did to you probably doesn’t make it easy.”
Leon blinked at the mention of his ex’s name. Years have gone by, and yet at the mere mention of her, my body tenses as if thrown into ice cold waters. “I’m simply overly aware that it will be difficult adjusting to the human realm.”
“Uh huh. You know, if you had come with me every time I went to the human realm, maybe you wouldn’t feel this way. I could’ve taken you to a whole bunch of places to loosen you
“Not interested,” Leon cut him off with an exasperated sigh. They reached his carriage, and he nodded to the driver as he opened the door to step inside. “You’ve always found a better home with the humans than you have with your own.”
“Well, you can’t blame me, all things considered,” Elliot said with a wry smile as he settled in next to him. “My father didn’t exactly make me feel welcome, so I looked elsewhere. You could say I have a personal investment in keeping this Flame lit for Hellenia, even if you don’t.”
“I understand.” Leon’s mind drifted back in clouded depths as the carriage rolled along to its destination. His fingers fidgeted every so often until he settled for clasping them in his lap as he trained his gold eyes out of the window, looking at the familiarity of the land that they moved along. He wished he felt more secure in his upcoming task, but it didn’t even seem real to him, yet. He lost track of how much time had passed since they got in the carriage, and it seemed that it was but an instant that it was pulling up to the building with a distinctively curved roof.
Both of the men disembarked and walked up the few steps to the wooden door, where Leon lifted his hand to knock. Right before his knuckles made contact with the hard surface, it swung open, revealing a dark-skinned statuesque woman with piercing violet eyes and sheer black robes.
“High Lord. I was expecting you.”
“And not me?” Elliot interjected, putting his face in an impressive pout.
“Lady Viviane,” Leon bowed politely, then unearthed the teardrop jewel from his pocket. “I require your assistance in finding the area in which the next Prime is located. I plan to start my search for them as soon as possible.”
Viviane gave a single nod and turned, leading the two men down the dim hallway within.
“She never acknowledges me,” the blond-haired man lamented, sighing wistfully.
“That is a lie; she does, sometimes. She just neglects to give you the response that you crave,” Leon glanced over to him and gave him a slight smile before focusing back on the task at hand.
The next room Viviane led them to was awash with natural light offered from a ceiling latticed with trusses as if the design was purposefully unfinished. Strings of crystals hung from them, glittering and sending small pinpricks of light along the stone walls. The priestess’s long braids swayed against her back as she took her seat in front of a wooden table laden with different artefacts important to her craft, and her slender fingers reached out to hover over a small loom laced with haphazard glittering strings.
“The Draconians have already sensed the waning of the Flame. I expect for them to make preparations soon.” She looked over her shoulder at Leon. “You’ve tarried nearly too long.”
Before Leon could say anything in rebuttal, she turned and grabbed a small but sharp ceremonial knife that was laying on the table beside her. With a modest flourish, she pressed the tip of it into the pad of her right pointer finger, where a drop of blood welled in its wake. Viviane then pressed her digit to the string, the red liquid trailing down to land on a knot that filtered to another. As a seemingly random pattern formed in the midst of the trail left, the priestess’s eyes were slightly unfocused, fixed on the far wall, seeing beyond what was physically there. As the light fractured from the crystals flitted over her skin, both Leon and Elliot were frozen in their places watching Viviane, eagerly awaiting her answer.
“I have the Prime’s location.” Her slender hands fell gracefully to her lap, and she blinked multiple times before turning to look at Leon. “In a day’s time, I should be able to pull the correct combination of runes to place you within the general area. As the gods would have it, it seems to be in an area your father once frequented.”
Elliot looked over to Leon. “That makes it a bit easier. If Vretiel was there, then he probably had a safehouse nearby. We don’t have to waste further time getting set up.”
The High Lord nodded, his skin feeling cool with building anxiety over how quickly things were progressing. “Indeed. Is that all, Lady Viviane?”
She looked up at him with her piercing gaze then, holding it for a moment too long before replying.
“For now, High Lord.”
“What about for me?” Elliot interjected, batting his eyelashes coquettishly at Viviane.
“…Leave.”
Leon held back a small snort at Elliot’s expense, watching his best friend’s face fall almost comically. “Thank you. I will be back at the manor, awaiting your guidance on the portal runes.”
He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a lot that Viviane wasn’t telling him. But to be fair, that wouldn’t be unusual; she often saw beyond the veil of what was to what could be and discerned appropriately what to say to others. Leon just couldn’t help but want to know what awaited him once he crossed over to the human realm.
“You worry too much, you know,” Elliot said as they exited the Dreamweaver’s enclave. “You’ll love the chase, trust me. You’ll do just fine.”
“… I hope you’re correct on that, dear friend.”
CHAPTER TWO
HUMAN REALM
“What you up to?”
“Gonna head out to the library for a little bit. There’s some more research I wanted to do on a corset pattern…”
“Ugh, girl, why don’t you come over and we’ll pop open some of this cheap ass wine I got and watch a movie or two? You know, what normal people do on their days off.”
Jasmine Walters sighed as she put her cell on speaker in order to walk over to her closet and grab something that wasn’t pajamas. “I thought you already knew I wasn’t ‘normal’, Kim.”
“Yeah, but a bitch is tryin’ to help you! Going from musty books to a pile of fabric all the time can’t be good for your health.”
“Maybe so… but I’m not gonna change, boo. It’s what I like to do.” She thumbed her way through a variety of clothes before settling on her favorite hoodie and pulling it out. “But I’ll tell you what… if I successfully make this corset that I want, then I’ll celebrate by coming over and doing the girls night thing, how about that?”
“I’ma hold you to that, then. See you at work in a couple of days?”
“Bet.”
Jasmine laid out a comfortable pair of jeans on the bed along with the hoodie she unearthed, then made her way to the bathroom while maneuvering around the scraps of fabric and other tools that constantly littered her living space. After brushing her teeth and washing up a bit, she looked at her reflection and was sorely unimpressed with the state of her wild hair.
Every time I don’t feel like dealing with this, I regret not looking into lace fronts. She sighed while grabbing her paddle brush and some coconut oil spray to wrangle her coils into something manageable, lamenting her lapse into laziness that caused her to neglect putting on her silk bonnet the night before. Jasmine called it a day after changing out her paddle brush for a softer one, smoothing her edges down before pulling the bulk of her hair into a bun.
Less than fifteen minutes later she was dressed, had locked up her apartment and headed out into the public, the fresh air biting slightly with the promise of frosty winter that was right around the corner. Debating on whether or not she wanted to be lazy and call a rideshare or take the bus, she finally settled on the latter as there was no rush. Her wireless earbuds were charged, her favorite playlist was bumping, and it wasn’t long at all before the bus dropped her off only a few short blocks from the main library in the heart of downtown.
