A Shadow in the Ember (Flesh and Fire 1)

“How does one become a guard here?”

“It’s by choice. They go through extensive training. Usually, they only need to worry about the Shades, but every so often, something else comes to the wall.”

“Something else?”

Ector nodded as he stared ahead. His features were relaxed, but he constantly scanned the courtyard as if he expected an entombed god to erupt from the ground at any given moment.

The only thing that came rushing at us was a small draken who’d come running out of a nearby side door, followed by an exasperated Davina, and a much more sedate Reaver.

“Hey there.” I knelt as Jadis blew past Ector and plopped her front talons on my bent knees. “What are you up to?”

“Driving me mad,” Davina griped as Reaver came to rest beside Ector. “The moment she saw you two walk past one of the windows, she started having a fit.”

Grinning, I rubbed under her chin and received a purr. “We’re going to be out for a bit. I can watch her.”

Reaver grumbled as his diamond-shaped head swiveled toward me.

“I can watch both of them,” I amended. “As long as you,” I said, looking down at Jadis, “promise not to jump off things.”

The young draken chirped.

“Not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.” Davina pivoted, her neat ponytail swishing as she stalked back toward the palace. “Have fun with that.”

I glanced up at Ector as Jadis pinwheeled into Reaver. “I don’t know if she likes me.”

Ector laughed. “No one knows if Dav likes them or is five seconds away from setting them on fire.”

“Good to know it’s not personal,” I murmured as we trailed after the draken. “Do they understand us when we speak to them? The draken?”

“They do. Well, Jadis sometimes has trouble… paying attention long enough…” He trailed off, frowning as Jadis snapped at her tail. “To listen.”

I smiled as the female draken stopped suddenly and launched at Reaver’s tail. “She kind of reminds me of a cross between a puppy and a toddler.”

“Yeah, but neither a puppy nor a toddler can belch fire.”

I cringed. “Good point.”

As we walked on, my thoughts drifted to what I’d learned yesterday about the Chosen. “Did you know Gemma?” I asked.

Ector blinked as his gaze jerked in my direction. “That’s a random question.”

“I know.” I clasped my hands together. “I was just thinking about her—about the Chosen. Ash told me the truth about them.”

The god was quiet for a moment. “I’m sure that came as a shock.”

“It did. A part of me has a hard time believing it.”

“And the other part?”

“The other part wants to burn the whole thing to the ground,” I said, looking up as a large shadow fell over us. A deep green draken glided through the air, letting out a deep, rumbling call that was answered moments later by another that flew higher. Feeling Ector’s gaze on me, I looked over at him. “What?”

“Nothing.” He walked on, keeping an eye on Reaver as the draken lifted into the air above Jadis. “To answer your question, I didn’t know Gemma very well. She hadn’t been in the Shadowlands long, only a few months.”

So, she definitely could’ve been skittish. Sadness pressed on my chest as I sighed. “Are there ever any clouds here? Rain?”

Ector arched a brow at yet another incredibly random question. “No. It is always like this.” His chin tipped up to the gray sky. “You’d think after all these years, I’d have gotten used to not seeing clouds and the sun. But I haven’t.”

Surprise flickered through me. “You’re not from here?”

He shook his head. “But I’ve been here for so long, it’s the only real home I can remember—well, except for the blue skies of Vathi.”

“Vathi?” I scrunched my nose as I searched distant memories concerning the different locations in Iliseeum. “Is that…Attes’s Court?”

“It’s the Court for both the Primal of Accord and War and the Primal of Peace and Vengeance,” he said, also referencing the Primal Kyn. “I was only there for a century or two.”

A short laugh left me. “Only a century or two?”

He grinned. “I’m far older than I look.”

“Older than Ash?” I asked.

“By several hundred years.”

“Wow,” I murmured.

“I look good for my age, don’t I?” A teasing glint filled his eyes.

I nodded. “Did you know his parents?”

“I did. I knew Eythos and Mycella pretty well.”

Turning to him, I stopped under the shadow of an imposing tower as Jadis came to my side. She tugged on the skirt of my gown, pulling the material against her cheek. I truly had no idea what she was doing, but I decided to let her continue. “Nektas made it sound like he was also close to his parents.”

“He was.” Ector’s gaze flicked to me. “When did he tell you that?”

“This morning.” I watched Reaver land behind Ector.

“When you were with Nyktos?” He laughed softly as my eyes widened. “I saw you two this morning when I went to speak with him.”