A Girl Named Calamity (Alyria 1)

My humor was gone.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

FLAMES OF MULTIPLE KINDS

We rode the rest of the day in silence. I tried not to think of anything, but it wasn’t that easy. I thought of home. I thought of the omen. I thought of the Saccar, and I thought of all the things I should have been hiding from Weston.

Tell yourself not to think of something and your mind thinks it’s a game it has to win.

I hadn’t spoken a word to Weston after what he said. He was right. And I wasn’t stupid enough to deny it from myself.

I felt an odd sense of safety with him. Triple on the odd. Even after what he had done to me.

Maybe it was from watching him dispatch seven men at one time. I didn’t know how to explain it to myself. But after a while of deliberation, I figured it out.

I felt safe because I doubted anyone could take him down.

When I realized Weston was probably along for that ride of my thoughts, frustration would have been a tame word to describe my emotions.

I was flustered enough that I didn’t think my actions through. Who knew one simple thought could lead to a series of unfortunate events?

I don’t doubt the eavesdropper’s listening—I thought it especially loud and looked over at him. I took in his quiet look and watched his eyes flicker with annoyance.

“Be lucky you are a woman. No man would get away with taunting me as you do.”

Now this was where my self-preservation decided to take a nap. “I can handle anything you could dish out.”

My stomach dropped after I said it. I swore my mouth had a mind of its own. I glanced at Weston nervously, but he wasn’t looking at me. I relaxed, until I saw the corner of his lips turn sly. Then I was sweating. I swallowed hard, looking away from him, and the sight before me stole my breath. I never thought I would see it in my lifetime.

The Burning City.

Blue flames surrounded it in a half circle, as though it would be attacked by beasts from the sky any moment. The flames moved on their own, the breeze feeding their frenzy. The city was built on a hill so that the streets went upwards. An enormous white palace sat in the middle of the city on the top of the hill. I stared at it in wonder as we got closer, noticing the chill the breeze carried with it. A cold that seemed to get stronger the closer we got to the city.

“Are we going in?” I asked.

“No.”

I frowned in disappointment. “Why not?”

“There’s only one entrance, and it’s highly protected. I don’t like to be closed in.”

“I guess assassins need more than one escape plan, huh?” For some reason, words just flew out of my mouth around him. He didn’t reply, but I barely noticed as we passed the Burning City. The flames were cold enough that I shivered and wondered how cold it would be inside. We stopped on the other side of the city, just far enough away that the chill didn’t touch us.

Weston set up camp while I mainly stared at the city in the distance. It was a bright light in the dark night. I ate the last of my rations and knew that I would have to start hunting soon. I wasn’t completely weak; I could hunt. I did often in Alger, but I preferred my bow which had been the last thing I’d thought of while Grandmother upturned my life.

My heart jumped when someone grabbed me from behind and pulled me to my feet.

I relaxed slightly when my body recognized the man as Weston. I might have let out a little squeal from the sudden attack.

Okay, I did. I wasn’t proud of it.

I hadn’t even seen him walk behind me, I’d been so consumed with my thoughts. His arm was tight around my waist, and I imagined he wanted to start the lesson for tonight.

The sudden attack had me feeling breathless.

Yea, that’s all it was.

His voice was rough in my ear. “Go ahead, Princess. Show me your skills.”