Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series
Her Elemental Dragons: Stroke the Flame: Chapter 34

“Get up!” someone whispered.

My eyes opened with a jolt. I was instantly alert, reaching for my sword and ready to fight. Someone moved in my bedroom, a dark figure in the meager light of dawn. I prepared to attack until I realized who it was. My mother.

I relaxed slightly, until I remembered Kira was in bed beside me wearing nothing but her little chemise. My mother knew we were sharing a room, and she definitely knew about my reputation with the ladies, but it was an entirely different thing to have your mother walk in on you in bed with a woman.

“Hurry,” Mom said, before tossing my shirt in my face.

I threw it over my head. “What is it?”

Kira stirred beside me, but then let out a yelp and drew the blanket up to cover herself when she saw who was in the room with us.

Mom peered through the curtains at the street outside. “Your father has done something terrible. You need to leave right away.”

“Tell me.” I grabbed my boots and began putting them on, while Kira quickly pulled on her dress.

Mom turned around with a frown. “He’s gone to tell General Voor about you. They’ll be here any minute now to arrest you as a deserter.”

I swore under my breath as I jumped to my feet and strapped on my weapons. The sting of my father’s betrayal cut deep, but I couldn’t think about that yet. I had to focus. Remember my training. Get everyone out. Stay alive.

When Kira and I were dressed, we moved to the front of the house and found the others readying their things too. Everyone looked dazed and exhausted, but strong and alert. Slade was ready to go, and Auric and Reven both seemed to be completely healed, thanks to Kira’s magic.

“It’s best if you go out the back,” Mom said, gesturing for us to follow her.

“How could he do this?” I finally asked, once we reached the back door.

“He’s not thinking straight. I tried to talk some sense into him but he wouldn’t listen.” She shook her head. “I’m so sorry, Jasin.”

I pulled my mother into a tight hug, while my heart hammered in my chest. When I pulled away, she turned to Kira to embrace her as well.

“I’m so happy I got to meet you,” Mom said, before pressing a package into Kira’s hands. “I wrapped up some food for all of you. Please take care of Jasin for me.”

“I will,” Kira said. “I promise.”

We rushed through the door and out into the early morning light. Our horses were already waiting outside, tied to the fence with our things already packed on them. Slade had retrieved them last night and knew we might need to leave at a moment’s notice.

I lifted Kira onto my horse, then climbed on behind her, securing my arm tight around her waist. For a second, I simply held her close, breathing her in while I tried not to think about how my father could turn me in as a deserter. Kira rested her hand over mine and gave it a squeeze.

“The north gate is nearby,” I said, as I gathered my horse’s reins.

“Let’s go,” Auric said.

We kicked our horses forward, but we didn’t get far. At the end of the road, a row of mounted soldiers was already waiting for us. My father was in front of them—with General Voor at his side. The sight was like a dagger in my chest, though it didn’t surprise me that he’d turned against me. I’d always been the disappointing son.

“There they are,” my father said. “I knew they’d come this way.”

“Halt,” the General bellowed, sending a chill down my spine. How many times had I heard him shout out orders? How many times had he made me do things I’d later regret?

We were forced to stop and draw our weapons. My sword was too large to wield while riding with Kira, but I pulled out my knife while my horse stomped his feet. Auric, Reven, and Slade also prepared to fight at our side.

“Get out of our way, and none of you will be hurt,” I called out. “We don’t want to fight you.”

“Surrender, Jasin,” Voor called out. “Turn yourself in and face the penalty for being a deserter, and we’ll let your woman live.”

A flash of anger made me see red and I nearly charged him for even mentioning Kira. “Never.”

“You can’t win this fight,” General Voor said, shaking his great helmeted head.

“Want to bet?” Reven asked, his voice cold and deadly.

General Voor stared at Reven, before his gaze swept over the others. “You…you were there yesterday at the execution. You helped those Resistance traitors escape.” He let out a harsh laugh. “Ozan, it seems your son is not only a deserter, but a traitor as well.”

“Is this true?” my father asked me. “The Resistance killed your brother. How could you help them?”

With his confidence, passion, and anger, my father had always commanded my respect, along with my fear. General Voor was the same way. I’d admired them, followed them, and obeyed them. For years I went along with what they wanted because I thought I had no other choice, or I thought they knew better than I did. Now I realized I’d traded one overbearing, controlling, tyrant of a father for another. But I was no longer a coward, and I was no longer under their oppressive thumbs. Kira and the others had showed me that it was time to stand up for what I believed in.

I stared my father and General Voor down. “I left the army because I could no longer follow orders when I knew they were wrong. And I helped those people because it was the right thing to do.”

“You really are a traitor,” my father said, then spat on the ground. “May Sark’s flames turn your bones to ash.”

“Get them,” General Voor said.

At his command the soldiers charged toward us on their horses. Rage burned hot inside me, and I no longer cared if anyone knew about my magic. If my father wanted flames, I’d show him some damn flames.

I spread my hand and fire leaped up from the ground in front of us, creating a blazing wall between us and the soldiers. Once it was as high as my house, I yanked on the reins to turn my horse around. “This way!”

While the soldiers shouted and fell back from the flames, I led the others down the empty early morning streets toward the north gate. There would be soldiers there too, but it was the closest escape and we had to get out of this city fast.

Our horses galloped through the stone streets toward our destination. I gripped Kira tightly as I led the charge, praying I remembered the quickest route. Her other mates rode right at our heels.

Just when I thought we’d gotten away, General Voor appeared before us with two other soldiers. Slade flicked his hand and a stone wall crumpled down on top of the soldiers, sending them to the ground. I gave him a short nod as we continued racing through the streets.

I spotted the heavy stone gate up ahead and was relieved to see it was already open. Merchants and other travelers were already moving through it with their carts, forcing us to slow as we maneuvered around them.

“Stop them!” a soldier called out behind us.

The guards at the gate jumped to attention, grabbing their swords and bows. Two of them charged at us, but Auric blasted them both back against the wall. With a shout, we urged our horses forward and made it through the gate, but we weren’t safe yet—not from the archers on top of the wall, who prepared to fire at us.

“I’ve got this,” Reven said.

As the arrows flew, he pulled all the water out of the moat and sent it flying straight up, where it froze mid-air and formed a tall wall of ice between the archers and us. Impressive.

“Into the mountains!” I called out.

Our horses clambered up the rough, rocky slope, where the trees and brush soon blocked view of us, though I had no doubt the soldiers would be chasing after us soon. I kept looking behind us, expecting to see the General or my father, but the way behind us remained clear.

We pushed our horses hard until the sun was high in the sky, and Kira held my hand the entire time. Although it burned me up inside knowing my father had betrayed me and that I would never be able to go home again, it was all worth it—for her.