MARKED
Blythe’s POV
The banquet was over. The candles still flickered along the long tables, half-melted and dripping pale, wax-like blood. The nobles had scattered, their laughter leaving behind only echoes and crumbs. I stood at the high window, fingers curled tightly around the cold stone ledge, my reflection blurred in the glass.
Xavier.
Where was he?
I touched my collarbone absently, heart still pounding. The sensation was faint at first, like a warmth buried beneath my skin. But now… now it throbbed.
Aria stirred sharply.
THE TRIAL OF WOLVESThe Square of Oaths—Midmorning[Crowds pack the stone terraces surrounding the city’s central square. Banners of the Flame Court hang torn in the breeze. A raised platform has been erected, guarded by Flameblood sentries and warded with sigils that shimmer faintly in the air. Three kneeling knights—bound, bloodied, and broken—wait beneath the weight of judgment.Xavier (voice ringing clear as he steps forward): "We are not here for vengeance. We are here for truth. For justice. And for the future of the Flameblood realm."Ceres (quietly, from behind the veil of council members): "This should be a reckoning, not a performance."Ma
THE UMBRA CONVERTThe Cell Beneath the Pyre HallsA dimly lit stone chamber beneath the Pyre Halls. The walls are marked with ancient symbols, and chains hang unused from the ceiling. The flickering torchlight casts long shadows as Xavier, Ceres, and Maera enter the chamber. In the center, a pale woman sits shackled—her cloak threadbare, her hair loose, but her gaze sharp. She’s weakened, but not broken.Xavier (coldly): “You requested an audience. I’m listening.”Umbra Assassin (smiling faintly): “Not a request. A bargain.”Ceres (arms crossed, wary): “You&rsqu
SMOKE BETWEEN USThe Cracking HallsThe war room beneath the ruined high chamber is now converted into a command center. Cracked pillars hold up sagging stonework. Torches burn low. Xavier stands over a tactical map riddled with flame markers. Ceres enters, her cloak trailing ash.Xavier (gruffly, without looking up): "He moved the Flame Knights again. Northeast border. He wants us to think he's circling, but Arion's going for the heart."Ceres (calmly): "He wants us to be afraid. But not every move is fire and swords. Sometimes power lies in restraint."Xavier (snapping): "Restraint? You think the bastard wh
THE LEGACY FRACTURESThe Vote of ShadowsCouncil Hall, CapitalThe Provisional Council sits in a circle of obsidian thrones in the ruined High Temple hall, scorched and hastily reconstructed. Cracks line the marble floor like a map of division. Rain pounds the skylights, but inside, the air is thick with dread.Councilman Tarek (rubbing his temple):"We've received Arion's latest decree. He offers peace... if we disband the Flame Line entirely and crown him by bloodright."Councilwoman Maldra (dryly):"And if we don't?"
THREE FLAMES, ONE GRAVEArrival at AshgraveA veil of volcanic ash rains gently as Xavier, Ceres, and Maera approach the ancient caldera known as Ashgrave. The landscape is scorched black and red, steaming in places. Jagged peaks encircle the bowl of the grave like broken teeth. Fire dances below the obsidian floor—alive, whispering.Maera (holding her hood against the heat):“Even the wind here burns with memory. This is where they laid the first Flamebloods. And where some say the flame itself first bled.”Xavier (scanning the ash-covered terrain):&ldquo
THE QUEEN IN THE UNDERGROUNDThe Secret PassageCeres's boots echo against damp stone as she descends the narrow tunnel beneath the western wing of the palace. She carries a lantern made of flame crystal, its glow casting flickers against the crumbling walls.Ceres (murmuring to herself): "This tunnel wasn't on any map. Not even Maera knew the path. So why would she send me here?"A whisper of air brushes her cheek. The stones seem to pulse faintly as though remembering old secrets.Ceres