Drowning Sorrows In Raging Fire Novel Novels & Stories

Book Two: The Alpha Queen and her Human Mate: Shadowstorm Rising Chapter One: Embers Awaken The dream still clung to Raven’s skin as she slammed into the ground, breath exploding from her lungs, the cold dirt beneath her a shock after the fire. She rolled, instinct taking over, Nightfire blazing to life in her veins, black flames licking her arms as her blade swung up, blocking the descending claws of the creature above her. It screeched, a sound that tore at the edges of sanity, red eyes glowing in the darkness as it lunged again.

Steam seemed to rise from my body as I laid on my back, staring up at the ceiling, my vision fading. I took a heavy deep breath as I fought against the pain, the familiar darkness swallowing me again. And then, I was there again. I screamed as the fire grew and reached towards me, the familiar figure in front of me starting to get licked up. The flames roar like laughter as a pained scream hit my ears, I reached forward, reaching towards his shoulder. I wanted to help him, I wanted to save him. My fingers mere millimeters from the denim cloth of his jacket, and then...a hand grabbed mine. Her body bursting with flames, I looked at her hand on my wrist, the image of blood seeping onto my hand

When the fire consumed him entirely, it felt like a physical arrow piercing straight through my chest. The sheer, devastating force of my grief slammed me hard against the opposite wall. I fell to my knees in the ashes. I could not stop it. I could not turn back time or undo my pathetic failure. I had let him die, let the Ifrit wreak havoc completely unchecked. Sorrow washed over me in relentless, crushing waves, each one heavier than the last. The weight of my failure threatened to drown me far more than any frozen lake ever could. The water dragon’s presence intensified the fluid, unpredictable nature of the illusion, evoking massive waves of dread that surged through my mind.

But Evelynn was already reaching. The moment her fingers brushed the ember, the world tilted. Suddenly she was somewhere else. The forest burned. Screams echoed through the trees. And she was running — barefoot, breathless, hair tangled and wild — chasing something, or maybe fleeing. In her arms, a silver dagger. Behind her, wolves. In front of her, a man with eyes like smoke and a voice like thunder. “You are flame,” the voice said. “And you are death.” Then — darkness.

Then, I draped it over the burning ground and began stomping on it in a bid to put the fire out. But that only seemed to anger the book as it sent a stream of heat from underneath that burnt the jacket to crisp. I took a step back just before the flames to get to me and watched with horror as the circle began to grow. Then, the fire rose, swirling in the air like a tornado. Smoke covered the entire place, burning my lungs, choking the air out of me. My eyes teared up and my vision blurred as I tried to make out my surroundings. Unable to breath, I collapsed to the ground, clutching my throat as I thought, this was it. This was how I was going to die–choked out by some demon-ass smoke from he

** Trigger warning the next few chapters are extremely dark which some readers may find disturbing ** There is a pounding and ringing in my head, an unbearable cacophony that I can't pinpoint. A steady drip echoes past it, a rhythmic torture that seeps into my consciousness. My body aches with a pain so intense it feels inevitable—I will pass out again. I try to open my eyes, but they feel sealed shut, clogged with dirt and debris. A hiss escapes me as fire licks up my back and thighs, every second intensifying the agony. The dripping sound persists, my breath thins, and I descend into darkness.

Then it all took one blink before an ocean of fire devoured her parents, red flames drowning them and her entire village. “NOOO!” Larice reached out to them, but she was too late. She looked around in horror. Then she noticed—flames surrounded her like the biggest and deepest ocean, and she was the tiny fish; alone, lost, afraid. She couldn’t breathe. What’s happening? Why was the fire not burning her alive? Why did it have to torture her this slowly? “Larice … Larice … Larice!” She squeezed her eyes shut, as she couldn’t handle the sight of the flames. Her blood surged once again, heart beating faster … and faster … and faster …

Eira snarled furiously from the wolfbane poison effects suppressing her presence and withdrew into the profound depths of Nueva's mind. The smoke grew dense, and Nueva struggled to see. Marigold's red dress turned into a blushing silhouette in the misty layers in front of her. Nueva could see two bright flares flickering through her squinting eyes before a roar of fire rushed towards her. Nueva barely avoided the scorching flames searing the fabric of her jumper from her arm and blistering her pale skin. The bittersweet scent of burnt hair and skin blended with the forest air's putrid smells.

Images flashed through my mind—not my memories, but theirs. Feel it, wolf. The voice boomed in my skull, vibrating through my teeth. I gasped, choking on air that tasted of smoke. I saw a woman dragged by her hair through mud, her neighbors spitting on her. I felt the heat of the flames licking at my feet while men in rusted armor laughed. I felt the crushing weight of stones piled on my chest until my ribs snapped. I felt the icy water of a drowning pool filling my lungs.

“Then you’ll burn nonetheless.” In the next second, I couldn’t breathe anymore. My head remained forcefully submerged, eyes burning as the water got into my lungs. I tried to fight against his grip, but Dante wouldn’t budge. His hold was tight as iron, carrying every intent of putting me through hell. Was he saying something? I could barely make it out. It hurt so much, and water was already winding up my nose, making it hard to breathe. I couldn’t see. Couldn’t hear or focus on anything but the fact that I was being drowned. Dante meant to kill me.