Once Betrayed Never Forgotten

Chapter 98: The Flames of Betrayal

As Bloodbatic and I are dragged along the corridors, I wonder why it is that he hasn’t tried to escape by turning into

into his blood mist form. We’d slip right through the guards‘ fingers if we did that. He coull also escape by manifesting a sword from his blood and cutting the guards down – I mean, it’s basically impossible to disarm a blood wraith, because we form our weapons as we whenever and wherever we want, from our own blood.

And in that same vein, why haven’t I tried to escape this way? Maybe because some deep down, subconscious part of me understands that my powers are useless here, suppressed and inaccessible so deep into fire wraith territory.

To test my theory, I try to shift into my blood mist form, and feel my blood unwilling to obey, I struggle, looking for the connection, for the flow of my blood, but I don’t feel it.

Bloodbane’s voice is low, urgent as he somehow realises what I’m trying to do..

“It’s pointless,” he says as we are pushed along. “There are enchanted wards all over this mountain. From the moment we stepped foot inside this accursed place, our blood powers have been neutralised. Arianna, we need to stay sharp and find another way out. This isn’t over. We don’t truly know our situation yet.”

I nod, clinging to the hope that there’s more to this than betrayal. The cold, damp air of the volcanic stone dungeon seeps into my bones as we are thrown into a cell, the clang of iron echoing ominously around us.

Once the guards leave, I turn to Bloodbane, my voice barely a whisper. “Could it all have been a lie?

Bloodbane’s eyes are berce, his resolve unbroken. “I don’t know, Arianna. But we can’t give up. We need to find a way out, to warn the Pyra’s threat is real.”

e Blood Scribe if

I slump against the cold stone, the weight of our predicament bearing down on me. Yet, as I close my eyes, I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something we’re missing, a piece of the puzzle that remains hidden. Pyra’s eyes, the storm behind her calm facade–could it be a sign?

Determined, I rise to my feet. “We need to escape, Bloodbane. We need to find out the truth.” My resolve hardens; this is not the end. Not yet.

The cold stone presses against my back, its harsh surface a stark contrast to the sweltering heat seeping through the dungeon walls. The air is thick, tasting of sulfur and ash, each breath burning my lungs. Bloodbane and I sit in silence, the dim torchlight casting flickering shadows on his stony face. I glance at him, his eyes fixed on some unseen point, his thoughts as distant as mine.

Damn it, Pyra. Is this what betrayal feels like? Hot, raw, and seething in your gut? Part of me wonders if I should have listened to Bloodbane all along. He was suspicious of her from the start, and yet I convinced myself we could trust her. What a joke. I’ve known her for all of five minutes, and now we’re locked up in a hellish dungeon, waiting for her coronation to go off without a hitch.

I shift against the stone, my muscles stiffening with the cold. The guards‘ conversations echo down the corridor, drifting into an incoherent murmur. But it’s not enough to drown out the ceaseless chatter in my head.

My thoughts twist back to Aleksandr, a familiar ache blooming in my chest. I picture his pale handsome face, those sharp, dark eyes, and I wonder if I’l ever see him again. Or my mother. Or even Luka and Mircea, and the Vasiliev clan. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, and I choke on it, trying to keep my composure. I miss them. But right now, that feels like a luxury I can’t afford.

Two days crawl by in agonizing silence. The guards‘ voices come and go, snippets of conversation about Pyra’s imminent coronation drifting in and out. The night seems to close in on us, the darkness pressing in like a suffocating shroud.

I snap to attention at the sound of scuffling footsteps, followed by the dull thud of bodies hitting the ground. Bloodbane’s head jerks up, his eyes narrowing as he stands beside me.

A figure emerges from the gloom, her silhouette unmistakable. Tyra?” I exclaim, my heart leaping into my throat.

She steps forward, dressed in regal finery–an exquisite black silk dress embroidered with golden flames that twist into the shape of a phoenix. “Are yo injured?” she asks, her hand extending to mine through the bars.

“We’re I

fine,” I say, relief mingling with the bitter taste of betrayal. “I knew you’d come for us,”

Bloodbane doesn’t stay a word, he just stares at her grimly, no emotion on his handsome face.

Pax hand glows with fire, the metal bars of the door melting under her touch. With a swift kick, she shatters the lock, the door swinging Blosslbane and Estep out, the cold metal of the sangen grote beneath mar feet a harsh reminder

“We don’t have much time, Pyta says, her voice a harsh whisper. I’m supposed to be meditating in the volcano’s peak, purifying myself before the wwwmation. I used the opportundy to sneak away, but may cousins who have made themselves comfortable on the throne will use any excuse to kill me. They ve already sent assassins after me. I dispatched them, but we need to move quickly, I will guide you to the

The volcano, where Fontaine,

the ancient Fire Angel, slumbers. There, you’ll find the key to cross between tralius.”

My breath catches in my throat. The key. The way home.

Bocsibane’s Lace is teadable, his eves lived on Pyra. “Are you truly leading us there? This isn’t another trick?

“Anther trick” Pia asks Blodbane, her golden eyes blazing. Thave not led to you, not one. Not have I ever tricked you. Leading the fire wraiths to believe that I am on then side was the outh way to keep you safe, to get us this close to the mountain’s heart. My plan has always been, and remains, that I will get you to Fontaine once you have both escaped this mountam you, Bloodhame, escaping to the likod lands, and you, Arianna, to the Earth realm then I will take up my rightful place as the Fire Queen. I will broker a peace between our twin peoples.”

Blodbane seems to t

think about this for a while, his glowing red eyes boring into Pyra’s bright golden ones. Then, he does something I didn’t expect.

He takes het hand in his, and talks very softly.

“Come with us,” he says simply.

“You know I can’t,” she says, looking away, avviding his eyes.

“Your catise is noble, but the fire wraiths will never listen to you,” he says gently, his words laced with sadness. “The history of hatred and war between qur byway Laces runs too deep. It is a wound that voll never be healed, and you will be crucified for trying. Picase Pyta, don’t sacrifice yourself, Come with

Pyta shakes her head, her mind made up.

“I can take you only as far as the angel’s resting place,” she says. “And then I must get back to the mountain top springs, before the guards realise that I have left. I’m sorry, Bloodbane. Lowe it to my parents. Tis the Blood Scribe. And to our people. I must do what I can to heal the wound that ails our world.”

A flicker of understanding passes between Bloodbane and me as he gravely accepts her words. We nod, following Pyra as she leads us down the dark corridor. The air grows warmer as we descend, the heat intensifying until it’s suffocating, but it’s a heat filled with promise.

The heart of the volcans, where an ancient angel lies in wait.

As we navigate the winding tunnels, the shadows seem to deepen around us, but my heart beats with a renewed sense of purpose. For the first time in days, a glimmer of hope sparks in my chest. The path ahead may be perilous, but it leads to the key–my key to returning to my world, to the people I love.

“Stay sharp, Bloodbane whispers, his eyes scanning the darkness,

I nod, my fingers brushing against the amulet at my chest. The cold metal grounds me, its weight a reminder of the journey ahead,

We press on, deeper into the volcanic mare, where the flames of betrayal and redemption intertwine, leading us to the slumbering angel and the path to another world.

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