Chapter 4 The Woman Beneath the Flame

Silence reigned in the Vale penthouse.It wasn't the peaceful kind but the sharp, blistering silence that followed disaster. The kind of silence that suffocates. Elira sat on the edge of the velvet chaise lounge, her palm still glowing faintly with the sigil burned into her skin.Kieran stood a few feet away, hands clenched behind his back, eyes fixed on the city below. He hadn't spoken in fifteen minutes.Neither had she.The assassin's voice haunted her. "The ring isn't to protect you. It's to contain you." Elira stared at the ring on her finger. It didn't burn now-but she could feel it...

humming. Watching. Waiting. "I want answers," she finally said. Kieran didn't turn. "I don't have them."

"That's a lie." He exhaled slowly. "It's a partial truth." She stood. "Then tell me the rest." He looked at her now. His eyes those impossible, silver eyes-were harder than ever. "That mark on your palm... it's old magic. Forgotten magic. Magic born in the time of dragons." "I've never touched magic until yesterday." "Maybe not consciously. But something has been buried inside you for a long time, Elira. Something dangerous. The council feared it before you were even born." "Then why pretend this is about your curse?" Kieran walked toward her, slow and deliberate. "Because I needed a reason to bring you back into the magical world without alerting the ones who want you dead."

She stopped. "Back?" He came to a halt just inches away from her. "You weren't Elira Dane all the time." Her throat constricted. "Ashara Vel Tyrin is your birth name." The name struck her like a blast of cold water. "No." She took a step back. "I'm not that." It was. At the time of the Tyrin fire, you were a child. when the city that was warded burned. when one of the last Fireborn, your mother, died defending you. "I don't recall that." "Because you were concealed." Someone gave you a fresh start and erased your memories. However, your lineage has survived. Elira's vision became hazy. Something was off with the air. She trembled.

"You were aware of this?" she insisted. "You've been aware of this from the start?" "I had a suspicion," Kieran stated. "I required verification. Ancient magic is read by the ring. It identified the Fireborn within you when it bonded to you. "And for that reason, I am here." Her voice broke. "Not because I'm important. Not because you are concerned. since I am a weapon. He didn't dispute it. Her eyes pricked at the corners, but she forced herself to hold back the tears. Not before him. Not in front of the man who had been manipulating her all along. "Now what?" she said sourly. "Until I burst into flames and murder someone, you show me off like a bride?" "I'm attempting to keep you safe." "By lying?"

"By rendering you impenetrable." Her laugh was hollow and icy. "No one is invincible. Not even you. Then she made a careless move. She took hold of the ring and tugged. Immediately, the fire flared. Not from pain, but from the surge of memories, a scream tore through her throat. A burning fortress in the mountains. A red-haired woman yelling, "Run, Ashara!" "They will hunt you until the stars die," she heard a voice in her head. Her vision was swimming as she collapsed to the ground, gasping. She pushed Kieran away after he caught her. She growled, "You ought to have told me." "I wanted to introduce you gradually-"

"This cannot be eased into. The only option is to survive. His eyes softened as he knelt next to her. "Then let's work together to survive it." Something flickered between them for a second. A truth that is not spoken. A touch of tenderness. But when the ring pulsed once more, this time with a different person's magic, the moment was shattered. Kieran straightened up. "There's someone here." The penthouse shook before Elira could react. On the window, a sigil flared. With a curse, Kieran held up a shield. "Stand by me!" However, it was too late. Blue flame and glass flew out of the window as it exploded inward. A dark figure with hands glowing with corrosive energy entered, their face hidden by a mirrored mask. Kieran Leaped, calling forth a blade of shadow. Steel struck. Sparks were flying. Elira's nerves were seared by the mark on her palm, which was burning brighter than ever when she attempted to move. Her knees gave way. The intruder faced her and spoke straight into her head. "Fireborn, they're all lying. Even him. He is not on your side. He is your jailer. With a roar, Kieran threw the figure back. Their mask briefly tipped, exposing a woman's jawline. Elira gasped.That scar was familiar to her. that motion. That face. Her sister was the assassin. Following a vicious assault and shocking disclosures, Elira learns that her long-lost sister, who was believed to have died with their mother, is not only still alive but has been secretly observing her. She is the masked killer, and her warning implies that Kieran has been betrayed on a deeper level.