Her Cinder Throne (Completed)

Chapter 94

It only took a few seconds to reach Gethwine, and then she was there, within a few feet, and she threw the corpse of the monster out toward the former queen who dodged it. But it gained Cole a few seconds to close the gap, her ax swinging down toward Gethwine's head.

Gethwine blinked in surprise, but then she drew her dagger, bringing it up to jar against Cole's handle. Gethwine would be feeling the pain of that block, but it also meant Cole was open. She had to spin away before Gethwine could draw another dagger and stab her through the ribs.

Cole glanced down and grabbed the nearest dropped weapon, a sword, and tossed it at Gethwine. It had the desired effect of startling the queen, making her jump out of the way and put her off balance. This gave enough time for Tanwyn, who had sneaked around behind her, to slam his sword hilt into her shoulders and send her sprawling across the ground.

As Cole ran to reach them, she saw Gethwine look up with pure hatred in her eyes. She knew it wasn't going to be good, but she wasn't able to run any faster to reach Tanwyn. She could only watch as Gethwine raised a hand and summoned up a blast of magic to send directly into Tanwyn's face. He flew backward, slamming into the ground and sliding a few feet. Smoke swirled up around him, and Cole screamed.

Gethwine spun around to face Cole, pushing herself to her feet and aiming blast after blast of magic at her. But Cole blocked them all, fury at what Gethwine had done burning in her. She closed the gap and brought her ax down hard over the top of Gethwine's head. Gethwine managed to conjure up a shield from her magic, pausing Cole's arm in the air.

Cole snarled, her face only a few inches from the queen's. "You won't be able to hold this shield long. You're already tired from making all these monstrous Cursed for Thijs."

"I can hold it long enough for Thijs to help me," Gethwine bit back.

"Why do you trust him?" Cole asked, frustration pulsing through her. "He kills everyone. What makes you think he won't kill you? What makes you think he'll save you from me?"

Gethwine glared back. "I don't have to trust him. He needs my help making his Cursed, and then he'll restore me to Queen. He'll give back what you took."

Cole tried to break through Gethwine's shield through sheer brute strength, but the fear of death strengthened Gethwine's power. "You don't have to fight for him. You can return home. I didn't even want the throne. You have only to realize that peace and power cannot exist in the same place. I'd give your crown back if you promised to stop pursuing lands and people that are not yours."

Gethwine laughed. "You'll see once you've ruled for hundreds of years. Assuming your half-blood lets you live that long. But the people will grumble. They'll want more. You can't sit still and do nothing. You have to fight for more. Get more. Be more."

Cole shook her head. "No. I won't be that kind of queen. No matter how much time passes."

Gethwine spat on the ground. "We'll see, little vixen."

Thijs did not come to help Gethwine, and a second later, her powers waned enough that Cole could use her own to disrupt the shield enough to let her ax swing down. It connected with Gethwine's shoulder just to the side of her neck, and sunk deep into the flesh and bone. Gethwine blanched, crumpling immediately, and Cole pulled her ax out, dripping with blood.

Before checking on Gethwine, she ran instead to where Tanwyn was pushing himself up onto his elbows. Relief ran through her when she saw he was still alive, even though she saw the large burn running across his cheek and neck, raw and red. Lines of black soot ran across his face, making him almost unrecognizable. But he was breathing and conscious, and he wrapped his arms around her when she slammed into him.

She kissed his lips, careful not to press on the burn that ran up under his chin, but wanting to let all the relief of his safety out of her body. Her hands tangled in his hair, pulling him close, their foreheads bumping and nothing feeling comfortable. But her lips felt his breath on them and his eyelashes brushed her cheeks as he blinked, and that was all she ever wanted.

She pulled back, knowing they didn't have much time. He used her outstretched hand to help pull him to his feet, and they walked back over to where Gethwine lay on the ground. Red blood slopped out of the slice on her shoulder, staining her white gown, and her eyes shivered as she stared up at the ceiling. Her whole body shook, but she was alive.

"You stay here and take care of her," Cole said, turning to Tanwyn. He didn't argue, but merely nodded. She kissed him again, fast and swift, but hoping that he knew what it meant.

Then she turned slowly, facing down the cavern toward where Thijs had gathered more soldiers and Cursed to his side, creating a living shield. He was only just visible between their ranks, but he still had that same smile that burned a hole in Cole's heart.

She gripped her ax so hard that her skin creaked against the wood and pain blossomed in her palm. But she ignored it, because she was focused only on Thijs. He was not going to survive today, she would make sure of it.