Burn

Violet stood at the edge of the Montserrat border, the wind whipping around her like the chaos inside her chest. Her fists were clenched, the paper from the fire earlier now long gone from her mind, but the anger and betrayal still lingered, simmering like a wound that wouldn’t heal. Halden’s words had been lies—sweet, carefully crafted lies that made her believe in him, in them. And now, in the cold, biting wind of winter Montserrat, all she had left was rage.

She’d been glad to be deployed away from Callydr, no doubt King Tauri's work. But it was nice to escape it all—the anger, the heartbreak, the suffocating weight of what had been. Montserrat’s was a place of freedom for her, a place where no one could reach her. Except-

“Mira.” Her voice was brittle, the anger still fresh in her tone.

Mira had been following her for the last few hours, ever since she’d landed. How she knew something was wrong, Violet would never know, but she was grateful nonetheless. As much as Violet wanted to push her away, she knew Mira would never let her go through this alone. And despite her fury, Violet was grateful for that. Mira had always been the kind of person who didn’t hesitate to step in when someone needed her.

Mira’s footsteps stopped just behind her, the harshness of the Montserrat wind tugging at her dark hair. “So, what did the piece of shit do?” Her voice was sharp, laced with a fury of her own.

Violet could hear the bite in her words. It made something inside Violet stir, a small, twisted relief that Mira wasn’t offering her any kind of sympathy. She didn’t need that. What she needed was a plan to tear Halden’s world apart, the same way he’d done to hers.

“He cheated on me,” Violet finally muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. The words felt like venom as they left her mouth, a confession of a wound that would never heal.

Mira's fists turned white at her sides. “That fucking bastard.” She shook her head, her eyes narrowing with fury. “He doesn’t deserve to breathe.”

Violet couldn’t help the bitter laugh that escaped her. “I thought I knew him. I thought we had something... It was all a lie.”

Mira stood silent for a moment, as though she were weighing her words carefully. “You know, we could make him pay for this,” she said after a long pause, her tone dark and dangerous.

Tairn decided that was the time to chime in *I agree with that assessment, Silver One. Let him burn like his words.*

The offers hung in the air, sharp and dangerous, like the threat of a storm about to break. But Violet shook her head, her hands trembling. She wasn’t ready to become that person. She wasn’t ready to let him win by making her lose herself in this rage.

“I don’t want him dead,” she said quietly. “I want him to suffer. But not like that.” She clenched her fists, staring down at the sharp rocks below. “I’ll find a way to make him pay. But I need to do this myself.”

Mira’s eyes flickered, though she didn’t push the idea further. “Fine. But if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me.” Her gaze softened, her usual fury replaced by a calm understanding.

Violet didn’t say anything for a moment. She couldn’t. But then, from the edge of the cliffs, the sound of Andarna’s growl echoed through the mountains. Violet looked up, her heart skipping a beat. The dragon had been silent for too long, and now, there was a glint of something primal in her eyes as she glided down from the peak, her wings beating against the wind.

Andarna landed gracefully beside them, her massive frame towering over the two women. *Mira’s right,* she said, her voice far to bright for someone contemplating murder. *I could eat him. That would fix everything.*

Violet blinked, half-laughing, half-shocked by the suggestion. She turned to Mira, who raised an eyebrow. “Is it bad that I am seriously considering letting Andarna eat him?”

“Not at all,” Mira said with a malicious gleam in her eyes. “Teine said he'd be willing to help her.”

Violet couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at her lips. “Thanks, but I think I’ll take care of him myself.”

Andarna huffed, clearly disappointed, but the fire in her eyes never wavered.*I know I can't eat our allies, but he very clearly isn't your ally.*

Mira gathered her in a hug. "I love you. And I'm willing to die by dragon fire to get back at this asshole. Let me know. I'll get my duty cleared"

Violet took a deep breath, her heart still heavy with the weight of betrayal, but a flicker of determination burning inside her now. He would pay—on her terms. She would make sure of it.

“Thanks, Mira,” she whispered, the weight of the night pressing against her, but her resolve stronger than ever. “I’ll make him regret it. Every single day.”