Embracing the Flames (12 page)

I crawled, searching for the way to the bathroom. I felt disgusted and wanted to shower. I needed to be rid of that part of me. The part that was connected to a monster. The part that craved vengeance.

“Aurora,” came Astral’s humbling voice. I didn’t look up. I didn’t want to see the confirmation in his eyes. “Look at me,” he commanded softly.

Anger flared up. I couldn’t control it. I managed to ask, “Did you know?” The conviction in my voice was there, already condemning him for Zane’s death.

He knew what I meant. I didn’t need to speak Zane’s name. Astral hesitated so I spoke again. “Tell me, Astral, did you know? Did you know what would happen to him?” I grew frantic. I felt Fenn’s arms wrap around me as he tried to calm me down.

I shoved him off.

“If you really feel you must ask, the answer is no.” He sounded hurt. It was the first time I had ever heard that emotion in his voice. “I did not know. Is there something you need to tell me?” he asked in return.

I knew I was being silly. Astral would never wish that on anyone, but someone needed to be my target so I could release this anger.

“Why did he need to kill Zane to deal with the Dark Saar? He’s a monster. He killed his own son.” Anguish ripped at my heart as the thoughts poured from my mouth.

I looked up into Astral’s eyes. They were so apologetic, so sorrowful. Tears blurred my vision as I collapsed into Fenn’s arms, wincing from the pain in my side. “I can’t do this. I can’t fight him. I’m only me.”

I felt completely hopeless, a lost cause. Zordon was right. I was a joke.

“You’re not a joke, Aurora Jay Megalos,” said Astral. “We will talk when you have calmed down. You can’t rationalize in this state of mind. You need to rest. Tomorrow you go before the Council so I am going to put a sleeping spell on you, one that will keep you from dreaming, and the amulet will finish healing your wound.”

I nodded into Fenn’s shoulder.

“Stay with me,” I whispered to him as I felt Astral’s magic slowly creep in.

“I will never leave your side again,” he whispered protectively, pulling me tighter to him. Then I felt nothing but peace.

I woke early in the morning, comfortably curled into Fenn. At first I felt at peace, as if the previous night was only a nightmare. But then Zane’s tormented face snuck in to my brain, clouding my thoughts with reality.

I carefully sat up, trying not to wake Fenn, but he must have been sleeping lightly. He yawned and rolled to face me, softly caressing my face. “You okay?” he asked with concern.

“I think so,” I lied. I buried my face into his chest, trying not to let the tears pick back up where they had left off the night before.

Once again I was left worrying about a woman I had failed to help. I should have done something to help Irisi.

“I can feel your distress,” he admitted with his raspy, morning voice.

“Because of the mating thing?”

He nodded. “It only happens sometimes. Talk to me. Let me help you.” He cupped the back of my head and ran his fingers through my hair, twirling the ends in his usual, comforting way.

I sighed heavily and rolled onto my back. The leaves from the tree outside my window cast shadows across the ceiling that moved like tiny, flaming demons. I imagined them coming to take me away for all of my recent failures.

Fenn propped up on his elbow next to me and continued playing with the ends of my hair. “Well…” he drug out, “speak.”

I spun around to face him. “Zordon killed Zane, Fenn, in cold blood. And I did nothing to stop him. I did nothing to help Zane or Irisi. Not to mention the fact that we were attacked by a Necromancer.” The reality of what happened sank in. Zane was really dead. I gasped. “Oh my God. Gabe,” I shouted, sitting straight up. I hadn’t even thought about him and what could have happened to him.

“He’s okay, Rory,” Fenn reassured, pulling me back down to him. I lay against his chest, relief swarming me as the rhythm of his heart calmed my thoughts. “He reported to Astral late last night. I think he mostly wanted to check in on you. You gave us all a real scare yesterday.”

“If it wasn’t for him, I probably would be dead. He saw me in time and sent me back here.”

“I know. We are so lucky to have him on our side. I just hope he will remain safe. Every time he leaves us, I worry his secret will be discovered and he won’t return.”

Fenn stopped twirling my hair and stared out the window at the demonic leaves. “He’s taught me a lot since I’ve returned. He’s my mentor. He just gets me.”

“I never thought of it like that, but he is like a father figure to you, isn’t he?”

“I guess so.” He resumed playing with my hair. “But anyway, he said Zane was taken back to the Lyceum along with Irisi who they are keeping prisoner. He thinks Zordon is using her as bait to find Na’shir.”

“I just don’t understand it. Why the need to kill Zane? What will that do for the Saar? And now he wants Na’shir who is the leader of the Necromancers. We would never be able to defeat an army that strong.” Talking of Necromancers reminded me of something. “Your ring…it glowed back in the forest.”

He looked down at it. “I told Astral about what happened in the forest. He said he thinks it’s spelled to glow every time dark magic is near it. Cool right?”

“For sure.” I smiled at him.

There was a light knock on my door. “Come in,” I said.

Lexi poked her head around the door. “Rory, are you alright? I just heard what happened.”

“Come in,” I said. She didn’t hesitate.

“What happened?” she asked, rushing to sit at the foot of the bed. Fenn and I both sat up.

I filled her in on what happened and tried to ignore the pained shock on her face. It only made me feel worse.

“Sometimes I don’t know if there’s a difference between Zordon and me. Between the darkness inside us, I mean. I’ve never felt hatred so deep. I’ve never wanted to kill anyone as bad as I want to kill him.”

Fenn shifted next to me. “You two are extremely different. You are everything he is not — pure and good.”

“We are different. I just meant there’s something between us, like our energy is the same. It’s scary to know I have that in me. And it’s scary to know that people die around me.”

I broke off and looked out the window. Fenn started rubbing my back in soothing circles.

“He told Zane that he needed his help to gain the Dark Saar’s trust. Of course Zane agreed. And then he killed him, just like that.”

“Someone has to stop him,” Lexi protested. “We have to do something about this. We should save Irisi. The Fates will be on our side.”

“I’m not so sure,” Fenn admitted, looking to the floor.

“Why do you say that?” I asked warily.

“I overheard Astral and your dad last night. It didn’t sound too promising.”

I suppressed a sigh, the constant sinking feeling sinking even deeper.

“Myrdinn begged Astral to talk to The Fates about what happened to you, to get them to help, but Astral said no. He said he didn’t trust them — the same thing he said about the Oraculus. If you don’t return it soon, he fears they will come for you, like before. Then he said he has a plan.”

“What was it?” Lexi asked.

“I’m not sure. Your boyfriend’s stupid Morbit jumped onto me and started licking my face, blowing my cover. It was quite humiliating. Astral’s blue eyes appeared, and I heard ‘Go to bed.’ I didn’t think twice.”

“Epic fail,” she giggled.

We both looked at her.

“What?” she asked innocently. “Logan says it all the time. I find it kind of fitting.” She finished laughing, and we both managed a chuckle. “Seriously though, I really think everything will work out. Astral is a wise man. A hell of a lot wiser than Zordon could ever wish to be.”

“Everyone has a weakness,” I noted grimly. It was a pessimistic thought but a realistic one. The room grew quiet as we all pondered what had happened. 

“I guess I better get back to Logan before he wakes. Maybe you were right about him not belonging here. Maybe we should take him back.”

I looked at her strangely, unsure of where this revelation had come from. Then I palmed my forehead.

“I totally forgot! How was your date? A complete disaster?” I asked with fingers crossed.

Her mood lifted. “Strangely enough, it was a complete success. At first I did all the wrong things. I cried spontaneously for no reason, fell a whole lot, acted dumb, and was mean, and it all seemed to work. But then he took me for a walk through the market and we started talking. We kind of,” she paused, a short smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, “well, we hit it off. He wants to see me again.”

Fenn’s laughter had us both punching him in the chest.

“This is so not funny,” she scolded with her hands on her hips.

He tried to stifle a chuckle. “Oh, but it is. What’d Logan say?” His words were thick with implications.

She looked away. “I haven’t told him yet. I’ve been kind of avoiding the subject.”

“Not with Logan,” I said with a snort. “I’m sure he probed you about it the minute you walked in the door.”

Her face flushed.

“I sort of made sure it wasn’t in his thoughts, with magic, that is.” Her blushes seemed to blend together as her eyes darted to Fenn, examining his face.

He ruffled her pixie-like hair. “Honestly, I think it’s great, Lex. This guy might be better for you than Logan. He’s from here. He understands our ways. Maybe it really is meant to be.” He kicked his legs over the bed and stood, stretching his body out. “We really should be getting ready though. Lots to do today.”

“That’s right!” I said as I shot out of bed. I scrambled for my clothes while they both stood and gawked at me. “Well, don’t just stand there, go get ready! The Council is coming!” I didn’t add that I was more anxious about learning what Astral had to offer to help me with my shift.

“Rory, calm down,” Fenn teased, reaching for my hand. “Everything is going to work itself out. We will pass with flying colors, I’m sure.” I pushed both him and Lexi out my bedroom door, not stopping to listen.

“I’m sure you’re sure.” I looked over at Lexi. “You’re so lucky to have already taken this test and passed.”

“Yeah, Sage Mage Alexis,” Fenn said with an eye roll.

“I will see you soon.” And then I shut the door in their faces.

Chapter 8

A Long-awaited Merging

A LITTLE WHILE LATER, FENN and I met Astral outside the house. The sun rested high in the sky, hidden behind a cluster of puffy-white clouds gliding east with the breeze. 

“Ready to train before you go before the Council?” Astral asked, perking up his brow.

I nodded. “Do you, umm…know who they are?” I asked tentatively. It would be nice to have an idea about who I would be speaking with.

“Yes, and it’s not a ‘they.’” He chuckled as we started our walk to the pond. “It’s actually a man who governs the affairs of the Magium for The Fates. His name is Artemus.”

“Sounds friendly enough,” Fenn mused.

Astral stopped short. “Names can be deceiving.”

“I only meant—”

But something had come over him. A darkness I had never seen before. “No one can be trusted anymore,” Astral spoke over Fenn, “do you understand?” Astral’s figure grew, looming over us. “Times have changed, and there’s a darkness boiling on the horizon. People aren’t who they once were. Lines are being drawn, and sides are being chosen. The sooner you understand that, the better.” His eyes grew fierce, burning his warning deep into us. I reached out to him. It was as if he was as shaken up about Zane’s death as I was.

“I am, Aurora,” Astral admitted quietly, reading my thoughts. “I should have foreseen that.”

“But how could you have?” I eased. “How could you have known?”

“I knew Zordon has been considering the Dark Saar for some time now. I also know it’s not easy to meet with them and what they may request would entail something horrible. They devour souls. And as you know, Soothe left a part of the prophecy out. The part that speaks of a death before the Stone of Immortality can be obtained. The death of a first-born child. Zane was that child.”

My stomach dropped. “A blood sacrifice?”

He nodded.

Suddenly, my short life felt even shorter. The missing piece of the prophecy talked about this? That’s all he needed to do? Did Zordon know that?

“I don’t think those were his purposes for killing Zane. He never learned the missing piece,” Astral cut in.

“Then what were they?”

“I can’t say.” He looked away from me.

Can’t or won’t
, I thought to myself.

So many things I hadn’t accomplished yet. If Zordon could pull this off, if he could kill his first born, then what would keep him from killing me and obtaining the Stone?

“One thing will be having control over your dragon. If you can gain that, and your title, then you will be closer to defeating him.” Astral always had an answer.

“And you know how I can do that?”

“As long as you can maintain your temper…” He lowered his brow, emphasizing his words.

I shifted under his accusing gaze and nodded. He was right, I did have a temper problem.

“When you stay with the Draconta, you will begin to understand more about yourself than I could ever teach you. But for now, I can share what little I do know. The song that plays between you and Fenn is a soul song heard between two dragons that are mated.”

We haven’t mated
, I thought to myself.

I saw a glint of a smirk on Astral’s face. “Fenn is a part of the prophecy. He is your protector, and he is your soul mate. He will take on similar qualities because of this, even though he is not a dragon. He may be able to feel what you feel at times and even see or hear what you want him to.” I glanced back at Fenn who was smiling smugly.

“See I told you. The perks just get better and better,” Fenn threw in.

Astral ignored him and continued on. “Dragons choose one mate for life and are extremely protective over their mate. They will sacrifice anything to keep the other alive.”

He leaned forward, tilting his brow at me, his face growing somber. “You will have to watch yourself if you are ever in a tight situation. The most important thing is for you to focus on defeating Zordon. You are our only chance. You can’t let anyone stand in the way of that.”

I looked over at Fenn. His eyes shot to the floor. Astral was right. I had to be selfless in my decisions…for the sake of our worlds.

“No matter what, okay?” Fenn reiterated. “He must be stopped.”

“I know this is hard,” Astral threw in, tilting his head to the side like a puppy. “Believe me, I’ve sat up many a night trying to think of the easiest way to get you out of this. But there is nothing. The only thing we can do is make sure we are as prepared as possible for all circumstances.”

The burden sank deeper into my soul. “I understand,” I said soberly. No one would come before the greater good. I would stop at nothing when it came to defeating Zordon. I would have to leave everyone behind, if necessary.

I sighed heavily and reached out for Fenn’s hand. He took it and brought it to his lips, kissing away the burden and guilt that threatened to break me. My eyes squeezed shut as I savored this comforting feeling, this moment where I knew all was safe. When I opened them, I saw Astral standing just beyond Fenn’s shoulder.

“Can we please get to the good stuff now?” I asked lightly, hoping that my voice didn’t give away my true feelings.

Astral’s eyes lit up and then focused on the earth as he walked around me. I followed his gaze, watching in awe as flames enclosed me in a binding circle.

“This spell will bind you to the inside of this circle. If something goes wrong, you won’t harm yourself or anyone else.”

I nodded as I looked at Fenn, keeping a brave face.

“I am going to walk you through the binding ritual. You must leave yourself open and let the dragon take over.” I started to object but he put his hand up, shushing me. “I will be in your mind with you,” he added reassuringly.

“I hope you’re right,” I said under my breath.

He ignored what I said.

“My theory is that you will have to come to an understanding inside yourself. When that happens, you will have to bind your soul to your dragon through the amulet. This would have occurred naturally had I not tampered with you when you were born.”

I closed my eyes. Now or never.

I felt the dragon stir, and I opened up to it, letting it take over as my body began to shift. My family crest across my chest lit up as if in flames, and I felt new bones in my back break through. When my wings erupted, blackness began to set in. The dragon emerged, roaring to life, and I felt myself drift behind.

“Aurora,” Astral’s voice said inside the hollow darkness of my mind. “Take control. You mustn’t lose yourself. It’s time to merge.”

A blue glow grew in size behind my eyes, warding off any darkness that threatened to overtake me. I could see through my own eyes. I clung to the pendant that hung from my neck.

“Stay focused,” Astral encouraged. “You must merge.” The warmth of the pendant drummed through me. This was our connection.

For some reason I saw Eve’s face. She had once told me that in order to break the magical barrier in my mind, all I had to do was let everything go.

Deep inside my mind, I was back in Mily’s never-ending hallway, only it was larger. Doors that stretched as far as I could see raced to the end where a ruby-red dragon sat eyeing me down.

“Are you ready for this?” she asked, her voice sounding a lot like mine, only laced with a power I had yet to experience. “Can you handle my power?”

“I think so,” I replied, doubting that I could live up to her grandeur.

“This has to be something we both commit to entirely or it won’t work. We were created for a purpose. When we were bound, The Fates knew they had created something special. We are the beginning of a new dawn.” Her mouth never moved. Instead, our minds spoke to one another.

I took a gallant step forward.

“I plan on fulfilling our destiny, no matter the cost,” I answered boldly. That outward expression of commitment was all it took. We both appeared before a door. It swung open, exposing Fenn and Astral who waited for something to happen.

This was going to work. A brilliant glow encompassed us both, and then we connected. I felt our spirits merge underneath the watchful eye of The Fates. Would they take a kinder eye towards me now that I had done what needed to be done?

When the heat from the pendant subsided, my eyes shot open. The sky’s color was more vivid, dazzling and taunting my eyes to drink in as much as possible. I inhaled deeply, smelling the moist earth that fed all life and Fenn’s pheromones that called to me.

I sensed everything with a great intensity. It was overwhelming.

The pendant’s radiance eased away as steam rose in wispy curls from off my scales. The circle of fire that bound me in place disappeared.

Fenn offered me a hand. “Feel better?”

“Do you feel it?” I asked enthusiastically. I sniffed the air, inhaling all the scents of the garden.

“I feel your excitement,” he said with a huge grin. “It’s like you turned the switch on for me too. Everything feels heightened.” He had his nose in the air too, seeking out the scents I was smelling.

I turned to Astral, beaming from ear to ear. “It worked!” I shouted. But he wasn’t joining in on the excitement. His face was vacant.

“Astral?”

The awareness in his eyes slowly came back to the present. “The Council is ready for you. We must go now, to the Hall of Knowledge.”

I stepped back, staring at him in astonishment. “But I thought the Council comes to us.”

A confused expression spread on his face. “He usually does.”

I stared at him, trying to understand what this meant. Apprehension weighed on his glowing blue eyes. “We can’t go. Something’s wrong.”

He stopped, sighing heavily as he turned to face me. “Little Flame, we can only evade them for so long. We must go.”

“But you said—”

“Shift back,” he commanded as he turned to give me privacy.

I did as he said with haste, conjuring my training outfit to wear, and then waited for him to turn back.

“Take my hand.” I did as he said and grabbed Fenn’s as well, and then his magic surrounded us, taking us to the one place he swore we would never go.