Playing With Fire (Power of Four Book 2) (13 page)

She opened the door and left, leaving a seething Kyran alone in his room.

***

Aaron trudged up the hill, feeling a sense of déjà vu in his actions. Just like before, he was following Neriah, who was leading the way through a dense forest. Skyler and Ella were behind him, but this time his mum and uncle Mike were following them. That was the difference. That and the fact he had both his best friends by his side.

Aaron still couldn’t figure it out; why had Neriah allowed Sam and Rose to come with them? It made little to no sense. Neriah had been paranoid about his dad coming with them before, for fear of attracting unwanted attention, but now he was indifferent to most of Aaron’s family and friends accompanying him.

It was fast approaching dusk. They had spent the entire day trekking through the woods. Before long there would be nothing but the moonlight to guide them.

“Just a minute,” Aaron whispered to the twins either side of him, before hurrying over to Neriah.

“How long will it take to get to the Blade?” he asked.

“Not long,” Neriah replied.

“We won’t get to it before the sun goes down, will we?”

Neriah looked at Aaron with a small smile. “Seeing as the sun is about to dip out of view, I would say no, we won’t.”

“Are we going to camp out here for the night?” Aaron asked.

This time Neriah laughed. “No, I don’t think that would be safe.”

“Sooo?” Aaron waited but Neriah didn’t volunteer anything. “What are we going to do?”

Neriah sighed. “Trust me, Aaron. I know what I’m doing.”

“Then why won’t you just share it with me?” Aaron asked.

Neriah’s eyes sparkled with amusement when he looked around at Aaron. He pointed ahead. “Another two miles and we’ll reach the Gateway to the City of Hunda. We’ll rest there for tonight and complete our journey tomorrow.”

Aaron nodded, satisfied, and began slowing down his pace so he could join his friends again. Neriah’s quiet chuckle halted him.

“You are very much like your father,” Neriah said. “He was inherently curious too, always asking questions, getting involved.” He went quiet, his mood abruptly shifted. “How a person can change.”

Aaron tried to keep silent, but it was a battle he lost within moments. “It’s not like that,” he said. “Dad was only trying to do what he thought would keep us safe.”

“And as commendable as that is, your dad ignored the fact that he had a responsibility to keep the mages of this realm safe too,” Neriah said.

Aaron couldn’t find anything to say to that. He dropped his head, his steps slowing down, losing their pace with Neriah. In response, the leader of the mages slowed down to match him.

“I don’t blame Chris for running,” he said, surprising Aaron. “I came to Marwa after the attack had ended that day. I saw what was left of my city. To have endured the attack, watched as mages fell to the Lycans’ fangs and claws–” He stopped talking, visibly gathering himself. “I understand why he took his wounded wife and unborn child out of that situation.” His jaw clenched and his violet eyes gleamed in the setting sun. “But he didn’t come back. He knew what state he left the mage realm in. He knew the implications of the war. He knew about it all, but he still didn’t return. That’s where my blame lies.”

“Because he left you alone to deal with it all,” Aaron added.

Neriah looked sharply at Aaron, but it didn’t last long. The anger melted from him, replaced with hurt. “It would be impossible for you to understand what life was like before this war,” he said. “The Elementals were a family, in every sense of the word. Chris, Alex, James, Joseph and Hadrian…” He paused. “They were my brothers. There was very little we didn’t do together.” He looked over at Aaron. “Your uncle, Alex was the youngest Elemental. He wasn’t just a baby brother to Chris, he was that to all of us. We indulged him, looked out for him.” He raised his head to the darkened sky and inhaled deeply. “I had to bury him, as well as what was left of little Ben.”

Aaron’s heart lurched in his chest. He looked down at the ground. He wanted to ask Neriah about Kyran, to see what theories the oldest and wisest Elemental could give as to why the son of Hadrian shared such an uncanny resemblance with his uncle. But Aaron couldn’t find it in him to talk about Kyran, not now, not when Neriah sounded so weighed down with grief.

“Your dad didn’t just leave me to deal with Hadrian and this war,” Neriah said. “He left me alone to bury the family we’d lost.” He met Aaron’s eyes. “Above all else, it’s this that I can’t forgive him for.”

Aaron didn’t say anything. There was nothing he could say to that.

11

The Tale Of The Waiting Bloom

The City of Hunda was a small but friendly place. The moment Neriah led the group past the Gate, the residents of Hunda welcomed them with great passion, cheering and applauding. Aaron knew the jubilation was for their leader, for Neriah, but it was still nice to experience it, especially after his depressing talk.

They were quickly ushered to the long table in the middle of the street, where platters of fish and rice were served to them. Aaron watched as Skyler, Ella and Neriah spent very little time at the table. They took a few mouthfuls before disappearing into a hut with a short, squat man – who Aaron figured was the chief of this city.

After dinner, the residents of Hunda gathered around a fire while mugs of sweetened tea were passed out. Aaron sat before the crackling flames, his mum and uncle on one side of him, Sam and Rose on the other. The smell of cinnamon lingered in the air, faint wisps of steam escaped from the cups as trays were hovered before them. Aaron declined the offering, feeling too full after his meal.

The City of Hunda shared some similarities with Salvador, like the communal table in the middle of the street, but where Salvador had lines of cottages, Hunda had rows of small huts. Aaron could see many mages retiring for the night, climbing up the few wooden steps to enter their straw-roofed shacks.

His mum’s hand touched his arm, getting his attention.

“We should go and rest,” she said. “We’re leaving early tomorrow.”

“You go; I’m not tired,” Aaron replied.

Kate’s brow furrowed. “I would rather we all go in together.”

“Mum, it’s cool,” Aaron said, a slight bite to his tone. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right here.” His tone softened at her surprised look. “Go and rest. I’ll be sharing a hut with Sam and Rose anyway.”

Kate glanced at the twins before looking back at him. “Michael is sharing with you and Sam. I’ll share with Rose.”

“If Sam and Rose are okay with that, then fine,” Aaron said.

Kate’s brow knitted, and for a moment Aaron was sure she was going to argue – tell him he wasn’t the one making decisions and to just do as he was told. But Kate’s annoyance rushed out of her with a resigned sigh. She patted his arm. “Goodnight,” she said quietly.

Aaron nodded. “Night.”

Kate got up and left, leaving Michael in conversation with the residents of Hunda.

Aaron watched as one of the mages led Kate to the hut that was prepared for their overnight stay. He saw a group of girls around the huts, wide baskets in hand, talking to the few mages there. Gradually, the girls made their way over to the group sitting around the fire. They spread out, going to different people, holding out their baskets. One of them, a girl who didn’t look much older than Aaron, came to kneel next to Sam and Rose.

“Would you like one?” she asked.

“What is it?” Rose asked, peering into the wicker basket.

“They’re bands of waiting blooms,” the girl replied, holding one out.

Rose took it, examining the strip of white silk. In the middle was a small glass dome, filled with water. Floating inside was a tiny ivory bud.

“Strange design for a wristband,” Aaron said.

The girl peered up at Aaron. “You don’t know what these are?” she asked. “Pardon me, but are you Shattereds?”

“No,” Aaron said, and his voice took on a steely edge. “I’m a mage and they are
human
, not Shattereds,” he said, gesturing to the twins. “Start using the proper term.”

The girl’s eyes widened. “A thousand pardons, sir,” she said quickly. “It was not my intention to anger you.”

“Yeah, well, you just did,” Sam said. “You mages always think you can get away with insulting the rest of us.”

“Oh, but I’m not a mage,” the girl said.

The three of them stared at her with surprise.

“You’re not?” Sam frowned.

“What are you, then?” Aaron asked.

“I’m a Peregrin,” the girl replied.

“What’s a Peregrin?” Sam asked.

“We’re travellers,” the girl explained. “We go from one city to the next, gathering things from one place and selling them in another.”

“Selling them?” Rose looked at the silk strip in her hand. “How much can you make from them?”

“Enough to survive,” the girl smiled back. “These are very special, though. These weren’t picked up, they were crafted by our hand.”

“What do you do with it?” Aaron and Rose asked together and then chuckled at their synchrony.

“You tie it onto the wrist of your beloved, or have them tie it to yours,” the girl said. “If it’s true love, the flower will bloom.”

Rose looked sceptical. “What are the chances of the flower blooming?”

“Why don’t you tie it and see?” the girl replied. She gestured to Aaron. “You both make such a lovely couple. I’m certain it’s true love.”

Rose and Aaron looked at each other with stunned, embarrassed smiles.

“No, no,” Rose shook her head. “I’m not with him.”

“She’s like my sister!” Aaron said. “I’ve grown up with her.”

The girl looked surprised. She turned to Sam.

“She
is
my sister,” he said. “So don’t even go there.”

The girl blushed, dropping her head. “My apologies.” She turned to Aaron and Rose. “You asked about the waiting bloom together so I assumed–”

“We were just curious what they were,” Aaron said.

“These are replicas of the original waiting bloom,” the girl explained, taking the silk strip back from Rose. “It’s an exceptional story. Almost every mage knows of it.” She caressed the glass dome. “It’s one of the greatest love stories of this realm.”

That got Sam’s attention. He looked to Aaron and Rose before scanning the crowd around the fire. Ella was nowhere in sight. Remembering how much of a fan Ella was of love stories, Sam turned back to the Peregrin girl with a grin. “Alright, then, let’s hear this story?”

The girl settled onto her knees, her basket before her.

“The Peregrins heard the tale of the Waiting Bloom from the Pecosas, who swear they heard the story from the mages involved,” she started. “It’s the story of a girl, rumoured to be the prettiest in all the realm. She had hair as dark as night, skin that glowed like the moon. Her eyes were pools of–”

“Yeah, yeah, we get it. She’s really pretty,” Sam interrupted. “Get on with the story.”

“Sam,” Rose chastened with a frown.

“I wanna get to the good stuff,” Sam said.

“Please keep going,” Aaron said to the girl. “And just ignore him.” He waved a hand at Sam.

The Peregrin dipped her head with a smile. “The girl didn’t have much of a family. She lived by herself. She was a peaceful creature, for a mage.” She gave Aaron and the twins a mischievous smile. “But she was at times deeply troubled; for she had fallen in love with a mage – a daring, brave warrior, who faced all sorts of perils on a daily basis.”

“A Hunter,” Aaron guessed.

The Peregrin nodded. “The girl used to beg him to give up his role, to settle with her in a peaceful existence.”

“If all Hunters did that, there wouldn’t be a peaceful existence,” Sam joked.

“Funny, that’s what the boy would reply,” the girl said with a laugh.

Sam looked oddly proud of himself.

“As time passed, the girl began to fret for the safety of her lover,” the girl continued. “She would look to the skies, waiting for them to turn dark, for thunder to clap and lightning to cut through the air. Whenever it did, the girl would fall deep into despair, for she knew her lover was fighting demonic forces.”

Aaron realised she was referring to the phenomenon that occurred in the mage realm when a Q-Zone opened. He himself had witnessed the weather changing during the first Q-Zone hunt he had followed at the Hub in Salvador.

“She wouldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, not until she saw him again,” the girl went on. “Sometimes it would take days for him to come and see her, to assure her that he hadn’t perished in battle. He couldn’t take her despair and worry, so he gifted her with a pendant, one he had created himself, representing both of their elements. He told her to hold on to the pendant and think of him, whenever she fretted for his safety. If the flower bloomed, she was to understand that he was alive and well. Many times she held the glass dome and whispered his name, smiling with relief when the flower blossomed into a full bloom. On one fateful day, when there was a great unrest in the realm, she took the pendant and whispered his name. The flower blossomed, only to wither mere seconds later. The ivory shine turned grey, the petals crushed by an unseen hand. The water in which the flower floated turned crimson and she knew…she knew he was gone, taken by the enemy’s sword.”

Aaron had guessed the ending the moment the girl mentioned the pendant with the flower that only bloomed if the girl’s lover was alive, but it still struck him as tragic. He gave a sideways look to see that even Sam and Rose looked moved.

“So you make the bands in remembrance of their love?” Aaron asked.

The Peregrin smiled sadly and shook her head. “You’ve not heard the part that makes this the greatest story of the realm,” she said. “The girl attended her lover’s funeral. She watched as they buried the battered, broken body of the warrior deep into the earth. She knew her lover was dead, but she believed her love wasn’t.”

Aaron frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“She believed in her love, in the bond that they shared. He was gone but she believed she could still see him – find his shadow in the house they lived in, hear his voice in the whispers of the wind.”

“How?” Sam asked. “That makes no sense–”

“Echoes,” Rose said softly, thinking about the ghost-like forms she had desperately wanted to see of her own parents. She looked at the Peregrin. “She was waiting to see his echo?”

The girl nodded. “Legend has it that she sat outside her house and waited to come across his echo for forty days, without sleeping, barely eating. She became ill, so much so that her friends had to bring an Empath to her, as she couldn’t move. Everyone told her if she couldn’t see his echo in those first forty days, then she never would. That maybe their love wasn’t as strong as she believed. But she never gave up. She insisted she would see him again, that her love was strong enough, that their love was true and that one day he would find his way to her. She kept the pendant, with the belief that one day it would bloom again, the moment his echo finally reached her.” She looked down at the band. “To this day, she sits and waits for him, and that is why we call it the Tale of the Waiting Bloom.”

Aaron waited to hear more, but the girl didn’t speak, having finished the story.

“That’s it?” Sam asked, looking disappointed. “What happened? Did she see his echo? Did the flower thing bloom?”

The girl looked at Sam. “It would no longer be a
waiting
bloom, then, would it?”

“That sucks!” Sam said. “The poor girl needs some closure.” He shook his head, looking unimpressed. “It’s a good story but has a crappy ending.”

“It’s real life, Sammy,” another voice said.

Sam turned with Aaron and Rose to see Ella standing with her arms crossed, a small but saddened smile on her face. “And life doesn’t always permit happy endings,” she continued. “Especially when it comes to matters of the heart.”

Sam fell quiet.

Ella looked at Aaron. “It’s late. We’re leaving early tomorrow morning.” She nodded to the huts. “Call it a night.”

“Okay,” Aaron replied.

Ella gave Sam another look, before her eyes darted to the Peregrin holding the basket. She gave the silk band a long look before turning and walking away.

Sam stared after Ella before taking in a breath. He turned to the girl. “How much for one?” he asked.

The girl offered him the band. “Whatever you can give, sir.”

Sam paused, as realisation dawned on him. “I…I don’t have anything.”

“But you have someone in mind?” the girl asked. “Someone you would like to give this to?”

Sam stared after Ella but didn’t speak.

The Peregrin followed his gaze. She smiled and placed the band in Sam’s hand. “How about you take one in the name of love?” she said. “Maybe your tale can have a happy ending.”

“Here’s hoping,” Sam said with a grin. “Thank you.”

The girl inclined her head. “My pleasure.” She stood up and moved away, going throughout the crowd with her basket.

Sam took in a breath, his eyes on the band, and then got to his feet.

“You seriously going to do this?” Aaron asked.

Sam paused, before shrugging. “Yeah,” he said. “I’ll play it cool. Don’t worry.” He took off, hurrying after Ella, who had almost reached the huts. “Ella! Hey, wait up!”

Ella turned. “What is it, Sam?”

He came to a stop before her. Steeling himself the best he could, he thrust the band at her. “Here,” he said.

Ella looked at the band and then up at him. “What are you doing?”

“I heard the story about the Waiting Bloom and...and I thought of you.”