Rhuul's Flame (9 page)

“Fine. It’s not like I can morph into fire.”

“If you ever do that again—” Rhuul squeezed tighter, making his point.

“I got the message, but did you?” Talloc looked down at his burned clothes and shook his head.

“What message?”

Chapter 6

Rhuul met Embral at the front door and followed alongside him. He had questions, like why did the elders want to see him, or how long had Lea been with them? But there would be no answers from the fire elemental.

They walked from the house to a large building in the center of town. The plants that grew on this building were different than the others. The flowers here changed color in what appeared to be choreographed patterns.

The fire elemental extended an arm toward the entrance, and Rhuul walked in. It was darker inside the space. A long hall ran down the center of the building, with rooms lining both sides. He peered inside each of them until he reached the large square room at the end.

Lea knelt in front of five older men. She wore a long white dress that scooped low, exposing most of her back. How he’d missed the way the garment hugged her body, he had no idea, but he stared at the back of her for long moments, noting the length of her neck, the curve of her waist, the roundness of her ass. He studied her and imagined the dress in a bundle on the floor with the sound of his name on her lips.

“Please come in, Rhuul.” The man in the center of the line of what must have been the elders called out, jolting him out of his lustful perusal.

He walked inside, stopping next to Lea.

“Sit down.” She didn’t look at him when she spoke. Her eyes were fixed on the stone floor in front of her.

“Why?”

“Just sit down, Rhuul. Try to show some respect.” She sounded annoyed and continued to avoid looking in his direction.

“I kneel before no one.” He folded his arms over his chest and moved his gaze over the five seated Omala. They wore long black robes with white sashes. Each of them sat in an ornate wooden chair. There was something peculiar about their faces. Their eyes had no color.

“They are the elders. You will—”

“It’s all right, Avalea. Our ways are not his.” The Omala on the far right nodded at him and offered a small smile.

He didn’t return the gesture and stood with his wings spread. “Why did you send for me?”

“We wanted to begin by thanking you for your part in Avalea’s rescue and ensuring she arrived here safely.”

Rhuul watched the way the men stared at him, as if they saw right through him. “It was the only way to…” He glanced at Lea, still kneeling with her head bowed, and thought better of his words.
She’s already upset; no need to make it worse.
“You’re welcome.”

“Avalea, do you have it?” One of the old men leaned forward in his chair and stroked his long white beard.

“Yes.” She held her hands in front of her chest, as if she was offering a tray from her soul.

A ball of flames appeared in her palms. The fire changed shape, lengthening. It took on a rectangular form before the flames disappeared. In their place was a carved, shiny, black stone with gold-and-silver veins. It had a soft glow, and he could feel waves of power emanating from it.

“Rhuul, will you touch the stone?” The elder in the center pointed to Lea and she held the rock high enough for him to grasp it without bending over.

He didn’t reach for it right away; instead, he felt compelled to offer her an explanation. “I almost killed Talloc for fooling me like that.” She kept her focus on the floor and thrust the stone in his direction. “Why are you angry?”

“Just touch the stone so we can get this over with.” She may have whispered the words, but the vexation in her tone was clear.

“Get what over with? What does the stone do?”

“Rhuul, just touch it.”

Something occurred to him as he watched her, and his curiosity gave way to irritation. “Why are you upset with me? Talloc tricked me into thinking he was a woman, kissed me, and you set him on fire.”

The sound of a cough pulled his attention to the elders. “Will you touch the stone, Rhuul?”

“Fine.” He placed his fingers on the smooth rock, immediately aware of how hot it was. The way the flames of Lea’s hair whipped on top of her head, he had no doubt she was the cause. “How long do I have to do this?”

“Just be quiet and stop embarrassing me!” Lea all but spat the words at him. “Is it so hard to—” She finally turned to look at him, her eyes wide in a flash. Her gaze moved from his face, down to his chest and torso. “W-where’s your shirt?”

“Hmm.” One of the elders adjusted his position in his chair and closed his eyes. One by one, the other elders mimicked the behavior, each acting as if he was pondering something.

“What’s going on?” He’d never been in the presence of such strange people, so he turned to Lea for an explanation.

“They’re seeing.” She lowered her head again.

“I doubt they can see anything. They look like they’re blind.”

“They’re not deaf, Rhuul.” She blew out a breath and spoke in a quiet voice. “They have the gift of foresight. They don’t see the way you and I do. They can see through the earth, through the life around us, and sometimes catch glimpses of the future.”

“O-kay…” This display might have meant something to Lea, but it was of no consequence to him. “I need to talk to you.” He didn’t wait for her to agree. He pulled his hand from the stone and held onto her wrist, leading her into one of the empty rooms down the hall.

“Are you crazy? You interrupted a vision!” She pulled her wrist from his grasp and cradled the earth stone to her chest.

“That’s very … fascinating, but I don’t have time for your elders to dream or whatever it is they do.” Now that he was in front of her, he found it difficult to say what he needed to. “It’s time for us to part company. You are safe from the Corri, you have your stone, and all is well. I need to move on now.”

The way her nostrils flared unsettled him, made him want to peek inside her head to see what she was thinking. The increased brightness of her flames made him take a step back to avoid the heat pouring off her. She stood there, reminiscent of a storm. Dangerous and beautiful all at once.

Her flickering eyes were slanted, her body rigid. “Fine. Get the hell out.”

“Watch it, Lea.” She turned her back to him, sending heat up the back of his neck and ears. “Don’t dismiss me.” He stepped around her and met her angry glare. “What’s your problem?”

“Just go. Run away and don’t look back.” There was a challenge in her eyes, as if she’d appraised him as unworthy, and dared him to prove her wrong.

“I’m not running away. The path I’ve chosen won’t be easy, but it’s my destiny. It’s time I get back to pursuing it.”

“Good-bye, Rhuul.” When she tried to sidestep him, her expression changed. Her mouth was pulled down into a frown while small wrinkles creased her forehead. Several sections of her hair lost their flame, falling down her back.

“Lea, what’s wrong?” The need to comfort her outweighed his need to leave. He reached out to her, but when his fingers made contact with her arm, she slapped his hand away.

“Don’t touch me! Leave.” More strands fell down the sides of her face. Her flame was diminishing, along with his desire to depart.

He could see himself staying in Lea’s village. He was accepted here, but remaining with the Omala would do nothing to help him accomplish his goal.
No, I must show my grandfather what I can do. He will be forced to accept that I am not an abomination. He will be given no choice but to treat me as an equal.
It’s what he wanted more than anything. So why did it suddenly feel less important?

His legs felt overburdened as he walked away from her. He wanted to turn around, to take one last look, but he knew better. She was the reason his thoughts were in flux. Leaving was the best thing for both of them. Right?

When he stepped into the hall, he nearly conjured his swords. The sight of the elders just beyond the doorway startled him, causing his breaths to become shallow. “I was just leaving.”

Lea walked out into the hall, her eyes fixed on the older men.

One of the elders began to speak, his voice light and breathy. “Rhuul, son of Veen, heir to the house of Iscarion. Your destiny sways on two paths.”

“How do you know my father’s name?” He wanted to pull the man by his collar and force him to reveal all he knew, but he held his place instead.
Lea seems beholden to these people, and I don’t want to hear her complaining.

“I told you, they see things differently than we do. They see more than we ever can.”

“Then they should have seen the Corri coming to take that stone.” Rhuul lifted a brow. If these people had an answer for everything, this was an explanation he wanted to hear.

“Some things have to happen in order to meet a larger goal. Maybe the stone had to be taken. Maybe—” There was doubt in her voice. She studied the floor as if a revelation would come to her from the ground.

“So they could see the torture in your future and they let it happen? They could have prevented your suffering, but they did nothing.”

“It was necessary for her destiny. You are a part of that process.” The elder pressed his lips together. A look of strain crept into his features, as if the weight of his thoughts was more than he could bear. “If there was a way to keep her from being hurt, we would have gladly taken it. We never wished any harm to come to Avalea.”

Another elder chimed in, continuing where the first left off. “The courses of your fate have two possible outcomes. One road leads to ruin, the other to unforeseen triumph.”

The next elder spoke up. “You will fail in your task without her, just as she cannot succeed in hers without you.”

“
Eet boan’ayil.
” Even though he had no idea what she said, it was easy to pick up the defiance in her tone.

“Ah, but you do need him, Avalea, just as much as he needs you.” The fourth elder smiled and pulled the earth stone from her hands.

The fifth elder took Rhuul’s right hand and Lea’s left and held them close. “You both try to deny what you know to be true. For this reason, you must endure a trial.” He closed his eyes and spoke words Rhuul didn’t understand.

A brown rope appeared on his wrist. It curled around Lea’s as well, coiling up their forearms and pulling their arms together. “What’s the meaning of this?”

“The men stepped back and spoke in unison. “You will travel to the Orgotil ruins to retrieve the Ylari crystal.”

Once again, they took turns continuing the explanation. “The tie that binds you reacts to your thoughts and actions. It cannot be cut.”

“The more you work together, the looser it becomes until it disappears.”

“The more you remain uncooperative, the rope will tighten and grow.”

“Much like your destinies, this tie joins you together.”

“You will face many dangers on this journey and many demons.”

Rhuul’s body all but shook under the weight of the red-hot fury brewing in his veins. “Take this off now. I am not yours to command.” His swords appeared in his hands. If he needed to cut one of the men down to make his point, he’d do it.

“No! I will not let you raise a weapon to the elders.” Lea lifted her right hand. Flames rose from her palm as she stepped in front of him.

The rope tightened on his arm, and when Lea winced, he gritted his teeth. “Take this off.”

“Your journey begins now.” The elder moved to Lea and placed his thumb against her forehead.

Her eyes closed, and he felt her tremble.

“What are you doing to her?”

“When the time comes, you’ll know what to do.” When Lea nodded, he stepped back. “She will need you. Her trial is your salvation.”

“What the hell is going on here? Remove this rope or—” Before he could finish the more colorful aspects of his threat, the floor beneath their feet took on a bright glow, as if a flash of lightning had been extended on the spot. In an instant, they were falling from the sky. Lea screamed and held onto his neck, the heat of her flames licking the skin of his head and ear. He didn’t care. For now, not dying was paramount. He banished his swords, held her close, and spread his wings, slowing their descent.

When they landed, he set Lea on her feet, hooked a finger under her chin and narrowed his eyes. “Are you all right?”

“Yes.” She looked shaken, her eyes glazed. When she met his gaze, she lifted a hand to the side of his face. “Sorry.”

The pain from the burns faded away as she healed him, but his anger remained. “Did you know they were going to do this? Did you plan this?”

“No!” She tried to walk away and groaned when she pulled on his arm. “Do you think I’d choose this? Being tied to a killer isn’t my idea of fun.”

“Send us back.”

“I can’t. We’re stuck out here until we complete the trial.” She looked around the rocky landscape and blew out a breath. “Looks like we’re in the Dorval plains. It’s a day’s journey before we reach the Hespa springs. We should be able to find shelter there.”

He pulled on her arm until she turned to face him, his blood boiling. “I don’t have time for this. We need to go back. Call your elders and tell them we’re not doing this.”

“What part of ‘we’re stuck out here until we get the crystal’ don’t you understand? You can’t bully your way out of this situation.”

The rope coiled up his arm and hers, stopping at her shoulder and just below his own. “This is madness!”

“This is part of the trial. I don’t like it either, but it is what it is. Now let’s get moving before some predator catches our scent.”

“Predator?” He called forth his swords and scanned the area.

“Put those away. If we avoid being detected, no one gets hurt.”

“If I kill them, no one gets hurt.” He studied every shadow, searching for any movement.

“Not everything needs to die. Gods! You’re—”

Her words were replaced by a gagging sound, and when he looked at her, his body chilled. The rope had moved higher and was now pulled tight around her throat. “Lea!”

She pulled at the fibers, straining to breathe.

“Hold still. I’ll cut them off.” When she shook her head, he swore, remembering the elder’s warning. “I can’t cut this. What do I do?” He sent his weapons away. The feeling of her fingers twining with his came as a surprise. The contact was welcome, and he held on tight.