Soul Blaze (20 page)

Phoenix covered my cold hand with his large one.
“I’m fine. Really.” He said, smiling, though it seemed
forced.
How ironic. You’d think he was the one who’d had a
knife in his shoulder not an hour ago.

I pressed the door open. It wasn’t hard to figure out
which bed Griffin was in. Guards were clustered around
it, screening him from my view.

“Out of the way,
moveit
,” I heard Dena snap,
uncharacteristically sharp. Blue flames flared at several of
the guards, who were remaining in place.

“Move out of her way,” I heard Griffin command, and
the guards shuffled reluctantly to one side. I watched
Dena work over him, blue light flickering. She closed her
hands, extinguishing her fire. “You’re fine. A little shook
up, but fine. If you hadn’t shielded in time-”

“I would’ve been blasted to bits, I know,” Griffin said,
sitting up on the bed. He spied Phoenix and I hovering
near the door. “Your Majesties.”

He bowed as best he could whilst sitting down. As the
rest of the guards followed his lead, Griffin glanced up
with a look meant just for me. Before I could figure out
what the look was, it was gone.

“May I introduce my soul mate?” I asked, drifting over
to the group. “This is Phoenix, of Orthandrell. He will be
crowned the same time as I.”

Phoenix only nodded silently, his eyes on Griffin, who
avoided his gaze by watching me.
“That was some punch you packed,” Griffin said. “I’ve
never seen anyone control lightning before.”
I shrugged as though it was no big deal, trying to
downplay the events of our duel.
“You were going to beat me,” I replied. “I needed to
pull out the big guns.”
He laughed.
“It appears that I keep underestimating you,” he said.
“I’ll make sure not to do that again.”
I nodded, suddenly very keen to be far away from this
medic ward and the intense stares of the guards.
“I’ll try not to throw lightning at you again,” I said,
trying to smile like it was a joke.
Griffin laughed as though it was.
“I’d very much appreciate that.”

The guards, who hadn’t moved since their initial bow,
were still watching the two of us very carefully. Filled
with the sudden desire to do something, anything, rather
than stand here, I towed Phoenix back towards the door,
nodding goodbye to Dena, who watched us go.

“I think your parents may have wanted more of a
discussion than that,” Phoenix remarked as we left the
room.

“I also think my parents didn’t expect there to be half
the palace guard in attendance as well,” I replied, chewing
my thumbnail. “I’ll talk to him later.”

Phoenix only nodded. It suddenly hit me that we were
alone together for the first time in years.
“Are you staying in the palace?” I asked.
He glanced down at me.
“I’m not sure. Am I?”
I raised my eyebrows questioningly.
“It’s your palace,” he said, trying not to laugh. “Do you
want me in it or not?”

My palace. Of course it was. Although I wouldn’t be
recognised officially until the coronation, this palace was
mine and Phoenix’s to rule from.

My stomach rolled uneasily and I found myself
glancing around for something to throw up in.
“You alright?” Phoenix asked, concern in his voice.
“Just a scary thought,” I mumbled, trying to settle
myself. “I’m only twenty.”
“I’ll be right here with you the whole time,” he said.
“I’m only twenty one, remember? It’ll be an adventure.”
“An adventure?” I repeated, trying not to roll my eyes.
“Governing a country is not an adventure, it’s...”
“What?”
“Madness. We’re barely out of our teen years, we can’t
run a country!”
“Hey,” he took me face in his hands, making me look at
him. “We’ll be fine. We’re in this together, ok?”

I nodded, mesmerised by his eyes. He leant forwards
and kissed me slowly, promising security and love. I closed
my eyes, losing myself in the kiss. When we broke apart,
I’d completely forgotten about Griffin, the lightning bolt,
the crown.
“You can stay,” I said hoarsely.

He chuckled softly.
“Can I now? I thank you, Your Majesty.”
I hit him gently, snapping out of any lovey daze his
kisses might have induced.

“Sky, Phoenix?” Larni popped into view from a side
corridor. “Your mother has asked me to tell you that
dinner will be served in the dining hall in half an hour.”

“Ok, thanks, Larni,” I glanced down at my clothing,
suddenly very mindful of the fact that my mother would
not like it if I turned up to dinner in a bloodstained shirt.
“I may need to change.”

Larni hefted a small stack of clothing into view.
“Already covered,” she said, smiling.

“I better go and get ready too,” Phoenix said. He lifted
my knuckles to his lips, and I struggled not to blush. “I’ll
see you at dinner.”

I watched him walk away, my fingers tingling where
his lips had touched them. Larni coughed behind me.
“Not a word,” I told her, and she laughed. We began to
walk to my rooms.
“How’s Niko?” I asked, remembering what she’d told
me about her little brother.

“He’s good... more than good, actually,” Larni beamed
at me. “When the magic tester found magic in his blood,
he said it was an unusual amount. He thinks Niko will
grow up to be a very powerful mage.”

As Larni launched into stories of Niko at mageling preschool, I was remembering the spell Niko had asked me to
cast on him when I was at the Academy. Despite the
complete insincerity behind the magic, it seemed to have
worked anyway. Was Niko’s magic already there? Or had I
in some way ... given it to him?

I cast a sideways glance at Larni, who was completely
oblivious to how quiet I’d gone. She had been non-magi
when I arrived at the Academy, only to have her magic
reveal itself a few months later.

What was going on? Two siblings, in direct contact
with me, had either discovered their magic or had extreme
amounts of power revealed.

I shook my head to ward off uneasy feelings. It was just
a coincidence; besides, they were both related, and
therefore it could’ve been a hidden vein of magic in their
bloodline. Both of their parents were mages. It made
sense.

“I was thinking the green gown for dinner.” Larni said a
little later, as we stood in my room.
“No dresses.”
She lowered the garment and glared at me.
“You’re going to be Queen of this entire country. You
are not wearing breeches to dinner.”
“It’s only my family and Phoenix!”

“Yes, but who do you think will be waiting on you?”
she was sizing the dress up against me now. “The pages
and staff of the former Governor. They’re going to be
waiting to see who they work for now, and if you turn up
in boots and breeches, that word will spread around the
city faster than I can stop it.”

“Okay, okay!” I lifted my hands to halt her tirade.
“Green dress it is.” I eyed off the ties and buttons. “I might
need a hand.”

“Good thing you have a lady in waiting then,” Larni
said as I began to remove my boots. “But fair warning, you
will have to take on more.”

“More ladies in waiting? What are they, anyway?”

“Daughters of noble houses. As soon as the families
hear that there is a new Queen, they will send their
daughters to court. You will be expected to choose some to
wait on you personally,” Larni was unlacing the back of
the dress. “Choose wisely, as it could be dangerous to
offend the wrong families.”

“Dangerous?”

“They are very powerful, and very vain; a nasty
combination. However, if you choose the right one, they
could be very good allies.”

“I don’t need allies.”
Larni met my gaze.
“No... not yet anyway. Now, out of that shirt.”
I lifted my shirt up and over my head, avoiding my
shoulder.

“I can point out which girls would best suit the court,
and you, if you like. I know that you’d hate to put up
with-”

She broke off.
“What?” I asked her.
“What is that?” she asked quietly.
I turned to look at her. She was staring at my back, her
eyes wide.
“You’ve seen me in my underwear before,” I said,
puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

Wordlessly, she towed me to the mirror. Twisting
around, I managed to get a look at what she was talking
about.

Angry red lines fanned out from my left shoulder,
spreading across my back in a vaguely fern-like pattern. I
trailed my fingers across it, and whilst it didn’t hurt, I
could feel the raised skin. The pattern covered my entire
back, down to my hips, where it began to curl around to
my stomach but then had stopped.

I swallowed, my mouth dry.
“Could you please fetch Ispin?” I asked Larni.

As a native born mage, one well versed in many things
thanks to his love of libraries, Ispin might know what this
was. I waited, shivering in the darkening room, until Larni
stepped through the door, Ispin close behind.

“I understand this might be weird,” I started as Larni lit
the lamps around my room. “But I thought you might
know what this is.”

I turned to show him my back, my heart hammering in
my chest. He spent a good five minutes examining it.
“May I touch it?” he asked, and I nodded assent. I
jumped as his fingertips brushed a branch of the pattern.
“I have a theory,” he said, a few minutes later. “Dena
might be able to back it up, but I only have what I’ve read.

“When a person survives being struck by lightning, the
energy that flows through their body sometimes ruptures
capillaries- little blood vessels,” he explained to my
questioning look. “And creates this pattern. It usually only
lasts a few hours though.”

“So it should go away soon?”
“Theoretically, yes. Unless you’re going to make a habit
of being struck by lightning.”
I laughed uneasily.
“Thanks,” I said, sincerely. “I was freaking out a bit.”
“Understandable,” he replied. “I best get going to
dinner.”
“I’ll see you down there.”

I again remembered the feeling of the lightning
coursing through my body. As Larni fussed about me, I
realised I could still feel its power rising in my veins like
the tide.

~Chapter Nineteen~

It had been three weeks since I’d defeated Griffin. In
that time, heralds had been sent out to the other cities to
summon their nobles to court, to recognise Phoenix and I
as Lotheria’s rulers.

Today was the day of our coronation.
“Why so soon?” I asked my mother, wincing as a
seamstress managed to prick me with another pin.

“There’s always the possibility that Ryman will make
another grab for power in some way or another,” she
answered, tying a sleeve on her own dress. “Besides, you
said yourself that this country needed an overhaul; you’re
going to need the crown to put forth those changes.”

She was right; I was appalled by the state of the
country. The segregation between mages and non-magi
made me sick, and my first law would be to abolish any
discrimination towards the non-magical folk.

I was deep in thought as my mother led me away from
the seamstresses and to a mirror. She and another woman
began organising pots and brushes.

“Turn and face me.” Mum said.

I obeyed, closing my eyes as she dabbed a small brush
into some paint. I felt her paint slowly and carefully along
my eyelids, letting the brush ink the paint onto my
eyelids. A few seconds later, I felt her brush mascara onto
my lashes and blush onto my cheeks. I needed it; I knew I
was pale.

“Open your eyes,” she commanded.

I obeyed again, looking to the ceiling as she drew along
my eyes with eyeliner. One hand cupping my chin and
the other expertly drawing the thin line.

“Open your mouth.”
This time, it was red lipstick, being painted carefully
onto my lips.
“Now, look in the mirror. Do you like it?”
I spun and observed the new me. I looked nice for once.

No, it was more than that. The Queen I was born to be
was beginning to shine through my eyes. I was beginning
to fill my role.

“Now, your dress.”

The dress. The moment I had been dreading. The
seamstresses had been altering it while I was getting my
face painted. I looked at it, feeling my heart beginning to
pound in my chest.

It was a beautiful garment, all sheer white material,
falling in waves from my waist. The sleeves were long and
fell away from my arms at the elbow. But it was the
neckline I was worried about. Strapless, the top of the
dress was heavily embroidered with silver thread. I was
terrified of ruining it.

“Strip,” Mum commanded, taking the dress down from
its hanger.

I did so, so nervous that I didn’t feel any embarrassment
about undressing in front of the other women. She undid
the back of the dress and helped me to get into it, then
laced up the complex ties. She and the seamstresses fussed
around me, brushing away invisible specks of dirt.

I watched myself in the full length mirror, trying not to
tremble.
I couldn’t do this. I was twenty! I bit my painted lip,
wrestling with myself.
I was dimly aware of Mum sending all of the other
women out of the room before she appeared before me.
“Alright?” she asked.
I shook my head, the tears threatening to overcome me.
She took my cold hands in hers.
“I always thought that when I first saw you in a white
dress, it’d be on your wedding day,” she told me.
I smiled through the tears.
“Me? As if I’d get married.”

“Maybe back in Ar Cena, I would’ve believed that,” she
said, brushing away one of my tears before it could ruin
any make up. “But here? I think here will be a different
story, petal.”

I wanted to scoff, to tell her she was wrong. But when I
thought of Phoenix, and the last three weeks since we’d
been together, my heart took over my thinking. If
Phoenix asked me...

Through the giddy fluttering of my heart, I once again
felt that niggle, the one that usually nipped at me when I
was kissing Phoenix or feeling extra happy about our
relationship.

I’d never been in love before. Not in Ar Cena, not with
Dustin. I knew without a doubt that I loved Phoenix, but
the bit that got me was the conversation I’d had with Jett
when I regained my memories.