by Zora Marie
“You want to honor Koin as you did Leena.”
Zelia nodded. “He only stayed for me and Alrindel.”
“Are you sure you’ve rested long enough for this? He wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself.”
“I’ve recovered enough, but if it would make you feel better, I could talk to Lucky about helping. Our flames are similar enough that I think we can combine them.”
“Why not Nikolas too?”
“His flames are different, darker feeling. I’d rather work with Lucky on this.”
Eleanor’s chin dipped in the slightest of nods. “Let me know if he agrees after breakfast.”
“Alright.” Zelia turned and headed down the hall in search of Lucky.
The door to his and Jones’s room was closed and the two were arguing, “That one is my tunic. Yours is over there.”
“No, you’re the one who got wine spilled down your front, not me,” Lucky said.
“I was wearing your tunic, remember?”
Zelia knocked on the door.
“So you owe me a clean one then.” The door opened to reveal Lucky with his undershirt half tucked in.
“You’re the one who spilled wine on me!” Jones shouted in exasperation.
“Good morning?” Zelia glanced between the two of them, Jones only half dressed.
“Don’t mind him, we may have mixed up our clothes the other day.”
“We? You’re the one who shuffled through everything like a rutting boar last night.”
Lucky flashed her a grin. “You need something?”
“Yes. We’re to release the souls tonight. I was wondering if you would like to see if we can combine our flames. Eleanor doesn’t want me to risk burning myself out again.”
“Yeah, sure. Just let me find my belt.” Lucky let the door swing open as he began shuffling through the clothes strung across the room, throwing things over his shoulder here and there.
“Oh, come on! I just refolded those.” Jones glanced at Zelia. “I swear he would live in a pigsty if left to his own devices.”
Lucky waved Jones’s comment off, then stood victorious with his belt in hand. He held it up by the buckle like a snake poised to bite him. “Now, where did you put my sword?”
“It’s behind the door, where you put it last night.”
“Awe, that’s right.” Lucky grabbed the sword, slipped his belt through the loop on his sword’s scabbard, pulled on a tunic, then pulled the door closed behind him as he tightened his belt. “Lead the way.”
“Must you always pick on him?”
Lucky shrugged, but his smile fell away and he waited until they were halfway down the stairs to answer. “His parents died around this time of year. The teasing seems to help keep him from dwelling on it.”
“Oh. How exactly?”
“He’s never talked about it. I know it was his powers, the same as what happened with mine, but he doesn’t talk about the details. I don’t even know how long ago it was. Kilian didn’t find him right after it happened like he did me.”
“So, when did Kilian find him?”
“A few years ago. Kilian felt his magic and found him…” The look Lucky got as he trailed off told Zelia enough about what state Jones was in when Kilian found him.
“No need to explain.” As they stepped out into the brisk morning air Zelia stared at the field that was slowly being cleared, to where Koin’s body would be laid. “I killed myself once, to save Koin. So I wouldn’t be forced to torture and kill him. I had to tear myself apart with my own powers to keep him safe.” It had been just as excruciating as the first time, but she’d do it again if she could see him for just a few more days.
She could feel Lucky’s stare, but his gaze didn’t bother her. It didn’t hold pity as so many others would have, just understanding. Sometimes she could still feel how her body had cracked and exploded, then reformed bit by bit over years. The thought of it made her skin crawl.
Suddenly he hugged her tight and lifted her off her feet. “The whole lot of you are too sappy.” She couldn’t help but smile a little as he set her down. “See, now that’s better. So, you wanted to try combining our flames?”
“Yes.” Zelia looked up at the tree. “May I have a loose branch?” The outer branches of the tree shook as though stirred by a breeze and a small limb fell nearby. “Thank you.”
Lucky’s brows rose as he glanced between the branch at their feet and the tree several times. “How?”
“Trees can move, they just choose not to most of the time. I think it’s uncomfortable for them to move much. They’ll happily do it for swayers though.”
“Interesting. So, how do you want to do this?”
Zelia went to the branch and broke it into smaller pieces. “Well, I have a feeling that in order for the souls to visually release, my flames need to touch them all. So, there are two ways we can do it. Either our flames can completely mix, or I can start the fires and then you can control them from there. In either case, I would like to avoid burning the grass since I know we can.”
“Um.” Lucky scratched the back of his head. “I’m not against mixing our flames, but…”
“They feel like an extension of you?”
“Yeah and mixing ours might be—”
“We don’t have to do it if you’re not comfortable with it.”
“As long as it doesn’t bother you.” Lucky shrugged and made a small ball of fire hover in front of him.
“Alright. I’ll just lace your flames with a little bit of mine.” Zelia shot a flicker of blue flame into the fireball, making it mix and merge with his fire, and a tingling feeling shot down her spine.
“Well that just feels,” Lucky pursed his lips, “weird.”
“What are you two doing?” Nikolas’s voice came from somewhere above them.
They both glanced up to where Nikolas leaned against the vine railing of a balcony along the side of the tree.
“Testing something. What are you doing?” Lucky asked and flung his fireball at one of the pieces of wood.
Zelia let Lucky’s flame guide her own, so she wouldn’t fight against him. It was like their fires danced and Lucky took the lead. The entire time the flames danced across the wood, the tingling feeling remained in her back.
“Can you make yours change colors?” Zelia asked as she made her own fire shift from orange to blue and then to white.
“I can go to blue, but white? How?” The flame turned blue and Lucky stared at her with a brow raised.
“I just ask it to.”
“You won’t be able to, so don’t bother.”
“And how would you know?” Lucky glared up at Nikolas.
“Because I can’t and you’re more like me than her.”
“Hm. Maybe you’re just not powerful enough.” Lucky smirked and stared at the flames. They did turn to white, but faded back to blue fairly quickly. “How do you make it look so easy?”
“She’s a god, remember?”
“Not all of my powers are related to me being a god.” Zelia glared up at Nikolas and he smirked at her in that wolfish way of his. “You know, I prefer your other form.”
Nikolas glanced back into the house. “I’d be happy to oblige, but apparently breakfast is ready.” He disappeared back into the house.
“Do you think you can do the blue flames this evening?”
“Shouldn’t be a problem, though why did you ask me and not Nikolas?”
“His flames feel different from yours, darker. Plus, I’ve hardly seen him use them and I don’t think he knew how until the last few months.”
“Interesting. Well, come on before they eat without us.” He flung his arm across her shoulders and guided her into the house.
38
The day dragged by as slow as the voices of the trees she listened to. She had tried to spend some time with Raven, but she’d been shooed away only to get roped into looking for homesteads. Even with this task to focus on building new futures for the Elves, she fidgeted w
ith sorrow and anticipation of what she was to do that evening. Picking out locations for potential homesteads was important, but boring. It was Lighnif who had gone with her when Alrindel had wanted to help prepare the fallen. Zelia knew it bothered Lighnif to be away from Alrindel while he hurt so much, but she had merely accepted Alrindel’s request for her to take his place.
“Do you need to take a break?” Lighnif smiled faintly as Zelia shook her head to clear the haze speaking to the trees had settled over her. “Or do you need to talk?”
“No. I just need all this to be over with.”
“Are you sure you don’t need to talk?”
“Not unless you want to talk about you and Alrindel.” She grinned.
Lighnif glared at her. “You’re just as bad as Koin.”
“Really?”
“Before the battle the other day, he made me promise I’d stop hiding my feelings for Alrindel. He even confessed how he regretted not telling Leena he loved her sooner. But I can’t. Not right now.”
“Why? I know he loves you, too, and it's never a bad time to say it.” Zelia rubbed her thumb over her silver ring. “Though I understand your hesitation. I didn’t feel it was right to ask Linithion to marry me so soon after Erolith’s death, but I think knowing that I’d stopped fighting my feelings for her helped. Now I try to tell her I love her every day, because I know that even with the power stones, I’ll lose her one day. I don’t want to look back and regret not telling her more.”
Tears brimmed in Lighnif’s eyes and she heaved a sigh. “I don’t know how to tell him after all this time. Think Loboran and Starling would give me a push, too?”
“Careful, you might end up betrothed on the spot.”
“I gave my heart to him a long time ago.” Lighnif shrugged.
“If a push is what you need, tell him this week or I will. There’s a reason Koin made you promise before this battle.”
“You think he knew?”
“I don’t know. Maybe he had a feeling it wouldn’t be as easy as we thought. Whatever the case, I think he knew Alrindel would need you to help him through this. Eadon may have adopted us, but Koin was as much a parent as he was.”
“Alright, this week then.” Lighnif nodded with the determination of the warrior she was.
“Good. Now, there’s another possible location for someone right there.” Zelia pointed out another spot on the map, this one further to the East than the others. “You might note that this one has a small pasture. Actually, I might need to claim that one for Loboran and Starling.”
Lighnif marked a little star in that spot rather than a dot. “There. Now we’ll remember what one that is. Speaking of potential future homes, did Eleanor ever officially make you her heir?”
“No. Linithion and I have decided that it is best for guild members to stay away from the throne from now on.”
“Oh. Wait, does that mean Alrindel would be…” Lighnif’s eyes widened.
“Depends on what they decide. I do think the two of you would rule well together, but that’s not up to me.”
Lighnif nodded slowly, as though trying to let the idea of ruling sink in. “If you two are not ruling, do you plan to stay?”
“For the moment, but this isn’t home to Linithion. Don’t worry, we’ll still come torment Alrindel occasionally though.”
“Oh, I’d expect nothing less from either of you.”
Zelia stared down at the map as she settled back against the tree to listen for the next suitable location. The trees had spent the night talking to one another, so she now had information from farther away to translate and mark out on the map. It was slow, but better than everyone wandering around aimlessly for weeks in search of the perfect spot, especially for those with children.
39
That evening came all too soon. As they ate an early dinner before first starlight, Zelia couldn’t help but think of the field full of shrouded bodies. Unlike with Leena at the Kingdom of the Mountains, no one was raised above the others. There was no marker of where Koin lay among her kin veiled in white. Zelia didn’t even know who would be walking out to the center of the field. Usually whoever had led the battle would lay those lost to rest, but given Zelia’s power, she knew it would be her. She just didn’t know who would be going with her. Lucky would be helping her with the flames, but he could do that from anywhere. A hand settled on hers and squeezed, Linithion’s hand. She looked up from where she’d stared lost in thought to find everyone’s attention was on her.
“Since Lucky doesn’t need to go to the center of the field with you, who do you want to?”
Zelia tried not to look as though Eleanor had just thrown her in front of a herd of stampeding horses as she tried to come up with an answer. She imagined Eleanor had asked once while she’d been lost in thought. “Alrindel, would you like to?”
“Shouldn’t it technically be you, Eleanor?” was Alrindel’s response.
“Perhaps, but this is for all of you more than it is for me. Everyone here knows who you are and would be pleased to have you do the honor.” Alrindel nodded and Eleanor’s gaze traced over each of their faces. “Go do whatever you need to before we gather in the field.”
As they left the dining room, Rogath’s thoughts pierced her own. “Dain had me put dresses in the pocket dimension for you and Linithion to wear tonight.” He paused. “Um, why are there so many glass sculptures in there?”
Zelia tried and failed to bite down her smile at her brother’s confusion. “So, you really haven’t been snooping much. They’re Linithion’s, and some are Starling’s. I’m just waiting for the right moment to surprise her with them.”
“Awe, I see. She really does have you wrapped around her finger. The dress is floating above the sculptures. You know, it is strange not having all the warriors here at dinner.”
“Well, I shall gladly send them all back to you. How is Tregar doing?”
“Yalif has him taking it easy, which is making him stir crazy. He’s alright, though.”
“Good.”
A hand slipped into hers and Linithion hummed a note of amusement. “Hello, Rogath.”
“Tell her I said hello. I’ll be joining Lumid to watch tonight, so if you need to talk, I’ll be up.”
“Thank you, Rogath.”
“Don’t forget the dresses.” Zelia got the impression of Rog winking at her down the bond before his presence faded.
“He said hello. Apparently, Eleanor will be getting to see me in a dress again, and you in one.”
“Oh? Dain must not have many to make dresses for.”
“I do think Zivu is the only one in the palace who regularly wears one.”
“True. Should you use ice so soon before fire?”
“You know, I haven’t tried since I got my power stone.” Worry glimmered in her soulmate’s gaze and she glanced down the hall, to where her friends headed for their own rooms. “It’s okay, I won’t try it tonight. Donequen?” Her friend stopped at the threshold to his room. “Could I ask a favor of you?”
“Of course.” Donequen returned to them with only a hint of wariness in his gaze.
“Apparently Dain made us dresses, but—”
Donequen didn’t even wait for her to finish before he drew moisture from the air and made a sphere of ice. Zelia glanced at Linithion, hoping Donequen wouldn’t say anything about all the other stuff he was sure to feel inside the portal. When Donequen met her gaze, she gave him a pleading look.
“Rog said he put them above the glass jar, not sure why he hasn’t bothered to give that back to Yalif.”
“Hm. I’m sure he’s got something up his sleeve.” Donequen pulled the two dresses from the portal, the lush fabric flowing effortlessly from the portal. They looked black, but as Donequen handed them to her, she realized one was a deep blue and the other a deep green. Both had silver embroidery that created star patterns around the hems.
“Thank you, Donequen.”
“You’re welcome.” He made the spher
e of ice disappear as a cloud of mist with the wave of his hand and headed back for his room.
The moment the door to their own room shut, Linithion crossed her arms. “You’re keeping something from me, and don’t play. I saw the look you gave Donequen.”
“Hm? Do you really want me to spoil my surprise for you tonight?”
With a long exhale, Linithion put out her hand. “Give me the green one.”
“Oh, so enthusiastic.”
“Just remember, you give me a surprise and that gives me free rein to give you one, too.”
“Hm. I can deal with that.” Zelia kissed Linithion, then began the task of changing. She’d worn her armor every day since Raven had woken up after the battle, the enchantments on it easing some of the ache of having used so much power.
As usual, Linithion was first to slip the dress on. “Hm. I know it’s not a good time to think of such things, but do you think Dain would make us dresses for our wedding?”
“I think he very well may demand the right to do it.” Zelia slipped her own dress over her head, then turned to look at Linithion. “Oh, he certainly knows how to outdo himself.” From far away, the dark green of the fabric turned to black and made the shimmering silver thread truly look like stars. Dain had even managed to work in a few familiar constellations as seen from Mineria along the bottom hem.
Linithion went around to Zelia’s back and tied the dress. “He does. Would you tie mine?”
Zelia turned and tied the silky ribbon that tightened the sides of the dress. Then she hugged Linithion from behind, resting her chin on her soulmate’s shoulder. “Do you think it was the right choice to ask Alrindel?”
“I do. He needs this, to honor Koin, as much as you do. We should go, Eleanor will already be down there by now.”
Zelia nodded and let her arms drop from around Linithion’s waist.
“Don’t forget your staff.”
40
