Embracing the Flames

by Candace Knoebel

  “I’m sorry?” he let hang. He almost sounded annoyed. “That’s what I was trying to tell you earlier before Lexi interrupted us. I tried, alright?”

  He was definitely annoyed.

  “And technically,” he continued, pointing his finger at me, “you can’t be mad at me. The intention was there, I just didn’t have enough time. It’s not my fault.” His beryl eyes flashed in offense.

  Not good enough, for one main reason — we had been here for five weeks now.

  The words forming in my mind couldn’t quite make it to my lips. My head shook furiously as I tried to see reason in what he had just said.

  “That’s your excuse?” was the best I could formulate.

  “Do you have a problem with that?” It came out as more of a threat than a question.

  I snickered, my eyes filling with revulsion.

  He tried to grab my arm, but I flinched away and turned from him, filling the short distance between me and the front door.

  He matched my pace and caught the door before I could open it, standing in my way. A storm of emotions had replaced his charming features. “Rory, I tried to tell you.” He sounded like he was confessing to a crime.

  My eyes narrowed in on him. “Good for you,” I mocked. “And you’re right. I have no right to be upset with you. It’s not like we’ve been here for weeks now.” I leaned into his face. “It’s not like you had that whole time to tell me. It’s not like I haven’t asked you a thousand times who your mother is, which would have been the perfect time to tell me, I might add. You just can’t seem to let me in.”

  He stiffened, and then his mood shifted, his eyes pooling with sadness. “I didn’t know how to tell you without all of this happening.” His hands flew out to hint towards the argument we were now in the middle of. “I didn’t want you to blow up about it.”

  I didn’t hesitate as I zeroed in on him. “You didn’t give me a fair chance to show you that I wouldn’t have blown up, now did you? Any chance of a happy us is gone. You did a fantastic job in killing that dream, Fenn. Great protective skills.” I pulled his hand away from the doorframe, indicating for him to move with my eyes.

  It was his last chance to redeem himself so I waited, giving him a chance to try and dig himself out of this hole, but he said nothing.

  “Fine,” I condemned, and then I slammed the front door in his face. “Ugh,” I yelled out, kicking at the grass and clenching my fists. I felt an intruding knot forming in the tightness of my throat.

  Was I so untrustworthy that no one could tell me anything? The sting of tears began to fall as I turned and bumped right into Astral’s looming form.

  “It’s not because of you that you aren’t told certain things,” he said thoughtfully. But his words didn’t pacify my rage. Smoke slowly billowed from my nostrils. I glared at him. I had to tilt my head all the way back just to see him since he wasn’t in his smaller form. “You have to try and control the anger inside of you. You’re letting the dragon side of yourself rule your emotions.”

  I snorted. “No offense, but I’m not in the mood for a life lesson. What I need is to stop being treated like a baby. I need for the people around me, the people that I care about, to let me in. To trust me enough to tell me things. Fenn and Lexi…twins? That’s colossal. That’s not something you forget to say in a conversation.”

  “Maybe he was afraid to tell you because of who his mother is, Aurora. And you can be explosive.”

  I glared up at him. He was right. “Damn all of you,” I muttered as I turned from him and ran.

  I was crushed. I was drop-a-thousand-ton-weight-on-me kind of crushed. I couldn’t believe that both of my friends had kept such a huge secret from me. Fenn had a sister. Not just a sister, a twin sister. That was an epic detail in his life. And in Lexi’s.

  I ran until my legs burned and my sweat fell as fast as my tears. I was grateful for the burning ache in my muscles. It momentarily numbed the disappointment I felt. But eventually I had to stop. My feet could take me no further.

  The sun was high in the sky when I came to a sudden halt and looked around through hazy eyes. I was back in my garden, in the place where Astral had once told me that a great love would save the world.

  A love that I would be a part of.

  That day seemed so far away now. How could I ever be a part of something like that when the love of my life can’t seem to let me in?

  I knelt by the water’s edge and skimmed my fingers along the satiny surface. The serene ripples branched out into the vast expanse of the pond. The effect reminded me of the path of a tiny lie. It grows and grows until it is out of control. I splashed my hand against the water, breaking the ripples and the image of my saddened face.

  The black swans that lived in the garden swam in my direction. When I was younger, Astral had once compared me to a black swan. I’d been going through a rough period, trying to understand why I wasn’t like everyone else. Why everything had to revolve around training and discipline. Why I couldn’t be with my parents and live like the children inside the fairy tales that he read to me every night before bed.

  One early morning, when the air was still crisp and the dew remained sequined on the foliage, he awoke me with a surprise. Two black swans had somehow found our little hiding spot. That morning, he told me that I was as strong-willed and as beautiful as the swan. That I would one day grow up and meet my soul mate like in the fairy tales we read. And like the swans in our pond that worked together to protect their nest, our love would bring the worlds back together.

  Of course at that young age I had no idea what he was really talking about. It was just a little girl’s fantasy about finding Prince Charming.

  And here I sat, sulking beside the twinkling lake, admiring the swans from a distance as they swam in tune to each other. Fenn and I were like that…most of the time. He was my Swan Charming. But then why, in moments like this one, were we so out of sync? Why did it feel like only me against the world?

  Enough wallowing, I told myself, standing up and brushing off my hands. I needed to change; to turn my self-pity into fuel instead of letting it rule me. Busying myself with training had to be the best way to work through my issues with Fenn.

  I also needed to be ready to go before the Council. I didn’t want to disappoint my father, and the spells I had learned the night before were itching to be used.

  I focused on the other side of the pond, on an old beat-up wooden dummy I had used when I was little. I tried the mending spell first, focusing on the earth and its energy. Then I turned my focus on to fixing the splintered dummy. Closing my eyes, I cut everything off and listened for the hum amongst the flowers and trees surrounding me. It was barely audible, but I found the deep murmur and connected with it, allowing the slow vibrations to pulse throughout me.

  “Mendaro,” I chanted, sending my energy towards the dummy.

  At first nothing happened, but I stayed focused on the dummy while trying to remain connected to the earth at the same time. Slowly, the splinters began to weave together until the dummy looked as good as new. I smiled in satisfaction and then anxiously tapped back into the earth, locating the energy much quicker this time.

  “Now for something harder,” I said as I steadied my feet and closed my eyes. Once I felt that I had enough energy built up, I shouted, “Aiderum,” willing the rocks around the pond to form together to create a bludgeoning fighter.

  My shimmering blue energy wrapped around each rock, filling them with life. The rocks slowly came together, lifting into the air and stacking themselves on top of one another to form somewhat of a human silhouette. I threw my arm forward, as if striking the targeted dummy, and the rock form followed, bashing into the dummy and splintering what I had just healed.

  I felt a swell of pride building within. I threw my other arm out, smiling as the
rocks once again pounded into the dummy. Then I went for a kick. The rocks kicked the dummy and then combusted, raining down into a cloud of dust.

  I stumbled back and caught myself on a tree. My vision had gone black and tiny sparks tingled up along my skin. Astral popped out of a portal as I wavered from the dizziness. I hadn’t been paying attention to the drain of power, especially after my run.

  “Come, sit. I want to talk,” he said, gesturing towards the Jacaranda tree that shaded the pond and offered a sturdy tree house. Its lavender-colored leaves floated around us on the breeze like tiny fairies dancing under the sun’s light.

  I meandered over to him and groaned from the lack of energy. He sat serenely while I plopped onto the ground, wiping the sweat from my brow.

  I looked over at him expectantly, waiting for his words. He always knew what to say. But more importantly, he always knew what not to say. Sometimes his silence taught me more than his words ever could.

  This must have been one of those moments because nothing but the sound of crickets filled the air around us. I swallowed hard and leaned back to stare up into the clouds, wishing that everything would go right for once. But this wish turned into me thinking that I should learn how to control my temper better and try to listen once in a while. It may not have been on my terms, but Fenn did try to tell me.

  I sighed heavily, feeling that sickening sadness creep back in. Astral cleared his throat. “Beautiful day today,” he stated as the sun transformed into a rosy crescent along the horizon. I nodded as I sat up and pulled my knees in for my chin to rest against. “This place has missed you.”

  I turned to look at him, searching his glowing blue eyes. That was my favorite part of him. Pale skin and long, silver hair added to his ancient features.

  “I’m only going say this—love is a wild creature that cannot be tamed. It’s unconditional. And although it sometimes makes you feel like one small person against this big old world, you must remember you are the world to one particular person.”

  “I know,” I replied as I bit my lip, the taste of salt from my earlier cry mocking my forced courage.

  “Fenn means well.”

  The honesty of his words didn’t make me feel any better. I deliberately looked away, refusing to show my tear-brimmed eyes. “I wanted to ask you something this morning, before all of this happened.”

  He shifted in the grass and cleared his throat. “About the dream you had?”

  I was caught off guard. I knew he was in my thoughts because he glanced over at me, his brows knit into a perfect scowl. I sighed and closed my eyes to help bring the image back.

  I offered as much as I could remember. He was silent for a moment after I finished, staring off into the pond. “You have a very vivid imagination, Aurora.” He chuckled. “But rest assured, it was only a dream.”

  “Are you sure? Even though I can’t remember much, I do remember that it felt real,” I fished.

  His lips went tight. “It was a dream.” His tone suggested that I drop it.

  I let out an aggravated breath.

  “Just remember this, some things aren’t meant to be given but to be found.”

  “My life story,” I said darkly, looking away from him.

  He heaved a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. A moment later he said, “There’s something I need to tell you about Logan. He’s had somewhat of an unfortunate accident.”

  “He’s dead?” I gasped, jumping to my feet. I shouldn’t have run off. I should’ve stayed and helped. My stomach swelled with regret.

  Astral looked confused.

  “Wha-dead? No.” He looked bewildered. “He’s just severely scarred for life.” A smile lurked on the edge of his mouth.

  “Scarred for life?” I asked, contagiously smiling as well. A faint, cool breeze blew a piece of hair across my face. I quickly batted it away.

  He sat a little straighter, turning to completely face me. He leaned in as if he were about to let me in on a secret. “It appears he ran into the forest and stumbled into the wrong creature. Into a hatching Morbit, to be exact.”

  His smile stretched a few more inches, almost reaching his twinkling eyes.

  “A hatching Morbit?” I asked, puzzled.

  “Yes. It’s an extremely rare creature that lives the majority of its life on the inside of Eucalyptus trees. After hatching, the Morbit attaches itself to the first thing it sees. Then it assumes its characteristics. A survival instinct, I guess you could say.” He toyed with his beard, his body trembling a little from silent laughter.

  I moved to sit on my knees, glad for once that misfortune had skipped over me.

  His smile was replaced with mock seriousness. “Logan, unfortunately, was the first thing the Morbit saw, and well, now he can’t get rid of it.” He pressed his lips together to keep from smiling, still tugging on his beard.

  “What do you mean?”

  “The Morbit attached himself to Logan. It seems he likes residing on his shoulders. He’s only this big.” He showed me the size of his palm.

  “What does he look like?” Lexi must be enjoying this.

  “He looks like a mix between a lemur and a monkey.”

  Well, at least he seemed cute.

  “But that’s the least of our worries.” His playfulness vanished. “I spoke with a trusted consort about your encounter with Zordon and the connection of the Oraculus. It’s important that we understand and take care of this matter before it grows into a real danger.” His tone turned into that of a father as his head dipped in my direction.

  My pulse quickened as a flashback swarmed my thoughts. I was stuck inside Zordon’s spell in the Lyceum, on the brink of death right before a Fate chose to save me.

  “Okay,” I hesitated, dropping my eyes, “what can I do?”

  He smiled proudly and stood, opening a portal. Then he turned back to me and offered a hand up. “Let’s head back so I only have to say this once. We’ll need everyone’s input.”

  I walked uncertainly towards him, wary of the discussion to come. I was sure it would involve me fighting for inclusion. Especially if it included my father.

  Moments later, we all took our seats in the cozy living room. The roaring fire’s radiance gave our skin an orange tinge as the sweet scent from the orange peels warmed the room.

  I took my usual seat next to the fireplace in a high-backed cushioned chair. Fenn sat across from me, his eyes expertly avoiding mine. It took everything in me to not reach out and touch his face—his face that unknowingly reflected the fire’s beauty—and admit that I blew things out of proportion.

  Astral stepped in front of the fire and turned to face us, his presence demanding attention. “We have a special visitor,” he informed, keeping his arms tucked behind him.

  Eve appeared from around the corner of the hallway.

  My head instantly started to ache. I reached up to rub my temples, gritting my teeth. The headache disappeared as soon as I looked away from her and reappeared every time I glanced her way.

  She was still the same lady that I remembered. Short, opal-colored hair shaped along her jaw line at an angle. The same stiffness in her stride that promised a scolding.

  Her eyes met mine. I looked away, applying more pressure to my temples in an attempt to ease the ache.

  Gabe quickly stood, holding his hands out to help guide her to his seat. The longing in his gaze appeared when she smiled gratefully to him.

  I glanced over at Lexi and Fenn who both had their eyes pointed to the ground. Sitting next to each other, it was blatantly obvious that they were twins. Same blue eyes, same unruly hair.

  I bit my lip, trying to keep from getting upset again.

  “Hello, Aurora,” Eve said coolly. The demand for respect was present in her tone. I had no choice but to look
up at her. The lady who had once told me that I was in love with Fenn and that he was my soul mate. The lady who had walked through a Zordon merge with me. The same woman who was Fenn’s mother.

  “Hello,” I replied indifferently, my voice slightly cracking. I pulled my eyes from hers. She could see things about me that I couldn’t. I didn’t like that.

  “Shall we begin?” prompted Astral, taking center of the room.

  All eyes focused on him. I was grateful for the distraction.

  “I spoke with a trusted confidant about Aurora’s encounter with Zordon before she returned home to us. We all know that this is indeed an anomaly.” He paused to let it sink in. “At first, I thought maybe it had something to do with Aurora’s emotions tying with Zordon’s, but I couldn’t connect how that would port her to him.” His eyes furrowed at the thought, and then his finger shot up with the solution as he started to pace in front of us. “Then I realized, the most obvious reason this is happening is because she posses her Oraculus.”

  He walked over and stood behind me, resting his hands on the back of my chair. Now all eyes were on me.

  “The book is the link between Aurora and Zordon, but I needed to know what triggered it. Everything I knew about Oraculuses had to be written off if I was going to figure this out.” I could hear the passion rising in his voice. “Our rules don’t apply to Aurora and Zordon. Not only do they share their Oraculus, but they aren’t complete. So how does this cause a linkage between them?”

  I sunk further into the protection of my chair, trying to hide my gaze from everyone.

  “Aurora explained every instance where she had encountered Zordon, and there were quite a few.” He sounded displeased and continued with the madness of a teacher. But his words began to fade out, drowned by the feeling of being watched. I risked a glance in Fenn’s direction and instantly regretted it. He stared at me with cold, penetrating eyes.

  I gulped. I needed to talk to him…to apologize.