Embracing the Flames

by Candace Knoebel

  “...there was only one common denominator. Exhaustion,” Astral stated confidently. I spun around in my chair and gazed up at him in curiosity. He looked down at me.

  “An Oraculus is a lifeline. Without it, one could not exist. It feeds off its owner’s energy.” He paused for a moment before looking back up at everyone. “When Aurora is in possession, the Oraculus is in tune to her, feeding off of her energy. It is doubly draining. This is why they are kept in the Hall of Knowledge and not with the owner. Mortals are not supposed to carry that burden.”

  Myrdinn’s face remained in a permanent scowl. “But what does that have to do with it porting my daughter to Zordon? How can she prevent that?”

  Astral smiled as if that were the question he was hoping for.

  “There was something that I kept forgetting. The key to the connection.” He stepped from behind my chair, his eyes twinkling with excitement. “The Oraculus was originally created for Zordon.”

  He looked at us expectantly.

  I blinked, my mind going blank. Everyone looked the same, stunned and unsure.

  I repeated back what he had said, twirling the words around in my mind, searching for a resolution. There was always a tugging sensation when the connection occurred, like I was being pulled by an unseen force.

  “When I’m depleted,” I said slowly, the connection beginning to make sense, “the Oraculus wants to tune into him, to use his energy.”

  A small smile appeared beneath Astral’s beard.

  “My Oraculus is searching for his energy, isn’t it?”

  Fenn snorted. “That sure is a game changer,” he said curtly, his voice weighty and cynical.

  Astral stepped to the side of my chair, once again tugging at his beard. “It’s something that The Fates did not foresee, which is precisely why they have requested it to be returned immediately.” The deflation in his voice had my head spinning towards him.

  “What?” I choked out. Fear slithered in as my mouth fell open. I couldn’t give it back. It was my lifeline. Astral’s eyes shot to mine, agreeing.

  “That’s rubbish!” my father declared on the edge of his seat. “With everything that’s happening, what if it falls into the wrong hands?”

  “That’s precisely why we aren’t going to give it back,” Astral replied. I glanced up at him, confused by his tone.

  His smile was forced as he looked at me encouragingly.

  “Astral…,” Eve chimed in, “they won’t agree to that. It’s heresy to go against their commands. She must return it. You know who will pay the price for this.” Her words flowed out like honey.

  I tried to refrain from glaring at her.

  Astral came to my defense with his finger pointed into the air. “Ah, but this circumstance is different. They don’t have a choice. The cost is of no matter to me.” He glanced down at me and smiled. I couldn’t help but sigh with relief. But it was short-lived.

  Astral’s eyes grew dark and his voice went low. “There is corruption in the Hall of Knowledge. Trust me when I say, Aurora deserves to possess her Oraculus…it’s only fair.”

  The fire flickered fiercely behind us, mimicking the warning that swam in Astral’s eyes. I felt an uncomfortable tingling sensation run down my spine and I shuddered, hugging myself tighter.

  I felt Fenn’s possessive gaze burning the side of my face. My eyes shot over to him. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way, especially when you’re talking about the Gods of our realms,” Fenn said under his breath. He let my gaze go and looked up at Astral. “Do you honestly think we can keep The Fates from taking it back?”

  Astral searched Fenn’s face intently, taking the time to think. “I outsmarted them by hiding you two which is something they never would’ve expected. It’s too simple. When you’ve lived as long and seen as much as they have seen, the simple things are what you least expect.

  “I hope you’re right,” Fenn replied.

  “Eve,” Astral said a second later, his eyes following the words directed to her, “what do you hear?”

  She closed her eyes, cutting herself off from everyone as the room grew silent.

  Fenn was still staring at me from across the room. My heart sputtered a bit. Breathe, I told myself. You can talk to him after this.

  I looked over at Lexi. If it wasn’t for Logan’s Morbit scurrying from shoulder to shoulder while he tried his hardest to pull it off, I would have given her a scolding stare. But for her sake, I giggled at Logan and his newfound pet.

  Eve cleared her throat, her eyes set on me. “There is nothing new or different in the Hall of Knowledge. The whispers are still the same. We are on the brink of a war that will decide the fate of our existence. Zordon’s next steps will determine the war.”

  I heard Astral sigh.

  “But that doesn’t mean anything. I still can’t see Aurora past this moment.”

  We all glanced back to her in unison.

  “It makes it difficult to help when I can’t see what’s coming for you,” she said directly to me.

  Astral cut in. “Yes, but what we do know is that you have a destiny, Aurora. Eve cannot see your fate, but that won’t change one thing.” He knelt before me, his expression resolute. “You were made to stop Zordon. That is a fact. You are the only one who can.”

  I appreciated his trust in me.

  “If only we could go back to a more peaceful time like when Lev was Liege,” Myrdinn said with a heavy sigh. The name sounded so familiar. Where had I heard Lev before?

  The answer was right on the tip of my tongue, but never fully realized. Logan’s hand shot up as if we were in class, interrupting my thought.

  “Yes?” Astral asked him.

  “Does someone want to explain to me just what you three are talking about?” he asked as he pointed to Eve, Astral, and me. Lexi’s eyes grew in size as she pulled his hand down from the air and gave him the ‘Ssshh’ lips.

  “You won’t be here for long so it really doesn’t concern you,” Myrdinn said with a sneer. He turned to Logan as if he just now realized that he was amongst us. “And just what are you doing out here anyway? Aren’t you supposed to be in your room?”

  This time it was Logan’s eyes that grew wide.

  Lexi whispered something in Logan’s ear and then turned to Myrdinn. “Yes,” she faltered, and then she stood up, tugging on Logan’s arm. “We were just going.” She pulled him down the hallway, her heightened whispers carrying behind her.

  The air seemed to lighten a bit with their presence gone. “I swear that girl creates more problems than she solves,” my dad criticized. “We need to figure out what to do with him and Zane. They can’t stay here. It’s not safe.”

  Eve stiffened at that statement. I looked at her curiously, examining her face. She looked back at me, and for a moment, she looked caught. Her image wavered, and my brain pounded violently against my skull. I jerked my gaze away, strenuously rubbing my temples.

  “I haven’t yet figured out how to send Logan back without further weakening the barrier between our realms. We can’t risk the barrier collapsing just to send him back,” Astral said grimly. “For now he is stuck with us.” This sounded like a death sentence.

  “Great,” Myrdinn muttered to himself.

  Gabe coughed for attention and we all shifted our gaze over to him. “I checked back in about the spectol situation.”

  We all held our breath as we waited.

  “Albert and Ghandus said that Zordon never saw it, but they left shortly after that so I had to go and make sure myself. When I got there, Zordon was raging about Aurora and the fact that a Fate had meddled in their affairs.” He glanced in my direction.

  “I’m sure he found that unfair,” Astral said, sounding uninterested in pursuing the matter any further. “Now, about Zane
,” he continued, “how should we deal with him, Gabe?”

  Eve scooted forward in her seat.

  “Since interrogation isn’t working, force would be my next suggestion.” Gabe looked over at Eve and then his eyes fell regretfully.

  I felt a tight knot form in my stomach. Something wasn’t right with their exchanged glances.

  “We definitely should not let him go, under no circumstances. It’s too risky. He would do more harm than good now that he’s seen all of us,” Gabe finished.

  “I agree,” said Astral, his tone contrite. Then he turned to Myrdinn. “Do you agree?”

  My dad shifted in his seat and then spoke. “It is the only way.” He looked off into the fire. “We need to know exactly how he plans on taking the Stone. Without understanding that, we have no way of stopping him.”

  “I thought he was building his army and speaking with the Dark Saar. What other way is there?” I asked.

  “It’s not as simple as that, Aurora. You can’t just walk into the Obsidian Chasm and steal the Stone. There has to be a plan, and that is what we are trying to find out with Zane,” Astral said to both of us. He pushed his chin up into the air and walked over to the mantle. “It is done then. Zane will stay with us. We will wake him and begin the forceful interrogation for anything substantial about Zordon’s plans.”

  “I want to be present when it happens,” I interjected with a sudden boost of confidence. I needed to be there if I wanted a chance at learning the truth.

  My father nearly jumped out of his seat. “Outrageous, Aurora. You will not be present for that. He doesn’t deserve to be in your presence.”

  I rolled my eyes. Here we go.

  “I agree one hundred percent,” Fenn added murderously. I shot him a look.

  “Ladies shouldn’t be present for that kind of thing,” Gabe stated diplomatically.

  Really? I thought to myself.

  Lexi popped her head from around the corner of the hallway and scoffed, “You men are so stupid. So inconsiderate,” and then she disappeared. She took the words from my mouth.

  “Aurora?” Astral questioned, leaving the floor open for my thoughts.

  I stood up to make my point clear. “Every one of you knows exactly what I’m thinking,” I said sharply. “I don’t need to say it.” I turned from them and looked Astral straight in the eyes. “When you are ready to speak with him, come and get me. I need to be there,” I reiterated.

  He smiled and nodded. At least he let me in on one thing.

  I heard the three men gruff in unison as I slumped off to my room. Lexi popped her head from her door and asked warily, “You got a minute?”

  The inevitable apology.

  “Sure.” I walked into my room, leaving the door open for her entrance. She closed it and sat on the bed facing me.

  “I’m sure you know this is about Fenn.” Her eyes were troubled. “I wanted to apologize. I um —” she waited a moment as if searching for the right words. “I didn’t know who he was to me when I first met you. Honestly,” she assured. “I don’t think my mother wanted you to find out.” Her face went rigid at the word mother.

  I reached for her hand.

  “There was too much at stake, and well, you know how my mouth is. I can’t keep it shut to save my soul. I would’ve blurted that out, and she knew that, so she erased it from my memory before I came for you.” Anger flared in her eyes. “It wasn’t until I crossed back over to this realm that I remembered, and at that point, I knew that seeing Fenn alone after all that you had went through to find him would be enough of a shock for you. After that,” she paused, “well, I just didn’t know when the right time should be.”

  I let out a deep breath.

  “It’s okay, Lex, I get it. Say no more, okay?” I petted her hand in reassurance. “We’re good.” I leaned in and hugged her, thankful that we could clear the air. At least I had someone I could count on to be honest with me. I needed her in my life. She was my family now.

  Her tense shoulders dropped as a broad smile stretched across her face. “I am so relieved! I thought for sure that you were going to hate me,” she admitted. I wanted to kick myself for making her feel that way.

  “I could never hate you. I was mad, definitely, but not even close to hate. You’re such a dork.” I leaned back against my pillow.

  “So, um, how are things with Fenn?” she asked sheepishly, rolling onto her belly and dropping to her elbows next to me.

  “There isn’t any “thing” with him. At least, not right now,” I replied, trying to hide the regret that I felt. “He can’t seem to trust me, and I won’t be in a relationship built on mistrust.”

  If only it were that simple. Being soul mates didn’t make staying away from him easy.

  She sighed and then said, “I wish things could be that clear and concise for me.” Her eyes peered over at me expectantly. She was waiting for me to ask her to explain. I could tell because that’s how she was, dramatic.

  I played into it. “Explain.”

  She began picking at the frayed ends of the pillow I was leaning against and sighed once again. “I really like Logan. I don’t know what it is about him.”

  “Me either,” I muttered under my breath.

  She glared at me. “Are you going to let me finish, Miss Smarty Pants?”

  I nodded, laughing when she nudged me.

  Her face dropped a little as she looked back at the pillow. “Brohm will be here tomorrow,” she said softly.

  That explained it all. That explained her desperate need to talk to me about this. I thought back to the night we spent in the hotel in the other realm. That was when I had first learned of her proposed marriage to Brohm. The man she didn’t know or love.

  We had discussed this situation a few days ago, searching for a way to get her out of this unconventional situation. I had reminded Lexi that he worked for Zordon. With everything happening after Zane’s attack against me and Zordon’s war, I figured she could get out of it based on that mere fact alone. No mother would let her daughter marry someone on the wrong side of the war.

  But then again, her mother was Eve.

  “What about what we discussed?”

  “It didn’t work,” she said sadly.

  I sat up. “What!? So your mother would let you marry someone on Zordon’s side?” I didn’t try to hide the disgust that curled my tone.

  “Actually, no,” she said incredulously. “For once, I can say that she is a good mom. She would never let me marry someone who supported Zordon.”

  I was confused.

  After noting my curious stare, she quickly added, “He left the Magium a few weeks ago to join the Draconta’s army. I don’t think my fate could get any worse.” She sounded troubled as she rolled over and began flipping the pillow around in her hands.

  “What are you going to do about Logan?” I asked, trying to take the whole thing seriously.

  “That’s the thing, I don’t know. I think I may be in love with Logan. Brohm won’t agree. He is an honorable man.”

  “Lexi, you’re not in love with Logan. You’ve only known him for like what, a few weeks now? That’s not enough time.”

  She huffed and then said, “Yes it is,” and folded her arms across her chest like a pouting child.

  “Oh yeah, well, what’s his middle name?”

  She stuttered and then said, “That is so irrelevant to love.”

  “No, Lexi, those things are important. Maybe if you stop thinking with your lips and start thinking with your heart, you would understand that.” I made her face me. “Love is not just a physical thing you feel for someone.”

  I felt my cheeks blush. Of course Fenn’s mouth and hands had to pop into my thought process.

  “And if your mother, or anyone for tha
t matter, found out about what you two were up to, I doubt he’d still exist. We need to get him back to the other realm.”

  She sat up, hopeful. “You’re right, Rory. Wow. You are so smart with these sorts of things. You know what?” She stood up, looking rejuvenated.

  “What?” I asked, my voice suspicious.

  “I’m going to march into my room right now and get to know Logan. Really get to know him. Friendship is more important.”

  She started for the door.

  “That was not my point!” I called after her.

  Chapter 4

  Finding my Heritage

  THE REST OF THE DAY moved painfully slow. I buried myself in studying. Fenn opted out, choosing to spend more time practicing his magic out in the field. He had taken a keen interest in the air element which made me chuckle every time I thought about it. I rolled over, thinking back to when I first realized how fitting it was.

  “Why is it so funny that I am good at tapping into the air element?” he had asked me.

  I looked at him, waiting for it to hit him. When he didn’t come back with anything, I said, “What is air?”

  “Oxygen.”

  “And what does oxygen do to fire?”

  His smile grew as the answer finally hit him. “Fuels it.”

  I rolled back over, still smiling from the thought. My eyes burned from a lack of blinking. I had finally finished reading the last of the training manuals given to me by Astral. I willingly tossed the book across my bed, glad to be finished with them all. It landed with a light thud amongst the pile of other books. But even with all of this freshly learned knowledge, I still didn’t feel any different, any more in control of the battle that was sure to come.

  This bothered me. I had no idea what was going to happen, or even what was happening. Zordon was out there, doing Fate only knows what, to get one step ahead of us, while I’m stuck here reading. It wasn’t right. I should be doing something about it…trying to stop him.