Embracing the Flames

by Candace Knoebel

  “What does that mean?” Fenn squeezed out, his jaw flexed in pain. “How is that even possible?” His resistance was slowly fading. “He’s ZORDON’S son, for Christ sake.”

  “Fenn,” I encouraged, dropping beside him and rubbing his back, “he is on our side. Astral was in his mind. He’s changed.” Fenn looked up at me, scrutinizing my face. “You need to hear what he has to say. It can help us defeat Zordon.”

  Zane stood up, his brow furrowed in anger as he straightened himself out. “You should listen to your girlfriend,” he said snidely.

  I bit my lip.

  Fenn’s lips pressed together in a cautious line. His restraint required a great deal of effort. I ran my hand down his back in support.

  “Come on, Aurora,” Fenn said after a moment. He used the wall to help him stand and then tucked his hand into mine. I peered over my shoulder at Zane, sending a regretful smile at him. He had a long way to go if he wanted to fit in.

  We sat near the fireplace. Fenn pulled me onto his lap and wrapped his arms around my waist. Zane kept close to Astral.

  Gabe appeared through a port. “You rang?” he asked Astral, who was sitting in his usual chair by the fire. As Gabe’s gaze fell on Zane, his eyes widened and his hand reached for the hilt of his sword.

  “He’s fine, Gabe, no need for that,” Astral informed. “I want you to call upon Myrdinn, please.”

  “As you wish,” he replied, leaving the room in disdain.

  The room grew quiet as we waited for Gabe to return. I shifted in Fenn’s lap, uncomfortable in the silence.

  Fenn was hiding behind me, glaring in Zane’s direction. Zane was looking out the window, pretending that he didn’t notice. “So, umm, are you hungry, Zane?” I asked, unsure of what else to say.

  “Not right now, but thanks,” he muttered.

  “He’s probably full on murderous intentions,” Fenn mumbled under his breath. I elbowed him, scrunching my brow at him in shame. “What?” he asked innocently.

  I looked back at Zane whose lips were pursed in assumption. He rolled his eyes and shook his head as he looked back out the window.

  Thankfully, Gabe entered with my dad. “What’s going on, Astral? Why is he out?” my father immediately asked, his lip curled as if Zane were an atrocity.

  He cautiously walked over to me and put his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into him. “Hello, Little Flame,” he whispered, side-eyeing Zane.

  “Now that we have everyone, we can begin,” Astral proceeded. “Zane has shared his knowledge with me. It is as I have feared. This war is not just about immortality and destroying the Draconta, but about overthrowing The Fates.” He looked over at Gabe as if to ask if he knew what that would be.

  Gabe’s head hung. “He doesn’t share anything with any of us anymore. Not even his Seer, Sayer. Lately, he has kept to his room, only stepping out to ask if we have heard news of Aurora’s capture.”

  “That is odd behavior for someone planning an attack on the Draconta. Shouldn’t he be coordinating the battle plans with his advisors?” Myrdinn asked, running his hands through his silver hair.

  “Exactly” Gabe agreed. “But he won’t talk to anyone anymore. I suspect he may be leaving the Lyceum from time to time-something he had never done before. He customarily has someone running his errands.”

  “That’s where Zane comes in,” Astral said as he shifted the focus towards Zane. “He is on our side, but he is still Zordon’s son. If he will speak to anyone, it has to be Zane.”

  The silence heightened. I don’t think anyone expected Zane to become an ally.

  “So what’s your plan then?” Myrdinn muttered crossly.

  “I want him to return with Gabe. Having two on the other side is better than one. Gabe will tell Zordon that he found him near death in a forest. Zane will give Zordon any information he asks for. What he knows so far will not hurt us.” Astral turned to Zane. “You do understand that you will have to be under the sleeping spell when you leave here, right? I can’t risk you knowing where we are. I trust you, but if something goes wrong, that information must remain protected.”

  He nodded.

  “And while you earn back his trust, you will discover where he slips off to and what his plans are,” Astral finished.

  Gabe perked up. “This might work. He might be able to convince Zordon to let him aid him.” He walked over to Zane, sticking out his hand. Zane took his hand. “Can I trust you?” he asked, looking deep into Zane’s eyes.

  Zane nodded as they shook hands, never wavering from Gabe’s gaze.

  “Alright then, you are one of us,” declared Gabe.

  My dad slowly strolled over to Zane, hesitated, and then patted him once on the back. His hand pulled away from him as if it were stained. “Don’t let us down,” he added as he walked away.

  Fenn took my hand and walked over to Zane and did something that I didn’t see coming. He actually apologized for the earlier incident with the door. “In my defense, though,” he said, “you have been talking smack about my girlfriend. It’s only fitting that I get a little pay back.”

  “Oh, so she is your girlfriend then?” asked Zane, perking up an eyebrow at me.

  I felt my cheeks heat, which irritated me. We hadn’t discussed that yet. Not since our last argument. And I didn’t like being put under the microscope. Especially not by Zane.

  “No,” I answered coolly and then walked past them both.

  “Yes, she is. One second,” I heard Fenn say as he left Zane and ran up next to me. “Rory, that wasn’t very nice. You couldn’t just go along with it? I mean, we are practically dating.” He grabbed me by the arm and made me face him.

  “You’ve never asked me to be your girlfriend. You’ve had plenty of chances. I won’t settle for anything less.” He sucked his teeth as I walked off.

  Why was I acting like this? Even though we haven’t talked about it, I had already decided to forgive him.

  I stopped right outside my door, my shoulders slumping over in guilt. “Fenn, wait,” I called out after him. He stopped mid-stride. “You want to go for a walk?”

  “Of course.” A glimmer of a smile appeared in his eyes.

  Chapter 6

  Don’t go in the Woods Alone

  THE BREEZE THAT CAREENED THROUGH the grass sang a quiet, breathy lullaby as we stepped out of the portal. I skimmed my fingertips along the yellow wildflowers that grew freely underneath the Jacaranda tree.

  Having Fenn next to me was the best feeling in the world. I reached out and took his hand, lacing my fingers through his. My heart stuttered and my cheeks turned crimson. He squeezed my hand and nudged me with a smile.

  “So why’d you bring me here?” he asked, twirling a wildflower between his fingers.

  “You haven’t seen this place yet and I wanted to share it with you. I found it when I was little. It’s sort of my special garden.” I pulled him towards the pond. “Those two swans,” I said, pointing towards the other end, “Astral told me that I would meet someone one day, and that we would be like those swans. We would protect the worlds like they protect their nest. He was talking about you and me. I know that now.”

  I stopped and looked at him. My breath caught as I gazed confidently into his beautiful blue eyes, my heart racing a mile a minute. “And I think it’s time we broach the dating topic.”

  “Mmm-hmm?” His brows rose expectantly.

  “First off, I wanted to say that I forgive you.”

  “You forgive me?” he laughed, clearly amused.

  “Well, yeah. I forgive you for waiting so long to tell me about Lexi. And I understand now why it took you so long.”

  His face went a little serious. “So you acknowledge that I did try to tell you?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yes, Fenn. And I, uh,
I’m sorry for the way I have been acting lately. It was a silly thing for me to stay mad over. Especially considering we have much bigger things to worry about. You mean more to me than a silly fight.” The relief I felt synced with the relief that washed over his features.

  He leaned down and kissed me lightly, ceasing all the words that could have been said. I pressed against him, reaching for his hair. I loved the way his hair felt in my fingers as his lips devoured mine. “So you’ll admit that you’re my girlfriend?”

  I nodded.

  “Well then, as your boyfriend, I order you to tell Zane that you are and always have been my girlfriend.” His eyes blazed impishly.

  I started laughing and then shoved him down into the cushiony grass. His face went from shocked to playful as he jumped up and chased after me.

  “I’m not kidding. I am your boss now,” he taunted from behind me.

  I screamed in delight as I dodged and weaved ahead, staying a pace ahead of him. “You can’t catch me!” I teased, bobbing through the wildflowers and around the Jacaranda that serenely hung over the lake.

  “Occidium,” he shouted, missing me by an inch. Bark flew by my ear.

  “Hey! That’s not fair! Protectio,” I chanted, smiling as a protective bubble surrounded me.

  “Immoblatio!” His spell hit my bubble and was absorbed. The bubble deflated with a tiny pop.

  “Silentaro,” I shot back, the spell slapping him in the face. I stuck my tongue out at him, giggling when he fell, pretending to be dead. I walked over to him, thinking it was a truce, but his eyes flared with victory as he reached out for my leg, dropping me to the ground.

  I gasped, turning on him, ready to tickle, but he was gone. The faint smell of a portal lingered. I wove the counter-spell so I could follow, but he was quicker. His energy whizzed by me, barely missing my side.

  I jumped up and sprinted, ducking behind the fractured dummy. My heart beat wildly against my chest, and I panted heavily. Sweat dotted my forehead. I tuned into my energy. It was low. I hadn’t relaxed my mind. I looked back up, scanning the area for him, but I couldn’t spot him anywhere.

  “Fenn, where are you? I’m tired.”

  I waited. Nothing.

  “Fenn, come on.” I wiped my brow.

  Still nothing.

  I stepped from behind the dummy and carefully walked around the entire pond. He wasn’t here. Where could he be?

  I looked up and noticed the woods. The same woods where I had evaded The Fates the night Astral sent me to the other realm. The same woods that he warned never to go in.

  “I’m going to kill you, Fenn,” I said under my breath as I sprinted down the hill. When I reached the edge, the light from the sun seemed to disappear behind the wicked foliage. The further I trudged through the swampy brush, the further the light seemed to slip away.

  “Why the hell would you hide in here?” I shouted, hoping he would just give up. “It was just a little silencing spell. Nothing to cry over. I mean, seriously, you’ve hit me with it thousands of times!”

  I glanced down at my shoes, caked in mud. “UGH!”

  A noise to my left stopped me in my tracks. “Fenn?” Another rustling noise. Leaves crunched. Twigs snapped. “Fenn? Come on, you’re scaring me.”

  But he didn’t say anything. I shifted just in case, flames instantly lining my fingertips. Zane’s earlier warning of a bounty being placed on my head crossed my mind.

  “You’d better say something Fenn or else I’m going to set you on fire!” More leaves crunched and twigs cracked. Something large was moving in my direction.

  Suddenly dread began to seep in. Fenn would have said something by now. I felt the blood drain from my face. If that wasn’t Fenn, who was it?

  I dropped to a crouch, wishing that I had stayed by the pond. My breath stopped as I waited, deliberating if I should stay put or run. Porting seemed like the best answer.

  I slowly inched backwards, weaving a portal to take me back to the pond, hoping that I wouldn’t be heard.

  But I don’t think it mattered.

  A dark form stepped out from behind a large cypress tree, eyes glowing a putrid green color. Without thinking, I shot flames in its direction and then turned and ran. Adrenaline fed my pace as I sprinted for the light at the edge of the woods.

  “Where are you going, girl?” an Arabic voice called from behind me, enjoyment staining his far-off raspy tone. I didn’t stop to answer him. “I just want to talk.”

  I ran and ran until the edge was just in sight and then spread my wings, ready to take flight. But I screamed instead.

  Fenn had appeared, and we collided, both stumbling backwards from my momentum. He gained his balance and reached out, pulling me into him. “What’s wrong?” he asked, concern coating his voice.

  “Come on, we have to keep going! Someone’s in there. Someone’s after me.” I tried pulling him along with me, but he brushed me aside, heading for the forest instead. “Fenn, NO!” I begged, tugging on his arm with all my strength. “Please. Zordon put a bounty on my head.”

  That stopped him dead in his tracks.

  “What?” he asked frigidly.

  “Zane told us. He will pay a high price for me, alive. Whoever or whatever was in there…it’s not worth it. We aren’t ready for it.” I was tugging on his arm, sick with worry. Admitting that I wasn’t ready was a harsh reality to face.

  “Rory, quit,” he said angrily, shoving me off. “You’ve shifted. You need to calm yourself so your dragon doesn’t take over. Wait here. I’m going to see who it is.”

  “I am calm!” I shouted back at him defiantly. But truth be told, I was afraid, which in turn made me ashamed of myself. I couldn’t let him show me up and I definitely shouldn’t let some stranger run me around like a chicken with my head cut off. I couldn’t let fear control me.

  He was stalking off towards the woods, energy blazing wildly in his flexed hands.

  “If you’re going to be stupid,” I called after him, jogging to match his pace, “then I’m coming with you. You’ll need protection, I’m sure.”

  I shoved him towards the forest, ignoring the scowl that masked his beautiful smile.

  “The last I checked, you were the one who came running out of here screaming,” he said defensively. “But I understand,” he continued, pushing the foliage aside. I couldn’t help but shudder as the light disappeared again. “You’re embarrassed because it was probably just an animal you saw, and you ran like a wimp.” He was smiling smugly now, throwing me a challenging look.

  “Sh-shut up!” was the best I could come up with. I frowned as we sloshed back through the mud, only a few feet away from where I had seen the figure. The shadows that had grown from the lack of light had taken on a life of their own. I found myself staring at the shapes they made, trying to distinguish if they were shadows or something else.

  Being here, with fear on the edge of my thoughts, reminded me of the night I was chased by The Fates. The same night I was sent over to the other realm. I grabbed Fenn’s arm and pointed to the spot where the man had emerged.

  “Who’s there?” Fenn shouted in a low, mocking tone. “Show yourself, evil demon!” Now he was just being a jerk. I punched him in the back and glared at him when he turned around. He laughed, of course.

  “It’s not funny. I really did see someone. He spoke to me...asked me where I was going. I didn’t imagine that.”

  He reached out and caressed my cheek, his eyes going a little soft. “Well whoever or whatever it was you saw is gone now, okay? Let’s go train.”

  I nodded and took his hand. In a way, I was glad that we didn’t run into him, even if it made me look like a scaredy-cat.

  We picked up our pace, chuckling with relief. A faint blue glow caught my eye and I looked down to Fenn’s hand. “Fen
n? Your ring…it’s glowing.”

  He looked down just as a figure appeared directly in front of us. The figure seemed to have slipped out of the shadows, as if they were a part of him. It took everything in me not to scream. In reality, my fear was so great my vocal cords couldn’t function.

  “Where are you two going so fast?” asked the dark-skinned man. His voice sounded raspy and hard, like he knew death on a personal level. A small bone pierced through his nose, and he wore a necklace made of bones and teeth. I prayed they weren’t human. I guessed he had been watching that whole time, from within the shadows.

  “Home,” Fenn said sharply, grabbing my hand. “Now if you’ll excuse us.” Fenn started to move, but the guy brushed his cloak aside, revealing a set of gleaming daggers strapped into a leather belt. Metal wires ran along his knuckles like sharp bones, connecting to a four-fingered ring.

  “Protectio!” I shouted, encasing both Fenn and me. I knew that my energy was close to depletion, but I remained focused on keeping us safe. The guy started laughing.

  “A spell won’t protect you from these, Progeny,” he said, pointing to his daggers. His smile showed missing teeth, and wrinkles and scars covered his dark face. His pure black eyes were filled with dangerous greed. “But I’ll make a deal with you. Come with me, and I won’t use these on your little boyfriend.” His mouth moved into what might have been a smile but looked more like a scowl.

  Fenn didn’t hesitate. “Immoblatio!” The spell hit the man but was instantly absorbed into his necklace. One of his eyes twitched, and then they both lit up to that eerie green color again, piercing through Fenn with his gaze. He laughed. “Pulsecto!” Fenn shouted, waiting for the man to be hit with electricity. Again, the necklace absorbed it.

  “Don’t you know what I am?” he sneered, writhing his fingers beneath his metal knuckles.

  We didn’t say anything. For the first time, I really felt like we were in trouble. Our magic didn’t work on him. I had no idea what to do to get us out of this.