by Jen L. Grey
Fury
It was strange to see Aidan’s reaction to Cinder’s words. Fury watched as Aidan’s look of indifference changed to one of grief.
“That was a long time ago.” Aidan focused on the ground, and he blinked his eyes several times as if he was trying to hold back his tears.
Not able to resist their strengthened bond, Pele positioned herself close to him, the sides of their bodies touching.
“It might have been, but anytime someone loses a parent, it stays with them.” Cinder’s tone was soft, and her eyes were filled with empathy. “But think about what Aithne sacrificed for you. I’m impressed that she was able to do that.”
There was no way in Hades Fury could have Cinder killed. Granted, she always tried to do what was right, but Fury was sure Aithne’s mate thought he was doing the right thing as well.
“Don’t you think that decision still haunts me?” Aithne’s bottom lip trembled, and she tilted her head upward. “I didn’t know what to do. Sometimes, as a leader, there isn’t any right or wrong decision, just the best one you can make at the time.”
Those words resonated deep within Fury. There were so many times that no matter what he’d done, he had to live with the consequences. The only thing he could do was live with the ones that he thought would haunt him less.
“Then, why did you do it?” Aidan raised a hand toward Aithne and, with the other hand, pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ve never understood.”
“You know that phoenixes have the ability to live forever but that it takes a toll on each person in a very different way.” Aithne paused and took a ragged breath.
“Yes, some lose their physical abilities or can’t connect with their phoenix or lose their minds.” Hestia ran her fingers through her long brown hair.
“I’d already noticed a change in him.” Her body seemed to sag as if the weight of the kingdom was square on her shoulders. “He was growing paranoid, which is never good. He had already begun accusing others of things and even attacked one of the children. There were others around who intervened thankfully, and the child was fine, but that seemed to be the turning point.”
Oh, gods. Fury’s stomach churned. The man had been losing his mind.
“The signs had been there, but he hadn’t done anything too crazy until that point.” Aithne’s tone was full of pain and sorrow. “When he killed both of your parents, I realized that it was going to continue to get worse and worse, so I had to do something for everyone’s sake.”
“The thing is I think Aidan feels responsible for his death.” Pele reached out to touch Aidan, but he jerked away.
“Why would you say that?” Aidan’s tone was harsh, and he snarled at Pele.
“Because I don’t think you’ve figured out that it wasn’t your fault. No that we’ve bonded, there are some things I understand about you that you haven’t acknowledged.” Pele wasn’t scared of his reaction. Instead of slinking away, she placed her hands on her hips and faced him.
It reminded Fury of all of the times she prepared herself for battles. However, this was something that couldn’t be fought with weapons.
“No one has ever thought it was your fault.” Aithne wiped soot from the corner of her eyes. “I just wish I’d done something sooner. I mean, he wasn’t the same person there at the end. I should’ve seen the signs that something big was going to go down.”
They both have been blaming themselves. Cinder linked with Fury and her worry echoed through the bond. No wonder there is so much anger.
“Sometimes, forgiving ourselves can be the hardest thing.” Joash scratched the back of his neck and bit his lower lip. “Believe me, I know. It’s easier to take it out on others when the real person you hate is yourself.”
“That’s something I understand as well.” Brenton walked out from the opening, and there were dark circles under his eyes.
“What happened to you?” Fury couldn’t believe that Brenton would refuse to let himself get any rest. They were fighting a crazy seer, for goodness sake!
“Do I need to say more than Pele and Aidan?” Brenton narrowed his eyes at them and then shook his head, breaking into laughter, followed by Aithne and Hestia.
This was exactly what they needed at the moment to diffuse the situation, but Fury figured it couldn’t last long. His eyes closed. “Some things can’t be unheard.”
Pele’s mouth dropped open, and Aidan grinned.
Chapter Eleven
Cinder
When everyone was stressed out, things tended to blow. Cinder was relieved for the laughter even though it wouldn’t last long. “Well, I guess you chose to stay with the wrong person.”
“That would be an understatement.” Brenton snuck a look at Hestia.
“What does that mean?” Joash’s voice was so deep it was definitely a warning.
Everyone was on edge, and Cinder needed to shut it down. “I think we all need to head back to our homes and see if we can figure anything out about the Seer. Besides, I haven’t heard from my parents since we left, which concerns me.”
“Come to think of it, I haven’t heard from mine, either.” Fury took in a deep breath and glanced over to Joash and Hestia. “That surprises me. They should’ve been harassing me, but I was just enjoying the silence. Have either of you?”
“No, but Father normally leaves me alone.” Hestia pursed her lips and closed her eyes. “But I can’t reach him.”
“What does this all mean?” Joash turned to Aithne and arched an eyebrow.
“Abatha must have spelled you all.” Aithne huffed, and she leaned even more on her cane. At this point, the cane seemed as if it was the only thing supporting her and bearing all of her weight. “She wouldn’t want them alerting you to the changes going on and distracting you from whatever she was attempting to do.”
“Great. So there is no telling what’s going on, and if they need our help…” Cinder let the weight of the realization hit her. There was no telling what state their people were in.
“We need to get back.” Fury nodded and glanced at her. “There is no telling what we’ll find.”
“We need to figure out how we can link to each other but not them.” Cinder popped her fingers and paced.
“I tried reaching out to you all while I was imprisoned here.” Joash smirked and stared off into the distance. “I figured all of you were ignoring me.”
“No, I never heard you.” Hestia’s eyes widened, and she touched his arm.
“Neither did I.” Fury tapped a finger to his chin, and his tone tensed.
“So, it must be a proximity spell.” Aithne seemed to straighten and bear weight back on her legs. “She must have manipulated the spell so all of you could hear each other as long as you were close enough so you didn’t grow suspicious.”
All of this had Cinder more on edge. Not only were they held captive, but the Seer purposely blocked their communication links with their kingdoms. She had been so focused on Fury and what was going on there that it took her until this moment to realize the magnitude to which they’d been manipulated.
Footsteps pounded towards them, and Cinder turned to find a guard from the prison heading straight to them. His brow was covered in perspiration, and his movements were jerky; almost frantic. “Aithne, we have a problem.” He took a rapid breath as he stared into Aithne’s eyes, obviously mind linking to her.
“No, please tell me that’s not true.” Aithne stiffened and glanced at Cinder. “Somehow, Abatha escaped last night.”
If it wasn’t for Cinder still breathing, she would’ve thought her heart had stopped. “Why are we just finding out about it now?”
The guard jerked around, turning to Cinder. “I wanted to tell her to her face. The others are spread out, looking for her.”
“Fine but flying here would’ve been faster.” Fury’s jaw ticked, and his eyes scanned the area almost as if he thought Abatha would appear.
“We can’t fly underground.” Aithne’s cold tone chilled even Cind
er. “Since we don’t have enough air space, it tends to catch things on fire here, which doesn’t bode well for our homes.”
With the buildings being made of wood, the explanation made sense to Cinder. “How did she escape?”
“We aren’t sure.” He flinched as he said the words. “We found the rope cut in half where she sat but don’t know how she did it.”
“That’s impossible.” Aithne hit the ground hard with her cane. “Only I should’ve been able to unbind her.”
Do you think she’s playing us? Fury’s tense voice sounded in Cinder’s head.
That was a good question, and not one she could answer at the moment. I’m not sure, but we need to stay on guard.
“We need to get back to our people and let them know what’s going on.” Pele backed a few steps away from the black phoenixes and mind linked Cinder. Since we don’t trust her anymore, the first place the Seer will go is back to the kingdom so she can try to destroy any evidence we could find.
“I’m sure she’s not here any longer.” Fury motioned to the others in their party. “And we need to get back to our kingdoms to seek guidance about what she could be planning.”
“That’s fine. I need to see if I can pick up her trail before too much more time goes by.” Aithne and the guard began walking off until she paused and turned back. “Be careful. Things will be different now. Remember who the real enemy is.” She continued on her trek without taking another backward glance.
“We’d better get going.” Joash’s face was lined with worry.
“Wait.” Pele blocked him and looked at Cinder. “Are we really letting him come with us?”
This wasn’t their battle, and it surprised Cinder that Pele thought it was. “That’s up to Fury. Whether we like it or not, we’re going back to a split kingdom, and Fury will be the ruler over it.”
Fury
They hadn’t even made it back to the kingdoms, and Cinder was already distancing herself from him. “No, you aren’t pulling away.” He wasn’t sure if he could take it if she did.
Cinder whipped her head towards him, her eyes glowing. “Who said anything about pulling away?”
“You did just now.” Fury grabbed Cinder’s arm and gently pulled her towards him. “You’re talking about how I’ll be the ruler over South Pyr like we won’t be together. You’re my mate. You’ll also be ruling over my people, standing beside me.”
“I didn’t mean permanently.” She hit his chest and laughed. “However, we’re going back to a split kingdom, so it’s going to take a little work to get everyone else on the same page we are.”
That made sense to him. Still, she’d fought their bond for so long it was hard for him not to worry. Let me be clear. You’re mine, and I won’t stay apart from you for any extended amount of time.
Good, I wouldn’t want it any other way. She stood on her tiptoes and planted a soft kiss on his lips.
He had to rein his insecurities in or he would wind up losing her. “Unfortunately, I think it would be wise for him to join us. My parents tend to listen to him better than me, and it’ll give him a chance to prove that he’s changed.” That would be the ultimate test in his book, but something had to have happened for Aithne to allow him to leave. Maybe their time back at home would provide an opportunity to hear the story.
Pele glared at Joash and pointed a finger at him. “If I hear that you did anything stupid…”
“Don’t worry.” Aidan interrupted her and lifted his chin at him. “I’ll take care of him before he can be a dimmy.”
“You think you’re coming with us?” Joash laughed and motioned to Aidan’s eyes. “You’ll stand out for sure.”
That was a low blow, and Fury knew that things were about to escalate.
“Why don’t you worry about yourself?” Cinder pulled out of Fury’s arms and placed her hand on Aidan’s shoulder. “Aidan will be coming with Pele, Brenton, and me, and there is nothing he should be ashamed of.”
Joash rubbed a hand down his face. “Wow, wait. I didn’t...”
“You’ve said enough, so it would be best if you remain silent. As I said before, one sign of your self-involved ways, and you’ll be living here permanently.” Fury didn’t have time for this. They needed to be heading back immediately.
“Maybe I should stick with Hestia instead.” Brenton kicked at the ground and lowered his head.
There were only two reasons why Brenton might be so worried about Hestia that made sense. One, he had developed a huge crush on her; or two, she was his mate. It made Fury sick to his stomach at the thought, but he was leaning towards the second reason considering the way Hestia hadn’t been pushing Brenton away.
“No, you’ll be coming with us.” Cinder didn’t leave any room for argument with her tone. “We have to all return, so no one panics.”
“Less talking and more walking.” Pele turned, beginning the trek back out of this place. “Then, we can fly and really make some ground.”
“Do you think Dad’s okay?” Hestia tapped her fingers on her side and bit her bottom lip.
“You know how he is. I’m sure he’s fine.” Joash gave her a tight smile and focused on the path.
The rest of their trek was made in silence. If Cinder had been connected with the Earth and was correct, it was still early. Even as they walked through the community center, she noted that it was empty.
As they clambered from the hidden hole, cold air circled around them. Even in the short amount of time they were downstairs, the temperature had already decreased drastically. The one thing that everything seemed to have in common was the Seer… and maybe her sister.
Chapter Twelve
Cinder
Chills ran through Cinder as they stepped outside. Even in the short cycle they were underground, the air seemed to have become colder. She wondered if it was from the dictator’s kingdom increasing in size due to the Seer’s doing or if it was the whole kingdom taking this hit.
“This isn’t good.” Hestia crossed her arms and rubbed up and down them with her hands.
“No, it’s not.” Pele scoped out the area, but nothing was out there except for green luscious grass.
“Are you guys sure you don’t mind me coming?” Aidan blinked rapidly as his eyes were adjusting to the brightness.
Cinder wasn’t sure if that was the best plan, but there wasn’t really any other option. Pele would be beside herself with worry if they left him behind. Also, they really didn’t know what they were walking into, so additional strength could be beneficial. “No, you’re part of the gang now. Where we go, you go.” Not only would Pele be upset, but Aidan was looking for acceptance and a sense of belonging.
“Wish you all had the same mentality for me,” Joash mumbled under his breath.
“Shut the skatá up, Joash.” Fury’s tense muscles and the tick in his neck told Cinder everything she needed to know. Fury was stressed and ready to check on his people. “Don’t start this now. You were a dimmy to all of us and you picked on a deformed kid. You don’t get to ask for sympathy.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry.” Joash glanced at Brenton and sighed. “Sometimes it’s hard when you don’t feel like you fit in.”
“That’s an understatement,” Brenton mumbled and shook his head.
“First off, we have more important matters to attend to right now instead of your feelings.” Cinder reached out, trying to connect to her dad, but it was… empty. “Secondly, you were the ones who tried rocking the boat and were only out for yourselves. If you don’t like it, change it.” She called on her phoenix and allowed a slow change. With the temperature and long journey ahead, she’d need all the strength possible.
She could feel the others’ powers slowly build around her as they began their shifts. Since she began the shift first, she finished and took flight into the air. It was more difficult than ever for her to fly since her flames were smaller, but she was still able to gain some height.
I didn’t expect this to be so diff
icult. Pele flapped her wings hard, catching up to Cinder.
Tell me about it. We need to hurry. If it was this bad out here, she worried what it was like back home.
Oh my! Hestia’s wondered filled voice broke through the bond. Look at Aidan.
Cinder spun toward the group and didn’t recognize Aidan for a second. Granted, he was still different, but now there was a large amount of bright blue to his flames, almost drowning the black. It has to be your mate bond.
At least that will help him blend in better. Fury took to the air, followed by the rest of the group.
Fury
They’d been flying for a while on the outskirts that the North was allowed to use for travel. Fury hated that it had to be this way, but until everything got sorted out, this was what they had to do in order to secure the North Pyr travelers. His parents would still be looking for a reason to take over the North even in this type of circumstance. Skatá, they would probably try to use this awful weather as an opportunity.
So, I’m going to ask the inevitable question. Brenton’s voice disturbed the quiet and startled Fury. Are we going to one place, or are we splitting up?
There is no way I’m leaving Cinder. It hadn’t even been a question in his mind.
I’m not sure if that’s the right answer. Cinder flinched, and she turned toward Fury. We need to both check on our people and prepare our parents.
No. We will face it together. The thought of Cinder heading back to her kingdom and changing her mind was too much for Fury to bear.
She has a point. Joash’s voice was quiet even for mind speak. It was as if he knew that would set Fury off, and he was right.
Of course, you’re going to side with her. Fury should’ve known he would do this.
