Falling For Fire

by Talia Jager

“Next time I see you will be the Spring Equinox,” she said.

  “It’ll be so hard to keep away.”

  “You don’t have to. We just have to be discreet.”

  “I’m not sure how I’ll do it with the feelings I have for you.” I ran my hands through my hair.

  “Eat a fig from Summer. I hear they help keep your emotions in check,” she suggested.

  “That is a good idea. The others wouldn’t be able to tell what I was feeling.”

  “Bring one for me.”

  A few days later, Jastra found me and asked, “We’re going out on a hunting trip. Would you like to join us, Sorin?”

  I looked over at my father. “May I?”

  Father nodded. “Yes.”

  Nodding a thanks, I grabbed my gear and joined Jastra and the other scouts. We scoured the neutral land looking for signs of the Iron Fae, but found none.

  “How is it that they seem to have disappeared?”

  “They’re good. They know when and how to come and go. They live in the outer lands, and only a few of us will go there. They have to cross the neutral land to get to the Seasons, so we stay there watching and waiting.”

  “So, basically, it really is by luck that we’ve run across them.”

  “Yes and no. We’re good at what we do too. We’ve found them on occasion.” Jastra seemed a little miffed by what I had said.

  “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

  “I know. You just need to spend some more time with us. You’ll see what I mean.”

  “I’ll talk to my father about it.”

  We spent two days out in the neutral land searching for the Iron Fae. A couple of times we thought we had found something, but it ended up being nothing. When we returned to Summer Land, I was tired and hungry. I wanted to rest up and talk to my parents before the Spring Equinox the next day.

  I cleaned up, ate a snack, and then went looking for my father. I found my parents in the hallway with their backs to me talking to someone. When I reached them, they turned to me with smiles on their faces.

  “What’s going on?”

  Mother moved aside, revealing Daisy, who immediately curtsied.

  A lump formed in my throat. I had a bad feeling.

  Mother reached out and took my hand. “It’s well past your seventeenth birthday. In fact, your eighteenth birthday is just a few months away. We’ve given you ample time to pick someone, and you haven’t, so we made the decision for you. Daisy has agreed to marry you.”

  Yup. It was bad. I swallowed hard and dropped my mother’s hand. I was furious, but I couldn’t take it out on Daisy. She was innocent in all this and stood there with a beautiful smile, waiting for me to say something.

  I forced a smile and took her hands. “Daisy, you look lovely today. Would you wait for me in the grand room?”

  “Of course, my prince.” She left and went to the grand room.

  I had to choose my words very carefully. “What about what I want?”

  “She’s very beautiful, isn’t she, Sorin?” Mother ignored my words.

  “Yes, Mother.”

  “She’ll look good with a crown, and your children will be beautiful.”

  “Did you pick her because she’s pretty?” I asked.

  “No. Well, it’s part of it. She comes from a good family, she’s intelligent, and she’s friendly. She has many good qualities, Sorin.”

  “I’m sure she does.” But she wasn’t Aurora.

  “I’m getting the sense you’re upset about this.”

  “I still have three months.” I was supposed to still have time to figure out how to be with Aurora.

  Mother’s brow furrowed. “You’re seriously going to tell me you think you’ll find the girl of your dreams in the next three months?”

  I sighed. How was I going to get out of this?

  “See? Even you know that’s not going to happen. You know every girl here. Your father and I talked about what you would really like in a wife, and she’s the best one for you, Sorin. She’s a good match.” She glanced at my father, who nodded but didn’t say a word.

  “I don’t love her.”

  “You’ll grow to love her.”

  “Like you two?”

  Mother’s eyes widened. “Sorin. I do not like that tone of voice. Your father and I love each other. Now I expect you to go and talk to her. Start anew.”

  What I wanted to do was tell them who it was I loved and force them to do something about it. What I wanted to do was to run to Winter Land, grab Aurora, and take off for the rest of our lives. But with my mother staring me down like she was, I headed to the grand room.

  I took a few deep breaths on the way, trying to figure out what I was going to say. Daisy stood when I entered. “You don’t have to get up,” I said.

  “I sense that you’re not happy.”

  I sat down so she would too. “It was just a shock.”

  “I was surprised too when I was summoned here by the queen. I had no idea she was about to ask me to marry you.”

  Not only had my mother stolen my choice of a bride, she had stolen my proposal. “I’m sorry. My mother shouldn’t be asking for me.”

  Daisy put her hand on my knee. “I’ll make a good wife, Sorin. A loving mother. A strong queen when the time comes.”

  “I’m sure you would.” I smiled. “Can I ask you one thing?”

  “Of course.”

  “Do you love me?”

  “I really like you, but I’m sure I’ll fall in love with you in time.”

  “That’s just it, Daisy. Are you okay marrying someone you’re not in love with?” Maybe she’d see it my way. And if she did, she could refuse to marry me. Then perhaps my mother would back off.

  After a brief second, she said, “I am. I have faith that it won’t take us long to fall in love.”

  It was clear I wasn’t going to get through to her. What girl didn’t dream of being the queen someday?

  After telling Daisy I’d talk to her later and escorting her home, I walked past my parents and up to my chambers. I needed to think about what to do. Staring at my wardrobe, I felt the pull of her snowflake. I dug it out and ran my fingers over the smooth edges, remembering her lips on mine, the way I felt when I was with her, and most of all the way my heart leapt.

  I didn’t sleep well that night. I tossed and turned with nightmares of how things could turn out. I had to get her alone as soon as possible and fill her in on what happened. I could only hope we could figure something out, or maybe she’d be okay with running away with me. Running away would be a last resort, but if we did that, I thought, thinking of Skye, we could try to change things from afar.

  Remembering Aurora’s suggestion, I grabbed a fig from a tree and chowed down on it. Not only didn’t I want others to realize what I felt for Aurora, I didn’t want them to see what I didn’t feel for Daisy and what I felt for my parents right now.

  I boarded the carriage with Skye and sat down next to her. “What’s wrong?” she asked me.

  “I had a bad dream,” I told her.

  “You get those too?”

  “Yes.”

  “Just remember they’re not real.”

  I smiled at her and nodded, wishing she were right. Up ahead, the Spring castle stood on a small hill. It was light pink with pastel accents. Flower buds and flowers sprouted up everywhere. The air smelled new and fresh. As our carriage parked, I noticed Aurora with her family taking their place in the audience. She turned and looked at me. I could tell she was hiding a smile. For a second, all of my worries disappeared, and my heart did the whole leaping thing that I had waited so long for it to do.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Aurora

  Sorin looked handsome in his red shorts and three-quarter-sleeved shirt. He kept glancing at me, and I worried we wouldn’t be able to keep our love secret, but as I studied him, I realized there was something else going on. But then the Spring king started talking, and I knew I’d have to wait until later to find ou
t what.

  “Welcome to Spring Land. Queen Bluma and I are thrilled to have you all here. After today, we will have successfully completed a full round of celebrations,” King Newland said. “I believe our realm is safer because of it. We have seen what our powers can do, interacted with each other without incident, and… I’d like to see this newfound alliance continue.”

  His words gave me hope. If he was being truthful and did indeed like this, maybe, just maybe, we could get the royal families to discuss other things as well.

  “Please join us in our festivities. Food and dancing as well as air elemental displays will be taking place,” Queen Bluma said.

  “Before we go off to see your beautiful land, may we make an announcement?” Queen Nerida asked, stepping forward.

  “Of course,” King Newland responded.

  The Summer king and queen joined the Spring Court and faced the crowd. “As you know, the Summer Solstice is next, and we’d like to make it an even bigger celebration. Our elder son, Sorin, will take Daisy to be his wife that day, and we invite you all to the ceremony.”

  Her words hit me like a ton of bricks, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. No. No. No. This wasn’t happening. Tears sprang to my eyes, but I blinked them away so nobody else would see. My heart felt as if it was being crushed into a million pieces.

  The Summer queen turned to the side, and a Summer faerie with red and yellow wings joined them on the balcony, taking her place next to Sorin. She smiled at him and then at the crowd.

  She looked as if she belonged next to him.

  Not like me.

  Fire and ice didn’t mix.

  I took several steps backward. I forced myself to take a breath, knowing if I didn’t, I’d either pass out or throw up. I couldn’t be here. I couldn’t see this. I kept backing up until I was hidden by the trees. Then I turned and ran.

  I didn’t know where I was going, I just let my feet take me. Between the dress and the tears streaming out of my eyes, I couldn’t see where I was going, and I tripped. My hands and knees hit the ground, but instead of getting right up, I took a minute to catch my breath. I pushed myself back up and kept running.

  As luck would have it, a horse was grazing some nearby grass. He had no wings, but he could get me far away quicker than if I ran. I climbed on and clicked my tongue. The horse started off in a trot. “Faster,” I whispered, and the horse broke out into a gallop. My chest felt as if it was going to explode. I clutched the horse to keep from shaking.

  Soon, the familiar sound of water rushing over rocks and falling hundreds of feet told me I had gone all the way to the falls. I slid off the horse and released him back to the wild. I ran to toward the Winter Land. As soon as my toes touched the snow, I collapsed on the ground and sobbed.

  It had been stupid to get involved with him. I had always known we couldn’t be together. What was wrong with me? It was my own fault. I let myself fall in love with a Summer faerie even when I knew it wouldn’t work, knew it could never be. I had allowed him in my heart. And now my heart was broken. More than broken. I literally felt like I was dying.

  “Rory!” Raina’s voice called. “Rory! Oh. There you are.” She knelt down beside me.

  “Go away, Raina.” I hid my face.

  “I’m not leaving you.”

  I’d be touched if I weren’t so upset.

  She stroked my hair and said nothing. Just let me cry. I was grateful that she didn’t try to comfort me with stupid promises of how it would all work out or I told you so about not getting involved. I didn’t want to listen to that right now.

  After some time, I said, “My parents are going to notice I’m gone.”

  “I told them you didn’t feel well and went to lie down.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “I can’t be there. I can’t…It hurts too much.” I pushed the sobs back down.

  “I know,” she said, being supportive. “You really fell in love, didn’t you?”

  I nodded. “Completely.”

  She wrapped her arms around me. “I’m right here for you.”

  “I think I want to go home.”

  “Then I’ll go with you.”

  Just as I stood up, Sorin came into the clearing. He closed the space between us, and I put up my hands. “Don’t.”

  “Aurora…”

  “You’re getting married!” The tears rolled down my cheeks again, and I stepped backward.

  “Aurora, please. I was blindsided yesterday. My parents told me they picked a bride for me. I came here today to ask you to run away with me. I had no idea they were going to announce this and make me get married on Summer Solstice.” His own eyes filled with tears. “I love you, Aurora. I want to marry you.”

  Lip trembling, I dropped my hands and let him put his arms around me. With my head in his chest, I inhaled his scent and let the tears fall.

  “What are we going to do?” I asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “There’s nothing we can do, is there?”

  He didn’t respond.

  “You’ll be married in a few months, and I can’t…I won’t let you cheat on her.”

  “What if we tell them?”

  “They’ll never let us be together. It’s law.”

  “I’m not giving up yet.” He cupped my face in his hands and gently placed his lips on mine. The kiss tasted salty from my tears.

  I pulled away. “I can’t…”

  “Shhh…” he said putting his finger to my lips. “You are my always.”

  Our lips met again, and I felt myself surrender to his love.

  “No freaking way!” Keir yelled.

  I looked over. He walked the rest of the way out of the trees. “You two are really, really in love. Oh, this is not good. Are you guys insane? I’m all for the flirting. Heck, we all know I love when Rory flirts with me. But that’s all it was. This”—he waved his hand at us—“this is more. This is unlawful. And you’re getting married now!”

  I buried my face in Sorin’s shirt, which was already wet from my tears. Sorin rested his hand on my back. “Keir, now is not the time.”

  “Not the time? Well, when is, then?”

  I could feel Sorin getting irritated as he spoke. “Look. My parents sprang Daisy on me. I had no idea. Aurora and I have been trying to figure out how to get our parents to discuss changing the laws. We haven’t had any luck so far, but we thought we had a little more time.”

  “This is my fault. I introduced you two.”

  “We’re thankful you did. Please don’t worry. We’ll figure it out,” Sorin promised.

  I turned toward Keir and Raina. “You guys are the only ones who know. You must keep it that way.”

  “Of course,” Raina agreed.

  Keir nodded, and his face relaxed. “I’m sorry. I love you both, and it would be totally awesome for you guys to be together. I don’t want you thinking I don’t support that. I just don’t want you to get into trouble.” He sighed. “Which reminds me. When I left they were starting the demonstrations. We should get back to the celebration before anyone really notices you’ve been gone,” Keir suggested.

  He was right, but I didn’t want to go. I didn’t think I could stand there smiling while he danced with her. “Raina told my parents I wasn’t feeling well. I’m going to go home.”

  Sorin’s shoulders slumped. “I understand. Never doubt how much I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  “Always.”

  He leaned in to kiss me. As he took his lips from mine, he whispered, “Meet me here tonight.”

  “Okay.”

  When he disappeared into the woods, I let the tears flow again.

  Raina stayed by my side all the way home. It was weird to walk through the empty village. Up in my room, I sat on my bed, and Raina sat next to me. “Why didn’t you tell me how much in love you were?”

  “I didn’t want to drag you into it.”

  “You’re my
best friend. I would have stuck up for you.”

  “I know, and that’s why I didn’t tell you. I love you too much for you to get into trouble over this or have to lie for me.”

  “Sometimes when we love someone enough, we have to let them go. Sometimes the future queen has to think of all consequences before making a decision to follow her heart.”

  I knew what she was trying to say. I didn’t like it, but I understood.

  Raina was right. I loved Sorin so much that I had to let him go. He had to marry Daisy, and I would have to marry Tannon or someone else. It had to be this way. It was better for the realms. We had to think about all of the fae before ourselves.

  I would have to tell him tonight when I saw him. Sighing, I realized that once my eyes landed on him, I wouldn’t be able to. My heart would leap, and I would lose my nerve to stop the relationship. Maybe Raina could take him the message? No…that was too risky.

  Zev. I could write a note and have Zev bring it to the falls.

  I tore out a page in one of my books and wrote a note on it. Then hurrying outside, I called for my wolf. He came quickly and sat in front of me. “I need you to go to the falls,” I told him as I placed the note in a bag around his neck. “Make sure Sorin gets this note. Okay? Go to the falls, find Sorin, give him the note.”

  Zev barked once.

  “Good boy. Thank you.”

  Zev leaned in a bit and licked my hand.

  I watched as Zev ran toward the falls, knowing he was carrying a note that would shatter my heart.

  Chapter Twenty

  Sorin

  I paced back and forth at the falls. Where was she? Why wasn’t she here yet? Earlier had not gone as I had hoped. I didn’t get to tell Aurora about the engagement. It was thrown out there. I had to run off to talk to her, and seeing her so destroyed broke my heart. Then when I returned to the celebration, my parents were annoyed that I had disappeared, and I had to come up with an explanation.

  I turned, hearing something behind me. “Aurora? Is that you?” I called out.

  No answer.

  “Aurora?”

  A wolf appeared. “Zev?” I asked, not quite sure it was him. He walked over to me and barked. The first thing that went through my mind was something happened to Aurora. “Zev. Is Aurora okay?”