The Heir of Moon-Fire

Chapter 16

Malatyr's POV

I woke up to the sound of my door hinges creaking open. I instinctually grabbed the dagger that I had hidden under my pillow.

The floorboard beside my bed let out a groan, and in one fluid movement, I had the dagger to the intruder's throat.

"Could you lower the dagger, Maris?" she asked.

I let out a sigh as I lowered my dagger. "Sorry, Mom," I said with a yawn. 

"Where'd you learn to do that?" she asked in shock.

"Elentiya's been teaching me to fight." I sat upright. "What're you doing here? It's like two in the morning," I asked her.

"Well... you're 17 now..." she started. "And... I sent a letter to Sellene. She agreed to train you in Doranelle, but you have to leave on the next ship, in an hour..." I was fully awake now.

"You mean..."

"Yes..." she said as she grasped my hands. "Do you want to go?"

I bit my lip, thinking about leaving Emily behind with no explanation. But... I nodded. "I do, I really do, Mom."

"Okay. I don't know how long you'll be gone, Maris," she told me. I could scent her tears.

"Don't cry, Mom," I told her. I hugged her.

"It's just hard letting you go. I love you so much, and... use whatever training your sister has given you," she said as she hugged back. She got up and walked towards the door. "I'll see you downstairs in half an hour." I nodded as she walked out.

"Tempest," I said.

"What," she grumbled. 

"I need to pack some clothes," I told her before explaining what was happening.

As I shoved clothes into my bag, I thought back to my sixteenth birthday.

*flashback*

"Okay... we're here," Emily said.

I smiled. "Where's here?" I asked her.

"Just wait... Do you trust me?" she asked.

"Of course! You're my best friend!" I replied with a smile.

I felt something brush against my mental shields. "Okay... close your eyes..." she whispered as she sat beside me.

I felt my mental shields crumble under her touch.

'Okay... Just give me a minute...' a voice said in my mind. 'It's just me, Mal.'

'Emily?' I asked into my mind.

'Yeah,' she seemed distracted as she spoke. 'Here it is!' she exclaimed as an image filled my mind. 

'They're trees, pine trees! The stuff covering them is snow, which is white. The sky is black right now. The little speckles are stars. And the great big orb is the moon,' she explained. 

'How can I see this?' I asked.

'Technically, I'm showing you a picture from my mind. I asked a couple of the healers at the castle if people could see colours in their minds even after they've become blind. Apparently, they can. I thought that I could show you things..." she trailed off.

'What colours are the trees?' I asked after a minute.

'The needles are green,' she told me.