A LAND OF FIRE AND DARKNESS

Chapter 13

I had completely forgotten about him. My brother, the King of Utohia, had sent me on a mission to kill the Elementals, and I had not returned. He was probably beside himself, unsure what had happened to me.

"I sent him word about where you were, and that you were okay." Delcallon shrugged as he read the distress on my face. "But I have not received a reply."

I shook my head and sat opposite him, "He despises Elementals." I stated as I crossed my legs, "He probably would not even touch the envelope in disgust." I taunted towards the King.

"It was not a letter." Delcallon pursed his lips and looked at me through lowered lashes.

It took me a moment to realize what he was referring to. "You can reach someone's mind from so far away?" I asked in astonishment.

He bobbed his throat, "Centuries of practice and training, Alinta." He reminded me. My body twitched when he used my name. It was an odd reaction, but I ignored it.

I chuckled out, "Well, no wonder he had not replied." I chirped, "He probably is terrified."

Delcallon's face morphed into something a bit more serious, "Probably." He agreed with a heavy eye.

I stared at him for several seconds and looked into his two eyes. A part of me missed the eyepatch, both his eyes focusing me so intensely was overwhelming.

"You say he hates Elementals." Delcallon began with a questionable tone, "Are you not afraid he will hate you when go back?"

I looked down at the dirt around me and began tracing a picture of a flame in the sand. "I have no intention of returning to my life as a Princess, Delcallon."

I saw his legs twitch and stiffen causing me to look up into his eyes. Did his body react like mine if I said his name? If so, why?

"What will you do then, Alinta." He asked while saying my name slowly, my body too twitched and tensed. He had definitely done that on purpose.

I swallowed and ignored the sensation, "I will put my mask back on, and go back to being the Veiled Rogue." I stated, "Delcallon." I added while narrowing my gaze at him.

His body tensed and I could see me using his name like that had an effect on him. But he clenched his jaw and shook it off as I did.

"So," He said taking a gulp, "You plan on killing the creatures of Pretonas again?" His voice turned into something far less playful than it had been moments ago.

I stared into his transparent eyes, "If I must." I answered sternly.

His face hardened along with his eyes. He did not like that I killed the creatures that were somehow roaming through Utohia. We had still not figured out how or why they were there.

Before I met Delcallon, I thought it was him. Eskar had told me the King was bringing the creatures to Utohia to weaken our armies, but Delcallon seemed adamant that it was not him.

Delcallon shifted and pulled out a small candle from his pocket. It was shaped to look like a rose.

He placed it on the ground in front of us before pulling out a match and lighting it. He lit the candle creating a small purple flame.

"I want you to still the flame." He said pointing at the flickering little purple blaze.

I arched my eyebrow at him, "What?" I said in amusement.

"I know you can make the flames bigger." He started sternly, "But now I want you to learn how to control it."

I rolled my eyes, "I know how to control it." I looked at the flame and forced the blaze to rise and grow until the flame was nearly meeting my eye, "See." I purred with a proud tone.

He smirked at me as he looked through the flame and into my eyes, "Controlled Chaos is still Chaos." He stated with a far too wise tone. "Watch how easily those flickers of sparks could ignite objects around it."

I looked at my flame and watched the loose sparks and embers flickering out towards the grass around us. I released the flame instantly and let it return to its natural flickering state.

"It could result in a lot of accidental deaths." He finished softly.

I looked at the blaze that danced to the wind, "I cannot still a flame." I reminded him, "It will flicker in the wind, no matter what."

"Of course, it can still." He said leaning back on his arms, "Fire has joined with you Alinta." His use of my name caused me and the flame to twitch, he ignored it though, thankfully, "If the flame cannot still, it is because you cannot still."

I looked down at the flame and remained as still as possible, but the blaze continued to flick in the wind. "I am not moving a muscle."

"You know that is not what I meant." He sighed out, "I mean emotionally, and mentally."

I looked at him and then at the flame. I needed to still my mind in order to still the flame. This was going to be impossible. How was I going to still my mind, while maintaining a firewall?

"Del?" Brallon stepped into the clearing behind Delcallon.

We both looked over at the Oblivion.

His light blonde hair was a mess, and his eyes looked heavy.

"Brallon, you look like shit." Delcallon snorted out with amusement, "Are you hungover?"

Brallon shifted with a mixture of annoyance and awkwardness. I smirked over at the Oblivion. He had gone dancing with Dorica the night before.

Brallon glared at the King, and for several moments they stared at each other in silence. They were discussing something telepathically.

"Thank you Brallon." Delcallon eventually got out with a nod, "We will discuss this later."

Brallon bowed his head respectfully before disappearing into a wisp of color and shifting air. The hair on my arms began to rise like it did when Elemental's used their powers close to me.

Delcallon turned his body back to me, "Alright." He said looking between me and the flame.

"What was that?" I asked immediately.

He looked up at me and pursed his lips, "Brallon informed me of an incident." He answered sternly.

"He informed you telepathically?" I asked with curiosity.

Delcallon sighed, "They do not trust you, so yes." He bobbed his head from side to side. "They open their walls and allow me to get in."

My lips curved up, "You said they do not trust me." He looked at me through lowered lashes, "Do you trust me?"

He smirked revealing his dimples, "Should I trust you, Alinta?" He asked causing my body and the flame to respond to the use of my name again, "I cannot see through your firewall. Maybe you are plotting on how to kill me successfully this time."

I looked down at the flames and shrugged, "Maybe I am." I taunted as I tried to focus on the flame again. His lips curved but he did not reply.

I sat staring at that flame for hours, trying to make it still. Unsuccessfully of course, because freezing a flame was physically impossible. But I was not going to argue with the Highvarion who could turn into a shadow and read minds.

"Alright, I am tired." Delcallon groaned out as he stretched out his neck. "We can continue tomorrow." He stood up from the ground leaving the rose candle on the ground.

I pursed my lips before agreeing and standing up too. Once I was up, I realized how I was both exhausted and starving. My stomach grumbled causing an amusement stare from Delcallon.

"You are welcome to join us for dinner." He offered again, as he did every night.

"No," I said with a faint smile.

"Alright." He shrugged before slipping his hands into his pockets, "Goodnight then, Alinta."

With one last chance to make my body twitch at how he purred out my name, the shadows around him engulfed him and took him away. My hair rose on my arms as goosebumps flared out over my body. I was unsure if it was a reaction to him using my name, or the powers.

I clicked my tongue in annoyance but turned on my heels and strode back towards the castle.