A LAND OF FIRE AND DARKNESS

Chapter 31

He knew how to compliment me. I rolled my eyes though. Why did he know exactly how to turn my heart?

The air around us was cool, as the faint sound of music played from the palace. I could clearly hear Delcallon's heavy thumping of his heart.

"Are you alright?" he asked stepping towards me casually.

I bobbed my head slowly, "Shocked, and completely confused." I answered with a faint smile, "But I am alright."

He stopped a foot away from me and examined my face.

"Thank you for checking in, but you should really return to your companion," I stated as I turned my body away from him.

"That is adorable." He teased as he stepped to my side. "I heard you in my mind. You were jealous."

I clenched my jar but held my gaze forward. "I am not jealous." I spat as we walked further and further into the maze.

"No, of course not." He shrugged with words laced in sarcasm.

I stopped in my tracks and looked down at the dress I was wearing. I snapped my attention to Del who was standing a foot away tracing my face with his crystal eyes.

"What Is important about this dress?" I asked gesturing to it.

His eyes traced over it as he licked his thinned-out lips. He sighed before answering me, "My mother was a seamstress before she became an Intwined." He started as he stepped towards a maze wall, "She never stopped making dresses though." He placed a dark rose between his fingers, "She made me vests, she made Dorica gowns, and she made Laveen blazers." He looked over his shoulder at me, "And then she made clothes for my future bride." His eyes pointed towards my dress.

My lips parted in shock, and I was immediately prepared to defend myself, "These dresses were put in my room." I spat.

He plucked the rose off the wall and walked towards me. "She only made ten, so far you have picked three of those items." He stood an inch away from me. There were far more than ten items of clothing in my cupboard "That first day you arrived here, you put on that beautiful short dress with a sheer flared outskirt." His eyes traced me, "It nearly broke me when I saw you.

I recalled his and Dorica's reaction to my choice in dress. "It had no glitter."

He leaned in and pressed the rose into my hair, "Then you wore that shirt to dinner." He said with a smile, "That mixed with your beautiful glowing eyes did break me." He chuckled with wide eyes.

I pursed my lips and tried to think of why I chose that shirt.

"And then tonight." He breathed out and shook his head. His fingers laced between the fabric of the dress. "You are wearing the dress my mother made for my wedding."

My heart raced in my chest. I felt my stomach churn. I pressed my hand to the tight bodice fabric and pressed the other hand to my forehead. Fate. Fate pulled together Intwined souls. Elements created them, but Fate ensured they would be together.

I turned to face away from Delcallon and wondered if I had any free will at all, or If I was just a puppet in some Fate's game.

"I will not force you Alinta, I promise." He reassured, from behind me.

I know he wouldn't, but I doubted that mattered. Fate would tempt us until we conceded.

"You were looking for me." I breathed out in astonishment as pieces continued to fly together.

"What?" He asked with a faint smile.

I spun around to face him and dropped my hands to my side. "That day in the bar, you were searching for the Veiled Rogue." I shrugged.

His face bobbed in agreement as he looked at me.

"And because that was not enough, Fate ensured I met you again with Eskar." I continued with a distressed voice. "I taunted Dorica to bring you to find me," I exclaimed.

"Alinta." He began with a soothing tone as he tried to calm me down.

"I was astral projecting into your mind and you were in the same bloody castle." I pointed to the palace behind us.

His jaw clenched, "Yes." He snapped with a harsher tone. "All of that is true Alinta." He continued as he stepped towards me. "Fate brought us together. Elements Intwined us." He continued.

"And I should have known when I saw you in that bar the first time. When I smiled as I saw you reach for that dagger." He wiped his hands through his hair, "And I should have realized when I saw you again and you were the Utohian princess." He gestured to me with wide eyes, "And I should have realized it was you when you walked into the room wearing that dress." He added with frustration. "And I should have realized when We fought in that hallway because when I showed you my darker side, you just smiled." He shook his head, "I should have realized."

"But I will not be with you because of Fate or being your Intwined." He cupped my face, "I would be with you because of who you are Alinta." I stared into his eyes as he thumbs brushed my cheeks. "The strong, stubborn, difficult, warrior who would shoot me to prove a point." His lips curved up.

"When I look at you, I do not only see the girl I am intwined with." He continued as his hand slid down from my cheeks to my shoulders. "I do not only see our past." His voice softened. "I see everything I want to do with you." His thumbs created circles in my bare skin.

"I see myself taking you up to the Volcanos and watching your eyes beam in delight to the purple lava." He began, "I see us dancing on the rooftops garden as we laugh."

"I see us ruling side by side not as lovers, but as Highvarions." He brushed my chin with his thumb. "I see so much more Alinta." He released me slowly, "But." He began with a calmer tone. "All those things I can do with you as my friend too, Alinta." His face softened as he faintly leaned his head back. "Because I did not realize soon enough." He began with a pained tone. "I did not see what the Elements and Fates threw in my face over and over again."

He looked down and sighed. "I would rather have you in my life smiling as my closest friend." His eyes seemed red, "Than watch you crawl into a ball of dust as my Intwined."

My lips parted as I stared up at him. Something in my chest relaxed as if a string had been chaining it down untied. My heart fluttered and I stared into the crystal eyes of the man who would do anything to make me smile.

I stepped towards him and his eyes shifted in surprise. My lips curved up as I stared at him. All this time fighting and denying how I feel about him. All, wasted time when I could have been in his arms.

His lips curved like mine and I knew he would wait for me to walk to him. To be sure I was ready.

I took another step and thought about all the times we fought and bantered with one another. His flirtations even when I was in the lap of Eskar. He was there the moment I needed him, and even after I hurt him, he understood me.

He understood me unlike anyone else.

The hair on my arms rose and a trail of goosebumps broke over my skin. But this was not from excitement or joy, this was the cold air that let me know when an Elemental was using their powers near me.