Flames of Ember

34| The Fire within Amber.

* AMBER ERIN ANDERSON *

To say I was embarrassed would be an understatement.

I was mortified to death.

And if I could go back in time, I would, no time wasted and would stop myself from selling a royal pendent just because I was bored and wanted to try out some alcohol.

I grunted aggressively while pressing my lips as I face palmed myself until I heard footsteps towards the kitchen. I shook my head and straightened my posture, trying to shake away the headache as well, as I stirred the broth that Ember suggested to drink to lessen the headache.

I took a look at my creation, only to end up making a face at it because of how horrible it was looking. I sighed, putting the bowl away as I noticed it was Zinia who had entered, her expression solemn as always.

Zinia was the one who took care of me and helped me while I was throwing up last night after Ember left to finish his tasks and while she was helping me , I ended up blurting the whole truth to her, which was why she wasn't surprised to see me making something that they made to sober up properly.

"I told you to take rest. I would have done your tasks," Zinia commented, walking towards the windows and opening them as the bright rays of morning sun came seeping in, brightening everything and almost blinding me. "Kitchen workers haven't arrived yet. Tell the Head Maid you're sick and she'll let you take a leave of absence. Go home, and take rest for a few days. You've had way too much of those booze. That broth isn't going to work alone,"

Zinia didn't let me speak. "You're a Special Maid, I know. His Highness needs you. But trust me when I say I know how the headache feels after being intoxicated. It's unbearable," she turned to me, her eyes full of concern and her hair in a perfect bun, no loose hair protruding out.

I sighed. "I know," I licked my lips. "But I can't do that. I . . . I don't have a family," I smiled. "They are pretty far away now."

Zinia didn't look bothered by that. "My home isn't so far away from the palace. I have my mother and trust me when I say that woman loves to take care of people," she laughed lightly, beginning her day by cleaning the kitchen first.

"Thank you, Zinia," I said abruptly. "But Emb—" I shook my head vigorously. "His Highness strictly forbade me to leave this palace," I laugh awkwardly.

"However," I changed the topic. "There is something that's been bothering me," I took my right hand and rubbed my birthmark with my thumb finger.

Zinia stopped mopping the floors, her attention now diverted towards the topic that I started and though I wanted to have this particular conversation with solely Ember, having it with Zinia didn't seem like a bad idea.

Truth be told, I lied when I told Ember that I forgot everything about last night, when I didn't. I may have forgotten all about the journey, the princess, the negotiation, but I didn't forget what the shopkeeper had said to me when she saw my birthmark — which might not even be a birthmark.

I had given my pendent when my sleeves slightly was pulled up, catching the shop keeper's sharp eyes. They saw it and amazement flashed across their eyes as they pointed to my wrist and said: "Oh! Just like you, I have transferred powers as well!"

It surprised me and I wanted to ask more about it but customers waiting behind me were impatient and I had to leave the place. After that, I didn't remember anything much —or — at all, actually.

Zinia broke me out of my thoughts. "Well, what is it?"

I stepped forward, bringing my hand forward and then pulled up my sleeves, showing her the dark plus sign. "Do you . . .do you know what's this?" I hoped for her to say it was just my birthmark and I could just leave it unnoticed just like how I had been doing that for nineteen years.

Only she didn't.

"That's your Mark, silly," she rolled her eyes and continued mopping the floors.

"Your guys call your birthmarks Mark?" I still tried.

She looked at me, dumbfounded. "Did the booze hurt your head or anything?" She laughed.

She stopped laughing when she saw my pale face.

"It means you have transferred powers, Amber!"

My head was starting to hurt more.

"Wha. . ." I ran a hand through my face, shaking my head. "What?"

"By the gods," Zinia swore, frowning and keeping the mop away, now serious as me. "You don't know what this is?"

I shook my head, my heart beating fast as I knew deep down, this was something big and I knew nothing about it. Ember told me nothing about it.

"Were your memories erased as a kid or something?" Her eyebrows were still furrowed as she looked up to me. "Listen, Amber," she pointed to my wrist. "This sign, it means you have transferred powers. It means a renèi Possessor or . . ." She turned her voice down, coming closer to my ear and whispering the next words. "Or an Ezèrian transferred their whole powers to you."

I was breathing hard now, countless thoughts swirling around my aching head.

Calm down. Calm down. Calm down. Ember must've forgotten about—

"This is really important for you and I have no idea why you don't know this. This is your identity!"

I swallowed. "My memories were erased, I think," I said, licking my lips and not even being able to utter any words. "Can you . . .Can you tell me more about all this stuff?"

"About Power transference?"

I nodded.

She was hesitant, as if still not being able to believe what I was saying. "Power Transference is done between two individuals; where one is recipient and the other is transferrer. Power Transference is only allowed when both bodies are compatible with the reception and transference and the way to know is when, any body meets complexities while the procession is going on. When a body can't take the procession, Power Transference is forbidden for the body that couldn't bear the pain,"

I gestured her to continue and she did while working. "When the both bodies are compatible and the procession is done, both bodies get Marks as an evidence. Those who are recipient get the hirèij Mark — like you, while the transferrer gets the yièril Mark — which your transferrer has, I'm sure,"

" The Mark can take place anywhere — your wrist, neck, leg, hand, finger and sometimes even in nails. Some say the gods do that, some say the Mark takes place where one touched another for the first time, some say you wish for it to the gods — there is many explanation. But I like the second one, it makes more sense," she shrugged while I didn't even know when I had started sweating hard. "When you have transferred powers, it means their powers are all yours and you can use them all by yourself. Say, Amber . . ." I wasn't hearing her anymore.

"I . . ." I gripped the kitchen island, nearly knocking down the bowl of broth. "I have transferred powers. I have transferred powers. . ." Realisation dawned upon me, every realisation hit me and suddenly, everything began to make sense one by one. Why Ember wanted me here. Why Ember was an Ezèrian but he couldn't do anything. Why I have this strange birthmark — no, a sign, why my Mark glowed when Ember and I first met, and what my purpose was in Ember's life.

I had no idea what was Ember's powers and what was actually sealed in me. I didn't know anything, but at the moment, all I knew that my body was shaking with anger and the fire within me wanted to be released only on person right now:

Ember Elliot Elysian.