The Atheil Chronicles: A Call to Fire

Chapter 23

Ariana awoke the next morning to the sun streaming in through the sliding glass doors, Ryonens arm draped lightly over her side. She blinked at the sudden brightness, covering her eyes with her arm and letting out a happy sigh. She was still nestled in the crook of Ryonens arm, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breathing as he slept. One thing she noticed about Ryonen since coming to Lamis' castle was that he was not an early riser. For some reason, this surprised her. She had always assumed he was like her mom, rising at the crack of dawn and being obnoxiously cheerful about it. Ironically, since being in Atheil, Ariana had become an early riser. The thought made her sad, somehow. Her mom would have loved to share the mornings with her.
She shook her head, pulling her arm away from her face. No, she thought firmly, I'm not doing this. She wouldn't ruin her mood when she was feeling so happy and content. She gave Ryonen a glance before quickly twisting away from him, trying not to wake him as she did so. After a tense minute where she watched his breathing for any sign of waking, she finished rolling out of bed, stretching as soon as her feet hit the ground. She headed next door to have her daily bath and change, today choosing to don a deep olive toned dress with a Grecian neckline and long flowing chiffon fabric that just barely reached the top of her feet. It was plain, not the usual embroidery or jeweled stitching, with the fabric cinching at her waist and falling to the ground in pleated folds. It was simple but beautiful.
When she got to the kitchen, Lamis was already there, 3 open books sitting in front of him on the table. He was deep in thought, his blue eyes squinting in concentration as he followed some passage with his finger. It wasn't until she reached her chair and pulled it out that he noticed her.
He started, taking in a quick breath. "Ariana. You scared me." He said, shutting his book and shifting in his seat.
Ariana nodded toward the books as she settled in her chair, already reaching for the bread and jam. "What's that?" She asked. The bread still had hints of warmth in its spongy surface as she spread the jam across it. She took a bite, closing her eyes in ecstasy.
"Just some research for your trip." He said, pushing the books to the corner of the table "I thought it would be helpful to know what you might find in Orlac ahead of time. To prepare."
She nodded, taking another bite. "So did you find anything?"
He looked away, thoughtful. "Somewhat. It turns out there were some books written on Orlac before Malor sieged it. You should be able to have some idea of the creatures that naturally reside there, but I can't guarantee what's moved in since then."
"What was there before?"
Lamis settled back into his chair, his long fingers folding together on his chest. "Mainly desert trolls." He said, shaking his head like he had expected this. "Goblins, for sure."
At the mention of Goblins, Ariana felt her breath catch in her throat. She put down her bread, looking toward the far wall as she tried to gather herself. It had now been several days since they came to Lamis', and she found that every day her anxiety got worse when she remembered what happened after they left Corda. When she lay in bed at night trying to fall asleep, it was the main thing she thought about besides her mom.
Lamis' soft voice sounded from across the room after a considerable amount of silence had spread between them. "It's okay to not be okay."
She turned to look at him, her eyes threatening to fill with tears as his words washed over her. "I know." She said, but she didn't mean it. She had always been the type to suffer in silence, not letting her emotions get the best of her. However, this whole situation with her mom had proved that maybe she didn't have as much of a hold on them as she thought she did.
Lamis was surveying her, his blue eyes bright as he watched her. "You went through a serious ordeal." Lamis said, choosing his words carefully. "Walking away with scars doesn't make you less strong, Ariana."
She looked down at her wrists, the healed skin still bearing the marks of her imprisonment. Rings of flaming red were present there, prominent on her snowy skin. She could feel her heart pumping hard in her chest as she gazed at them. "They're healed now." She said, her voice barely a whisper.
He nodded slowly, deliberately watching her reaction. "Okay." He said, but then he leaned forward, his hand resting on hers on the table. "But if you're ever not okay, just remember to give yourself some grace." He let his words settle, looking down at the books to the right of him to give her some privacy.
She took a shuddering breath, swallowing as she did so. She hadn't realized the trauma the whole incident had inflicted on her until the morning they had talked about leaving. The safety of the castle had acted as a crutch for her, not letting her truly process her emotions because she didn't think she needed to. However, knowing that they were leaving soon, and into Goblin territory no less, terrified her.
Almost as if he read her thoughts, Lamis looked up at her. "You'll make it through." He said firmly. There was a confidence in his voice that made it hard to argue with him. His eyes were drawn together in resolve. "You need not worry about the path ahead; you'll be in good hands."
At his words, Ariana was pulled from her thoughts. "I got the impression that you weren't fond of Ryonen." She said, measuring his reaction as she did so.
Lamis looked taken aback, but quickly smoothed out his features. "He's perfectly capable." He responded, pulling his hand back from hers and leaning against the table.
"So am I just making up this animosity between you two?" She asked him.
He didn't reply right away, shifting his eyes up toward the ceiling while he contemplated this. Finally, he spoke. "I worry that you two have gotten yourselves in far too deep."
She sighed, leaning back heavily in her chair and crossing her legs. "You still don't think the King and Queen will be helpful?"
"No," he said, locking eyes with her. His blue eyes were unreadable. "Not about that." He said.
Ariana hitched in a breath. So he did know about them, she thought, trying to find some clue to his feelings in his expression and failing. Out loud, she said, "Oh." The word seemed to hang in the air between them.
Neither one of them spoke, both of them regarding the other. Lamis had started fiddling with his tunic, the pale yellow fabric twisting between his fingers as he did so. He was biting his lip, clearly conflicted but not willing to speak. Ariana, too, was not sure what to say. She cared about Ryonen immensely, that much she knew, but she also respected Lamis a lot. Regardless of saving her life or not, he had shown her a kindness that she hadn't expected from a stranger. He had proven time and time again to be gentle hearted and caring toward her, his actions as sincere as his words.
Before she could open her mouth to speak, Lamis beat her to it. "I don't mean to sour your mood." He said, looking slightly ashamed of himself. "I just worry about the long term issues." He gave her a meaningful look that was all too clear.
She gave him a small smile. "I understand, Lamis, and I'm not mad. I appreciate you caring enough to be honest with me."
This seemed to satisfy Lamis, who smiled. Just like that, the tension in the room vanished. "While I have you here, there's something I want to discuss with you." He said, but his tone was much lighter than before. 
"Tell me."
Lamis picked up one of the books he had had open earlier and showed it to her. It was the same diary she had looked at in the Library, she recognized the name Lysana written on the front. "I found this diary yesterday morning in the Library. It seems this woman was also marked by a Phoenix."
Ariana nodded, trying to look surprised. She didn't want him thinking she made it a habit to nose through his stuff. "Really? Does it say what happened to her because of it?"
He sighed. "Sort of, but it's complicated."
"Complicated?"
"She was an Elf, she already had magic prior to the event. There's no way of knowing the extent of the magical influence it had on her because of that."
"But there was some?" She asked, her heart pounding. Was she going to have magic now? The thought was both exhilarating and terrifying all at once.
"Yes," he said, his voice sounding worried now, "there was some." Something in the way he said 'some' suddenly made her feel worried, too.
"Just tell me." She said, lacing her fingers together over her crossed legs. "Might as well rip off the bandaid."
If the phrase confused him, Lamis didn't mention it. He brought up a hand to rub the back of his neck. "It seems, besides the visions of course, she developed a bit of an affinity for fire."
Ariana drew her eyebrows together. "What in the world is that supposed to mean?" At Lamis' silence and pointed look, Ariana sat there considering this. Affinity for fire...well surely he didn't mean- "I'm sorry," she said out loud, "but are you trying to tell me I'm going to spontaneously combust or something?!" She knew her voice was shrill but she really didn't care. "Lamis, please just tell me."
"There were some incidents."
"What kind of incidents?" She asked him, her imagination starting to run wild. All she could think about was her bursting into flames in the middle of the night and setting the whole place on fire.
Lamis drew out a hand in front of him. "I don't want you getting upset," he said, eyeing her carefully, "but it seems she had an issue with setting things on fire for quite a while."
Ariana just stared at him. "So am I not to be trusted around a flame from now on?" She asked, trying to sound like she was kidding but genuinely wanting to know the answer.
Lamis chuckled, but there was still a subtle nervousness about him. "Truth be told, I'm not sure. I must admit, I don't know how these traits would cross over to a human. You had no magic of your own beforehand, so I would think that you wouldn't now. However, this is some rare magic we're dealing with and I can't be positive to what extent they may manifest. You shouldn't be having these visions and yet you are; who knows what else you're capable of"
Ariana brought her hands up to rub her eyes. What a mess she had gotten herself into. "So is there any way to determine if I've been affected?" She asked him. She still had her eyes firmly shut against her fingers.
"Perhaps." He said. She glanced up at him. He was looking down at his palm, flexing his fingers as he did so. There was an incredible amount of concentration in his gaze, some sort of plan forming in his head. Without warning, he looked up at her, some sort of realization coming to him. "I have an idea." He said, pushing back his chair and standing up. "Come with me."
It was an hour later, maybe 9:30-10 am, when Ariana finally came to find out what Lamis' big idea was. She walked into the Library, her eyes instantly drawn to the metal dome in the middle of the open space between the doors and the aisles of books. Lamis stood next to it, adding logs into what she now recognized as an old iron fire pit.
"Don't you think this is a bad place to do that?" She asked him, her arms folded over her chest. She was looking past him at the aisles of books, imagining them catching fire as this experiment got out of hand.
"No, it'll be alright. I know what I'm doing."
"You aren't the problem." She said, a bitterness to her voice. She had become more adverse to the idea of being Phoenix-kind as time went on, going over and over again in her mind what this meant for her. She'd never be normal, never have a place in this world or her own. As a human she'd be an outcast in Atheil and, having magic, she'd be an outcast back on Earth.
Lamis pulled her from her thoughts. "Come here." He said, indicating a spot to his right.
Ariana walked toward him, her body tense with anticipation. She stopped when she was right next to him. "What now?" She asked, throwing him a sideways glance.
He raised his hand, making blue flames materialize from inside of the pit, the dancing tendrils seeming to wrap around the logs until they, too, were set aflame with it. Ariana could feel the heat against her arms from the sudden flare and she started to step back before Lamis reached out a hand, stopping her.
He indicated for her to watch him and then leaned down, running his hands through the fire as if it were just vapor. The flames seemed to ignore him, flickering as if he wasn't there at all. He turned to her. "My own magic won't burn me, but it should burn you." He stood up, then, straightening before pointing at the pit. "Put your hand in it." He said.
She just looked at him. "Excuse me?" She said, actually stepping back this time. She looked down at the flames and then back at him.
"If I'm right, it won't hurt you." He must have sensed her disbelief because he reached for her right hand, laying a finger on the flame shaped scar there. He looked up at her, his blue eyes, so much like the flames, were bright and full of sincerity. "Trust me." He said.
Ariana took a deep breath and turned to the fire pit. It won't hurt you, she repeated to herself, her hand hovering above the pit, shaking slightly. She closed her eyes, dropping her hand before she could stop herself.
She felt something brush up against her skin, like a feather being dragged lightly over her hand. She opened her eyes, looking down at it. Her hand was smack dab in the middle of the blue flames, which were now dancing wildly around it. The flames licked at her skin but she felt nothing but a coolness washing over her. She flexed her hand, turning it over and observing as the flames fell around it in blue rivulets of light.
Ariana turned to Lamis, amazement filling her voice. "It doesn't hurt." She said, looking down before pulling her hand toward the ceiling, watching as the flames followed it. They trailed after her, seeming to follow her movements like a shadow.
Lamis was regarding her with something like triumph, though there was also concern behind his eyes. "I thought so." He said quietly, mostly to himself. He clenched his hand into a fist and the flames died down until they disappeared from the pit. Ariana watched as the logs continued to glow blue before leaving behind the blackness of charred wood in their wake.
She pulled back her hand, holding it in her other one as she stared down at the flame shaped scar there. She ran her thumb tentatively over the scar, feeling the heat just below the surface of it. "So what now?" She asked Lamis, not bothering to look up.
He was quiet, the sound of his breathing being the only noise in the room. When she finally turned to look at him, he was gazing down into the fire pit, his face conflicted. His lips were parted, his chest rising and falling rapidly as his fingers once again twisted the fabric of his tunic.
"Lamis." She said, pulling him out of his thoughts.
"Hmm?" He said, but then shook his head. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking..." He paused. "I don't think the King and Queen are going to be happy about this. They may try to stop you from leaving if they were to find out."
She bit her lip. "What are you saying?" She asked him, a sinking feeling already forming in the pit of her stomach.
He took a step closer to her, reaching out to grip her uppper arm. "You mustn't tell Ryonen about this." He said, his voice serious. His eyes were looking at her hard, not his usual carefree self. "You have to swear it, otherwise he'll have no choice but to disclose this to the King and Queen once you arrive in the Eastern Kingdom."
Ariana stared into his eyes, the blue in them shining brilliantly like twin flames. There was something other than concern there, something like fear. "He wouldn't do that to me." She said, but she knew her voice gave away her uncertainty. He wouldn't, would he? She didn't know or, at least, she couldn't be 100% sure of it.
Lamis, however, was of a different mind. "He would, Ariana. You have to trust me on this. You don't understand the obligation he has to the Eastern Kingdom, he would give up anyone, no matter his relationship to them."
His demeanor was, as always, so sincere that she felt herself believing his words. There had to be some truth to it, or what he believed to be true. She nodded, though she felt a sense of wrongness wash over her as she did so. She wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do, nor what Ryonen's reaction would be if he ever found out that she actively kept this from him. He had already reacted poorly the other day when she had forgotten to tell him about the mark in the first place. This was way bigger than that, though, and she had a feeling it would cause a ripple effect that she wouldn't be able to stop. That wasn't something she could worry about now, she reminded herself, her resolve strengthening even as she thought it. She had greater threats ahead that required her full attention, threats that were much more tangible in their deadliness.
She turned to Lamis, squaring her shoulders as she took a deep breath. "Alright." She said, her voice calm and level as she spoke. "Let's get this figured out." She said, and she turned toward the aisles of books determinedly, trying to keep out that voice that was telling her this was all going to blow up in her face.
* * * * *
It was a few hours later when Ryonen finally came to find them in the Library. When he walked in, they were sitting at one of the round tables, pouring over books and scribbling lightly on parchment as they talked quietly together. At first, he looked annoyed to see them there, so obviously in the middle of some deep conversation, but then the look passed and he just looked mildly curious.
He sidled up next to Ariana, looking down at the books she had open in front of her, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder. "What are you guys doing?" He asked.
She glanced up at his face, reading the relaxed expression there. So their talk yesterday had definitely struck a chord with him. She was happy about that; she wasn't sure she wanted to deal with a jealous Ryonen again. "We're doing research for the trip." She said, nodding toward Lamis.
He gave a jerk of his head in agreement and she internally thanked God that they had moved the fire pit back to its storage room right after they finished their experimenting. That would certainly have been hard to explain. She could tell that Lamis was thinking along these same lines, because he casually moved his hand to cover Lysana's diary, which was still laying out on the table beside him.
Ryonen looked between them, his eyes moving over the map in front of Lamis and then back to the notes Ariana was taking. "Anything good yet?"
She shrugged. "Lamis has a pretty good route picked out and I've been taking some notes on the kind of creatures we might find there. What places to avoid, where to settle for the night, stuff like that."
He looked pleased, smiling and giving her shoulder a light squeeze. "Does it look like we'll be set to go by tomorrow?" He asked Lamis, turning toward him. Lamis nodded, handing the map to Ryonen. It had a blue ink trail marking their intended path and Ariana could see that Ryonen was following it, his green eyes roaming the paper with incredible concentration. When he looked back up, he didn't look thrilled. " So we'll definitely have to go through Balthorn?"
"I'm afraid so." Lamis said, pulling back the map and indicating the city that Ryonen was referring to. "The last information I got regarding Balthorn was that Malor had expanded it significantly. It now covers the land bordering Orlac and the Eastern Kingdom. The only way past it is through. Your other option is to go around."
Ryonen turned back to Ariana. "And you're still set on going this way?" He asked, more than a little apprehension in his voice.
She sighed. "Yes."
"If you say so. It's your choice." He said, shrugging.
She let herself smile, reaching out a hand to lace with his. Lamis' keen eyes followed her movements before flickering up to her face to meet her eyes. She could read the warning there as surely as if he had said it out loud. 'Tread carefully.' She gave him a meaningful look that she hoped he could understand and then looked up at Ryonen. He was looking around the Library, completely oblivious to their silent exchange.
Ariana tugged on his hand, getting his attention. "Let's go practice again." She said, getting up from her chair.
As she passed by Lamis, her hand held gently in Ryonen's, she could feel his eyes following her. She swallowed, pushing open the doors to the library, hoping with everything she had that she could keep her promise to him.