Fear of Flames

Part 1: Chapter 10 [Infinite Well]

>RONAN'S POV<

Ronan couldn't sleep - his mind was filled with thoughts. He turned over in bed and sighed, propping himself upright. 

There was a war coming. I won't be strong enough to stop this one on my own. Even if every magic conjurer in the kingdom joined forces we would still be severely disadvantaged. 

He rubbed his face and stood up from the bed. Reaching for another cigar, Ronan stopped.

I've been smoking too much. I need to slow down. 

Instead, he reached for a bottle of whiskey on his shelf and poured a generous glass. He'd been pushed to the edge several times recently. Seraphina had been training as a magic conjurer for three weeks now, and still showed no sign of improvement. 

At least she can throw a knife and hit the target. She'd almost be better off training as a warrior. 

Ronan sipped from his glass. He knew he needed to bring out her magic ability - he couldn't afford to let any magic conjurer's talent go to waste, especially not with the approaching war. She was strong. Her energy was almost as potent as his own; this annoyed him deeply. 

If she would just turn her bloody brain on and manifest her magic I could focus more on strengthening all the other trainees instead wasting my time pushing her. 

He put the glass down and walked to the window. She was still fairly young - twenty two. He knew that because he had overheard her tell that clown Ian. It surprised Ronan that she had not been married off to someone already.

Must be why she's here then. She has nothing better to do.

He had not forgotten what he saw when he looked into her aura. He shuddered slightly as he felt a cold breeze blow in through the window, hitting his bare chest.

Flames.

~~~

>SERAPHINA'S POV<

Her and Bryce often met at the lake - it had been a few weeks since he had first brought her here. She still didn't know why the pools and lakes in and around the castle didn't freeze. She guessed it to be some type of spell that was placed on and around the castle. Seraphina kicked a rock into the water out of frustration. Bryce turned to her, sensing her mood.

"Is it about Ronan?"

She shook her head and cuddled her knees to her chest.

"He's calmed down. I think he's too busy with the Lich problem to care. I'm annoyed that I've made no progress with magic manifestation. It doesn't matter how hard I try, I feel nothing. No magic. I've spent several nights alone at the pool repeating the same steps over in my mind and nothing ever changes."

She rested her head on her knees, refusing to tear up. Bryce was silent for a moment and looked out at the lake. 

If I can't manifest my magic energy then I won't keep my place at the castle. I can't go home either - I don't even know where Finnick is. 

"Is he too hard on you?" Bryce asked carefully.

Seraphina turned her head to look at him, noting the hint of anger in his eyes. 

"He has to be hard on me. That's his job."

Bryce shook his head, the anger more evident this time.

"Yeah but it looks like he's targeting you. It always has. You hadn't even had one lesson with him and he turned warm-ups into a punishment that could have gotten you killed. Does he actually want you killed?"