The Awakening

Chapter Thirty Eight

Time had passed too slowly. Days had gone by where neither Elha nor Balor had come to check on her. When she awoke, she would find food waiting for her, always food- but no faces greeted her. The silence was oppressive, and the absence of any living entity made the stone walls feel even colder despite the lingering heat. She had felt insane, but although it was a strange feeling to be left so completely and utterly alone and defenceless, she relished the hollowness of it. For inside the moments of solitude, she allowed herself to think clearly and plan. Even her thoughts sometimes felt like a struggle, the silence helped her place each thought as they came.

Lugh had not come back since she saw him the first time outside the cell, which both upset and pleased her at the same time. He had been insistent on helping her, yet every time she found herself thinking about him, the same bitter conclusion rose to the surface. He still left her. He had ranted about wanting to stop his father and seemed angry enough, but there she was—still in the dungeon, forgotten. Through all the days that passed, he had not once come to check up on her. She sneered silently in distaste at the thought.

His absence made her remember that she did not need male gratification, and yet those moments they shared had made her feel as though she was valued and that her company was enjoyable. The frown on her face felt as though it grew deeper with every passing day, a physical manifestation of the weight on her chest.

She shoved those feelings to the back of her mind, alongside the thought of Lugh. She had no time for them. What she needed to focus on was the fact that she was sitting in a dungeon cell, rotting away. Jeera had offered to help, but she had yet to revisit the dungeon as well. Avelon could only hope that Balor had not found her meddling in things she was not supposed to.

Avelon fidgeted nervously, the heap of material on the creaky steel frame that sufficed as a sleeping place offered no comfort. Thousands of possibilities rose to the surface of Avelon's mind. Jeera and Lugh might have been found trying to help her, and because of that Balor had locked them away. Hence them not revisiting her.

Jeera was a strange entity, calculating and distant. There were times that Jeera would snoop, so silently that Avelon would not even notice her. She would not allow herself to be found out by Balor. Jeera had seemed withdrawn and sensitive the first time Avelon had met her, but that version of Jeera felt like a façade trying to place itself. She had analysed Avelon and Brianne before allowing them to see her for who she was. Avelon saw the determination within her, and wanted to trust that she cared for Brianne enough that she would not betray her. The feelings she had for her were so evident she wondered why Brianne had never mentioned it. The same thought had Avelon wondering, had Jeera shared her feelings at all? The possibility was there that Brianne was not aware of the interest Jeera had taken in her, or the feelings she had slipped so often on hiding.

Torchlight flickered, snapping Avelon's thoughts back to the present. Her body tensed as a figure passed her dungeon cell, but the figure did not linger. The soft echo of boots on stone rang through her ears, but it was fleeting. Her tense shoulders sagged in relief and disappointment. She had learned to recognize the patterns in the sounds of the dungeon. This figure would not be the one to confront her. Elha's footsteps were quiet and precise, where Balor's footsteps reverberated against the walls with darkness following the sound. Jeera's footsteps were nearly unnoticeable.

She knew Balor would find her soon. Another experiment loomed on the horizon- the only elements left were earth and fire. Avelon swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. It was then that realization struck her. Balor and Elha knew Fallon held a water affinity aside from her air affinity. Why else would they have given her two air affinity exercises?

I also think all of the affinities will answer to this Fae.

Jeera's words seemed to echo inside the dimly lit cell, causing goosebumps to prickle Avelon's skin. She had considered Jeera's words- again and again. She had even found herself trying to call water from the air or fire from the depths of the anger in her heart. Yet, nothing happened. The only affinity she could somewhat control was air, but even then, it was weak. She had tried to practice and had called upon air too many times to count, but it was pointless. Balor had managed to tame her and whatever abilities were growing within her, which left her with even more time to spare for her thoughts.