The Borealis Prophecy

Chapter Eight - Bad-Ass

Elijah and I passed the small town and now travelled through a forest with tall trees that hung perfect symmetrical flowers.

We wandered passed bushes full of bright illuminating berries and a long wooden bridge that travelled over a running creek. The creek was surrounded by life of all varieties. Fish swam flamboyantly through the creek, jumping as the light reflected from their scales. Some changing colour as they dove into the light. A snake slithered up a tree almost unnoticeable until one of the children from the town appeared from behind the plantation.

I changed into my tight suit as soon as I had the chance to do so privately. We were quiet for a long time, Elijah and I. I played with a lock of my currently short hair as I admired my handy work on his face, hands, shoulders, back and arms. I really did a number on him, my fire really messed him up, but he wore it with pride. I felt horrible when I saw all of the red scorch marks on him but he reassured me; since he was a Water&Ice Elemental it would heal up quickly and he wasn't lying. It was already starting to fade. It made me feel weird that I found it kind of hot that he wore the burns proudly, even though they were unintentional.

I felt my chest tighten as my fingers laced in my now blonde hair wondering why Elijah felt the need to cut it so incredibly short. I felt like slapping him.

"Why would you cut my hair off?" I asked sourly.

"I felt, maybe you'd appreciate the change," he grinned as he eased his arm around me, "plus, you're rocking it. You look like a bad ass."

"Because it's crooked?" I bitterly asked.

"No, because you look like a badass in the get up you're wearing and the short blonde hair. Kind of like..." he pressed his lips together as he thought, "a spandex hero, which is always kind of hot."

"Can you not be perverted," I ripped my arm away from his, "I'm wearing a pair of unwashed sweatpants over top of it.

It's not that hot, Eli."

He raised an eyebrow at me and I remembered he didn't like being called that, "oh God, sorry. Lila kept calling you that and the nickname just sort of stuck with me."

"No, it's cool, I don't mind," he said to me.

"I thought you hated it?" I mentioned remembering him hassle Lila about it.

"My mother use to call me Eli before she passed away," he said slowly, "Lila always veered to be like my mother and although I ask her not too, she calls me Eli as a representation of her love for me, trying to prove that she could love me as much as my mother did."

"I'm so sorry," I said. It seemed destruction and chaos followed him, poisoning anything and everything he loved. I wondered if me being here really helped his situation or caused more stress to it.

"It was a long time ago," he waved it off, "but ever since, I'm not particularly fond of being called Eli by anyone but my mother."

"So why let me call you that?" I asked.

He admitted to me, "Because I'm particularly fond of you."

I shrugged.

He grinned widely, "Even if you won't admit it, I know you feel the same way I do."

I rolled my eyes, "You're kind of cocky, aren't you?"

"No, I just choose not to deny what's been dumped in front of us," he said honestly.

"And what do you supposed that would be?" I asked cautiously.

"Something spectacular," he stopped in front of me. He pulled my left hand over his heart and I felt the gentlest beating beneath his chest. It scared me as I realized I was blindly leading him into thinking I was this perfect loving woman he could possibly loan his heart to.

"You don't even know me," I said as I ripped my hand away, "I will wreck everything there is to love, with no recollection of the consequences. I'm short-tempered and I'll blow things out of proportion when I'm livid. I will let you in, only to throw you back out, countless number of times whether you like it or not. I'm neither stable nor unwavering." "You're a tempest," he concluded for me.

"Yes," I said finally exhaling.

"Well that's good then, considering the royal life is both tedious and mind-numbing," he added spiritedly, "You on the

other hand, are the perfect antidote to that."

"You're crazy," I pointed. "Plus there's nothing between us. You've got a better chance with Lila."

He shrugged, keeping a straight face, "By all means lie to yourself until you feel the need to jump me. That'll make it

worthwhile in the end."

I grinned as I shook my head, "that's not going to happen, Elijah."

"I want it to," he grinned as he walked steadily in front of me.

Staring at him, I felt my legs needing to buckle. My heart thumped steadily as my face flushed. I felt my eyes beginning to burn as veins popped out of my skin crawling out from the white in my eyes. My emotions clouded and I couldn't control my eyes coloring as they blurred to a solid white. My eyes and cheeks masked themselves under crawling red veins. Elijah vaguely looked back at me as he started talking about something.

I turned around, away from Elijah who was now trying to discuss something with me that I was no longer paying attention too. I didn't want Elijah to stare at me, or see me like this. Every time he did, there was a kind of fear in his eyes. I couldn't stand it.

This wasn't normal.

"Aurora, are you even listening?" he asked.

I was still facing away from him. I tried to recite the alphabet backwards in an attempt to cool off my raging emotions. I was trying so hard not to draw attention to myself as I stood facing a tree trying to calm myself. I reached up for a hanging flower to distract myself. I could feel my chest tightening uncomfortably with guilt, confusion, anxiety, loneliness and here's a new one for you... Love.

Elijah gently placed his hands on my shoulders and turned me around. His eyes widened as he came face to face with my broken eyes. He didn't gasp as he had before or shutter as I expected, but smiled as he traced his fingers along the veins that spread widely across my cheeks.

"Aurora, it's not scary, sure it startled me at first," he began, "but that's only because I've never met someone quite like you."

I closed my eyes hating how much of a freak I really was.

He whispered, "Don't close your eyes. Look at me."

I opened them slowly as he brushed wet condensation from my eyes with the base of his thumbs.

"I'm a freak," I cried.

"I need to tell you something, something you may not want to believe, but you need to," he admitted seriously, "All of the talk about the Borealis girl, why I've brought you with me, why I've been following you around for months... It all leads to one thing and one thing only." "What?" I asked.

"Leads to your legacy. The one that's been written about you for centuries. You are the Borealis girl, Aurora." "Why would you think that?" I asked.

"Because you've proven it too me on so many occasions and continuously astound me with your abilities," he admitted. "If that's not enough for you, I would bet my life on it."