Chasing Embers | 1

14 | A d a r a

—

I couldn't remember the last time I was in Ardeina. The only thing that seemed familiar was Ragan's house. Well, it wasn't really a house, but it was good enough for her.
    
"Come on, Adara. You know how impatient Ragan can get," my brother called, waving me over to the makeshift doorway.
    
I nodded. "Yes, I know. It's just nice to look everything over again."
    
Wren wrinkled his freckled nose. "I don't recommend burning this place into my memory. It's not the world's happiest looking city."
    
I grinned and moved past him, walking into the circular building I used to know so well. My eyes followed the cracked floor to the person standing at the center of it all. My smile grew as I looked my best friend over. It was always strange to me, how we ended up getting along so well, being so different.
    
Ragan looked the same as she did when I last saw her. Her stormy grey eyes lit up when she saw me. She swept her dark hair out of her face as we made our way towards each other.
    
She hugged me. "Hey, Ada. It's been a while, huh?"
    
I pulled away. "Too long. I was so excited when Wren told me we were coming over here. Promise to never stay away that long again?"
    
Ragan laughed. "I promise."
    
It wasn't until then that I noticed the other two people in the room. I recognized Hunter, although he seemed. . . stressed. There was a girl by his side with curly blonde hair that was woven into a braid. She had beautiful green eyes. She was Ember, the girl Wren had told me about. Ragan needed us to come down and help train her. He had said Ragan told him she was special, and I could see it.
    
Ember shifted uncomfortably under my gaze, but I could tell she was analyzing me as well. Not that there was much to analyze. My parents always told me that I was more than pretty, but I thought that my brown waves and ivory skin made me look boring. The only beauty that I could admit to was the entrancement of my eyes. They were never just one color. My eyes had been described as gold with splashes of color or like a cosmos. I did not have an answer when people asked what color they were, and I didn't really care.
    
I smiled at Ember and gave a small wave. "Hello. My name is Adara and this is my brother, Wren," I introduced, motioning to the curly haired sea boy behind me.
    
Ember smiled back. "That's a pretty name."
    
"Oh, tha‒"
    
I heard Wren interrupt me. "Thanks, I get that a lot."
    
He laughed and I hit his arm. Ragan rolled her eyes at us, and I heard Hunter chuckle. "They're here to train you, Ember. I'll probably pitch in too."
    
Ember sighed. "Alright. I'm ready."

—

We were outside. It wasn't fit for me to train Ember inside a building. That was definitely a bad idea. Ragan, Hunter, and Wren all sat on the pavement near the fountain outside of the warehouse and watched, occasionally whispering to each other. I rolled up the sleeves of my grey sweater and looked up at the sky.
    
"Ragan has told me of your House. That's very uncommon nowadays. Not too long ago, you would have seen many people of House Valarious, but not anymore. You are the first I've heard of since the genocide." I frowned. I remembered the stories my mother would tell me about that devastating event.
    
Ember tilted her head to the side. "What House are you from?"
    
I looked down at my hand, feeling the energy around me. It molded to form small sparks of lightning that danced across my fingers. "I am of House Argover."
    
She nodded, looking at the sparks with wide eyes. "The storm wielding House."
    
Her comment made me smile. "Oh, I can do much more than just storms, Ember. Soon, you will too."
    
I began to show her how to use the air and energy to form a spark. She didn't seem to struggle too much, but once it was formed, I saw the fear in her eyes and the spark diminished.
    
"Good, Ember. Again. The lightning will not hurt you, don't fear it." I urged her to try again.
    
She smirked a bit. "I'm not afraid that it will hurt me."