The Jem

~42~

Hunter put a finger to his lips and slowly tread through the kitchen with a tense body and razor sharp eyes. The three of them followed after him. Another set of steal doors were placed at the back, probably a pantry of some sort. Hunter quickly took out his dagger from his leather belt and angled it carefully with silent perfection. They pushed the double doors open to see a teenage boy sitting by a set of crates with his hands over his face.

Darya cocked an eyebrow, "Are you...uh ok?"
He took his hands away from his freckled face and looked up with blotchy, swollen, ash eyes. Brice sat beside him and placed a shaking hand on his shoulder. "Why are you crying?"

"It's a trap." Darya whispered to Crimson, but Crimson only rolled her eyes and took out her lavender stone then placed it onto her clammy left palm. It shone vibrantly then spun around her and Darya. The crying boy's eyes widened with shock and amazement but mostly curiosity. The Jem then flew around to Brice and finally it went around the boy and then glowed brighter than the stars, almost as if it was celebrating its accomplished mission. It floated happily back to Crimson and fell back into her palm.

"It's him! We found him." Crimson hugged Darya who was jumping up and down too. "What did you find?" The brown haired boy asked. "You, your the last element wielder and you don't understand what we have been through to find you!" Hunter huffed out a laughed.

"I'm sorry I don't know what your talking about."

"You mean you don't know you have fire magic?" Brice helped him up.

"I have what?"

"Fire magic! What's your name?" Darya smiled kindly.

"Ember. Ember Twellar." He muttered so very quietly, as if he were ashamed of his name.

"How convenient." Crimson smirked further.

"Well your coming with us Ember, we have to go fight in the war." Brice walked over to the rest of them.

"What no, I don't know who you are, I don't have magic and I am not leaving without Autumn!" He shouted with rage but also anguish.

"Whose Autumn?" Crimson crossed her arms with her patience snapping a little.

"The most beautiful and kindest girl I've ever known, and I'm not leaving without her." Ember growled.

"Fine, lets go get her. But if we get caught and get sentenced to death, I'll torture you before the king gets to. And trust me you would not like that." Hunter grinned.

"You don't get to come here and boss me around!" The fire holder rasped with anger exploding from his body, then his hands flared with fire and Crimson could have sworn his eyes turned to flames too.

"So you don't have fire magic, huh?" Darya plastered a grim smile.

"What the hell? What did your stone thingy do to me? And why aren't my hands burning to crisp?" He scowled at his flaring fingers.

"We will explain everything later. If you want to bring your precious Autumn with us then we better get a move on." Crimson walked to the doors and Darya put out his fiery hands.

"Where is she exactly?" Darya asked as she swung the steal doors open slowly again.

"Well it's night time so probably in the king's bedroom." Ember dared a hesitant smile.

"What!?" Crimson gasped as the leash on her patience snapped fully and she grasped him by his filthy collar.

"You're telling me that we made our way safely to you and haven't been spotted by the king or anyone else in fact and now your taking us to the king's bedroom, where we're basically asking him to slaughter us. And if she's in his bedroom then she's already taken, get over it!" Darya spat as she and Crimson cornered him to the kitchen wall, both their gazes full of deadly ice and promising torture.

"You don't understand, she's blind and he's forcing her to his bed, she's not going willingly. King Spratan took her eyesight then bind her to his throne." Ember explained.

"Your going to get us killed you burning bastard!" Darya hissed.

"Fine we will get her, you better hope the king is sleeping or I'll feed you to Deeja!" Crimson threatened but let go of his collar.

"Whose Deeja?" He shivered.

Brice and Hunter began laughing.

~

They stepped ever so quietly through the halls as they followed Ember to where death surely awaited them. He took three lefts, 4 sets of huge, marble red stairs and finally a right. Five guards had already spotted them but were dead in a matter of seconds either suffocated or gagged or chocked and sometimes even shriveled to death, the latter-curtesy of Darya.

Two guards stood at the door of the king's room, a little hiss and two cracks then they were both on the floor.
The door creaked open as they walked in, Brice keeping look out. The king was sleeping soundly and so was the girl who was chained to his best post, a shiver rippled through Hunter's spine. They were iron chains, so all their magic wouldn't work against it unless Hunter used his magic and he knew Crimson thought the same as she looked at him with horror spreading to every inch of her face, but she gave him a subtle, slow nod that indicated him to proceed.

His throat bobbed as he stepped towards the chains then took off his right glove and shakily touched the cold iron. It disintegrated slowly and the girl jolted awake. Her eyes were nothing but black but he could see every ounce of shock and worry in them. She was fae he could tell by her ears that had all sorts of jewelry pierced in to them, she sniffed once-twice then placed a manicured foot onto the maroon carpet but didn't get out fully.

"Ember?" She whispered with delight but her voice sounded terrified.