Frozen Flame

Chapter 14: The Talk

Fire Temple

Sending her away was necessary. Not just for her, but also for him. 

He'd started to have thoughts, had pulled away from what he was doing. That was bad. He couldn't have her getting into his head, he needed to pull himself up and do what he'd set out to complete. 

A sigh.

He'd always known he was the monster - that never changed. It still hurt him to see the expression in her eyes when she looked at him and saw what he'd always announced to be true. 

Because he let her in. He knew he shouldn't from the start. It still hurt.

He swallowed. 

Yet, this brushing away of her, made him feel calm. Accepting. This was where he'd always been. Alone. He felt cathartic even.

His eyes flickered around him as his fingers brushed the wall and he turned around. A step and then another, he walked towards the prison cells. The Fire Prison cells. The empty Fire Prison cells.

Until he reached the full one.

Thorn had his back pressed against the far wall, hunched over slightly - his back still slowly healing. His feet were spread on the warm floor, his knees bent. Saltwater dripped down his hair and face, landing on the gap of floor between his legs. 

Svorn pressed a hand against the wall. "Fire Cell Five, Four. Open." 

The door opened and Svorn entered, pushing a plate of food and a cup of water gently out of the way with his foot.

A sigh. He walked over to Thorn and sat down next to him.

The response was only silence.

Svorn swallowed and rested his head on the folded arms over his knees. "If I asked you to kill him, would you still do it?"

No hesitation. "Of course." A pause. Thorn looked at him. "Do you hate me?" Silence. "Do you... hate me because I killed mum? Or because I ran away?"

His muffled voice echoed through his legs. "I don't care that you killed mum. And I can understand why you ran. I would too if I could." A breath. "Do you want to kill me?"

Thorn placed a hand on his back.

He flinched.

His brother began moving it gently in a circle. "I could never kill you. And I don't want to. And even if I did, I couldn't in this state. You know that. That's why you entered."

A small shake of his head. "It's not. I entered because... I wanted some company."

The hand stopped. Thorn dropped it and silence surrounded the room once more.

Time ticked.

A swallow and Thorn spoke. "Do you hate me because I took the potion from you?"

Svorn looked up at him. "I can't hate you. No matter how hard I try. I hate the fact that you took the book. I can understand why you took the potion. But I do need them both."

Thorn looked at him with discerning eyes. A second. Then he grabbed him and pulled him in for a hug.

Svorn blinked, staring at the wall. "What are you doing? Do you want to strangle me?"

A soft chuckle. "I'm hugging you. Accept the hug."

He moved as if to resist, then relaxed and wrapped his arms around Thorn. "Okay." A pause. "I don't appreciate you hurting my guards and soldiers. They were just doing their job."