The Flame

CHAPTER 47

"Shit, Leave me alone", she screamed aloud.

"Oh, no I'm sorry Clarke", I said, getting up on my feet and helping her up.

"It's okay Clarke, It's only Rose", Alicia told her calmly.

"Oh yeah, sorry", she told me before they disappeared together into one of the rooms.

"Looks, like these tests really gets the shit out of you", Allen observed "You were pretty messed up after you came back too", he continued thoughtfully. I started to reply him back, but couldn't because of the appearance of the gem, which was hanging mi-air.

"The gem of Empathy", announced the Pixie voice, without actually appearing in front of us.

"Allen, get the book please", ordered Merlin, by whose command Allen hurried into the third room, and came back with the book.

As soon as the book was brought near the place the gem was hanging, it itself left its position to place itself on the cover page of the book.

"Two more to go, Kat we are coming for you", I breathed.

                                ***

In spite of making Merlin understand that you could not reveal the details of the test, Merlin couldn't stop pestering me about the test and I had to remind her again and again that I couldn't tell her even if I wished. It was about time, when she took her test and as time passed by, she was starting to get real cranky, and as usual. It was Allen who had to deal with her backlashes.

Alicia and Clarke soon came out, and started conversing normally with us as if nothing happened, but I knew that whatever the test they had to pass on, it wouldn't have been easy and it definitely wouldn't be easy to get over with.

It was about an hour after which Adrian entered the small lobby and informed us that we were in Domino. Looking at him, the earlier events all came back churning. I did not know, what to believe anymore. The Adrian I saw as a prince in my test, or the Adrian I have always known. I just couldn't look at him. I couldn't even clearly say what I even felt anymore

"Why are we here?", asked Clarke, who by the way showed no more coldness towards him.

"It's better to change places, now that we are in wanted list", he told her in his jovial tone. "And this will be the last place, they will look for me", he told her, looking at me "Us" he corrected.

I did not feel the need to add anything to the conversation, so picked up my book from the couch, which was now long forgotten by Merlin because of anxiety.

I just started with the first page, when the quest Pixie appeared again. "Prince Adrian, it is time for you to take the test", she smiled sweetly.

Merlin let a breadth of sigh, when Adrian was summoned. Adrian looking ever radiant and charming didn't show any signs of nervousness, he was looking like he was ready to take on anything that will be laid on his path. He entered the portal silently.

The minutes that passed by after Adrian left were in agony. I couldn't stop thinking about him, though I knew that he was not in any physical danger. Those few minutes really dragged and felt like hours, and finally he came back after ten minutes. I was relieved that he had to go through five minutes less torture, but I was wrong. When the portal opened and he appeared again, he was looking quite shaken up to the root. He looked no more brave and fearless. He looked vulnerable.

I wanted to hug him and console him that everything will be okay, but rejected the idea assuming that he would want some privacy, just like how I did, and so I let him lock himself up in one of the rooms.

"Okay, now next is me", Merlin said tensed. "What if I fail, then what? We will never find Catherine...", she started rattling.

"Calm down Sweetie, it will go fine", Allen kept saying. The room was filled with so much tension when the 'gem of determination' appearance was announced by the sweet Pixies voice.

"One to go" I breathed, flaring with excitement that we were finally only one step behind our destination.

"Are we on ground, landed somewhere?" I directed at Allen, to which he nodded.

"I'll just go out and stretch out my legs okay?" I told him.

"Wait, Don't go alone" he told me "Clarke and Alicia, will you..." he directed at them.

"Yes", they said collectively.

I clicked the door open, and we walked out, to find ourselves in an enormous, gorgeous, breathtaking room.

"Where the hell are we?" I asked them.