Igniting A Flame {Kingdoms #1}

Twenty-Three

Theos observed the mystifying orange glow emitting from the object in the dirt. The shine enticing him as if an invisible aura pulled his body towards it. He glanced at Lin who yawned whilst playing with the thick strands of her black hair. She looked up, a menacing grin tugging on her lips as if she possessed all the information Theos needed to know but kept it locked away. Theos hadn't realized his legs were staggering towards the item.

He looked it over, weary as to avoid disrupting some evil trap. Finally, he carefully picked it up and caressed its dirty cover. That bright glow dimmed into a dull beige as if its mission were successfully completed and it didn't need to be intriguing any longer. Theos traced the navy blue symbols on the cover, tilting his head and pondering such meaning. He had seen these symbols in books his father read. Was it some secret power that can only be retrieved by bargaining with the gods?

Lin hovered behind him, that dense energy following her like a cloud of constant terror. "Let me help you." She nudged her way in front of him and waved a bony, grey hand over the book.

Knowledge poured into his mind with such thundering force that Theos stepped back, a little dazed. The symbols seem to detach and float off the cover and slither its way into the vaults of his mind, blessing him with alluringly new information. He ran his hands over the cover once more, this time interpreting the title as 'An Angel's Kiss.' He mumbled his thanks to Lin who shamelessly basked in the reluctant manners, a favourable state of hers.

Theos flipped through the pages, the words sweet as he recited them perfectly as if discovering an entirely new realm. A world full of wonder and possibility. Would the world beyond inflict such warm feelings? He stopped in the middle at a small passage labelled as fourteen and begun reading aloud.

"The mystical angel with skin as white as snow. The mystical angel with eyes sharp and silver. The mystical angel with mighty wings to show. They soar through the ether, to and fro. The mystical angel whose hair shines bright. The mystical angel will soar through the night," Theos's voice shivered as he continued ruffling through more passages.

His hands quivered, the book almost falling from his loose grip. Each story seemed like a perfect description of Theos and his father as if they weren't just mere stories but retellings. Gods, the wings. He hummed at the vision of flying so freely through the open skies like Aera. Rage lined his veins at the thought of his father mercilessly lying to his face. If this book were true then everything he once knew would be a mere lie. He cautiously suppressed the anger searing his body and took deep breathes before placing the book back under dirt.

Theos turned to Lin who grinned malignantly. "How do I find the box?" he whispered, his voice shrouded by rage and betrayal.

"I'll visit your room in the deepest hour of slumber," she purred, that black cloak intertwining as she moulded into a mere shadow and disappeared.

Theos stormed out the garden, slamming the door behind him and marching into the kitchen. He tensed upon spying his father polishing dishes and slowed his pace. Theos slouched his shoulders, attempting to seem casual and somewhat lethargic. He swiped a broom and grazed it across the oak, sweeping away invisible grime. He shot a glance to his father's blank expression and wondered what lies hid behind that empty look. What secrets would he find in the box? Is the mighty god he worshipped so piously also just a lie?

~~~

Night fell, draping the small hut in ice-cold breeze. The lanterns were blown out, leaving the dark eeriness. Theos pressed his head against his wall, awaiting that click of his father's door. He suppressed heavy breathes and the shakiness in his voice. Gods, he was nervous. He had never deviated from his own father's orders before. Finally, a shuffle of footsteps and a click. He waited a few minutes before entire silence fell.

Lin swaggered from the shadows, her posture calm and relaxed. He wished he were some invisible being just for one night, just to see what lies in that forbidden box. "Follow me," she spoke through a yawn, uninterested or perhaps tired. If otherworldly entities even needed such mortal, immortal (Sometimes Theos mixed up his own age span) needs fulfilled.

Theos tiptoed into the open hallway, his feet so soft he may as well be gliding just as Lin. Her cloak effortlessly swayed from side to side, hiding the lithe body within. He shivered at thought of powers he has yet to see from her. Can she tear apart flesh as if it were paper-thin? Can she summon the most devilish beasts to wreak havoc? He wondered why she hadn't attacked him if she seemed so powerful. Theos passed the oak door, his stomach twisting. He swiftly averted his eyes, not risking the intense desire that comes with a simple glance of the door leading to another world.

They reached the sitting room and stopped at the plain white rug in the centre. "Remove the disgustingly ordinary rug, which could be saved with some fine embroidery, and lift up the broken floorboard."

Theos gulped, obliging the instructions with slight hesitation. Surely, the rug revealed a torn floorboard and below that a gleaming steel box. He almost gasped at the sight, the secrecy offending the somewhat stable relationship between father and son. Theos never thought that there would be a day he discovered treachery within his own father. He darted his eyes across the room, nervous of capture. More nervous than he's ever been.

He gripped the box and silently pulled it from its hidden pocket. Theos inclined his head towards Lin, a silent question to open the clamp. She nodded before hovering her hand over the lock, snapping it instantly. The clink of metal against wood was far too loud and Theos tensed. He waited, listening to the ripple of stationary wind and for the possibility of footsteps. None. He closed his eyes, praying that the gods keep his father asleep for just a little longer. He gulped, wondering if the prayer is too sinful to be granted but rather punished for his misbehaviour. Nonetheless, he flicked open the lid and gaped at the contents within.

Single gems and jewellery scattered inside, some emerald and amethyst whilst others a swirled combination of colours. He stroked the smooth gems and brought one to his eye. So incredibly beautiful. Is this what is found in the world beyond? A piece of paper fluttered from the box and onto Theos's lap. He hesitantly picked it up, skimming the symbols he could still comprehend. A poem reciting a declaration of love from a woman named Cress to...his father. Another page spilled out and Theos swiped it, furiously reading the contents. A letter of appreciation for the love shared between this woman and his father. He read the last paragraph over and over. An excited declaration of the child that is to be born. Could this be...Theos?

Theos tumbled back, his heart too weak and his head too heavy. This must be the mother he saw in his dreams, the energy he felt and basked in. His body trembled, a mix of confusion and pure anger enveloping his mind. Theos shot up from the floor and headed into his father's room in the dead of night.