Dawn of Fire

by Anna LaVerne

  Trey guides me to the bed, where I fall backward with him falling upon me. My long legs are still hanging over the edge of the bed. Trey’s working his way down my abdomen with his tongue sending energy pulsing through me. My body wiggles with need. Before I know it, a lightning bolt of energy slams into me as his mouth touches my core. How could anything get better than this? The energy continues to build until I am certain I will explode. In one abrupt movement, Trey pulls away. My body whimpers because it was so close to achieving what it wanted.

  He looks up at me with his chestnut eyes promising me it is not over yet. Instead, he helps me adjust until I am farther up on the bed, and he begins again. This time, he starts at my ankle working his way up. My body pushes closer to him, wanting more, although I still do not know what that more is.

  Trey chuckles before saying, “You are so sweet and so perfect.” With that, his mouth claims me again between my legs. This time, I have no control. The pressure within me releases violently. I hear myself scream out and my legs spasm as he continues to hold my core to his face. He then pulls away wiping his face on the bed. Trey stretches out next to me on the bed as I still ride the waves of what he did.

  “I hope you don’t think we're finished,” Trey says as he runs his hand across my abdomen. Nothing can be better than the gift he gave me. This time, he climbs above me and kisses my neck. Trey eases my legs apart to make room for him. “This may hurt for a second. I will go slow.”

  All I can do is mumble an unintelligible response. My body is insatiable, still craving more energy. His cock prods me as his arms strain. I take my hands, running them up muscled arms and stare into his eyes. Trey's gaze never wavers as he inches his way into me. It is obvious I lose control over my senses because I push up into him breaking my barrier. I go to scream in pain, but Trey smothers the sound with a kiss. “I wanted to take it slow,” he says into my neck.

  When he moves again, an energy even stronger than the first thrums through me. It is akin to the node beneath Cargil. I wrap my legs around his back and hips and push myself into him in time with each gentle thrust given to me.

  I've drunk from the well of power, and there is no turning back. It doesn't take long as my body shatters again. He picks up speed and when the energy rushes through me, my body lifts from the bed. My core spasms around Trey, holding him within me as hard as I am able. I never want to let go again. My legs shake as Trey pulls out and moves again and again. When he has his release, another wave of energy shoots through me. He moans out loud. “Oh, God, Dina. I never knew sex could be anything as blissful as that.”

  Trey rolls to his side as I continue to lay there naked on the bed. I will fall asleep soon. It doesn’t matter how much energy is pulsing through me, my body still needs rest. I went against my nature, and I did what everyone expected of me, and it was indescribable. I know I made the right choice in Trey. I look over at my sleeping warrior, his body spent from what we did. I climb under the covers. In my last lucid moment, I remember to enchant the door, so no one can enter. I don’t need Bee to catch us first thing in the morning.

  Chapter Eleven

  Bang! Bang! Bang! “Dina! You’d better be in there!”

  I look up at Trey, already dressed and standing near the door, not knowing what to do. We need to keep everything a secret, but Bee is obviously not going to let that happen, “I am fine, Bee, go away! I will catch you up on everything later. I need you to go about your day like normal.”

  “Normal is me following you around to keep you out of trouble.”

  Well, she has a solid point. I roll my eyes and mutter the spell for the door to unlock. Bee runs in and slams the door behind her, “What is the big deal?” she demands and then her eyes get real big as she see Trey and then takes me in again.

  “Oh.. You really did it. Oh… the Queen will be so happy!” She jumps up and down, a wide smile stretched across her little face.

  “Cut it out, Bee, where is Cal?”

  “He went to meet up with Trey, but he can’t do that when Trey is here. He will know something is up.”

  Trey is staring at me, waiting to find out what he needs to do. “You need to go meet Cal and make today as normal as possible. Try to catch Rhett before he comes to my room. I need to keep us a secret.”

  “Yeah, I don’t think you will be able do that,” Bee says echoing what Trey told me last night.

  “I don’t know why everyone keeps telling me that! Why can’t I keep it a secret?”

  “Your hair is long again,” Trey says, leaning over and giving me a little kiss. “I will work to keep everyone away. You should scry Hoda as soon as possible.” With that, Trey leaves the room to go meet with Cal.

  “My hair is long again? So, is this why mystics always have long hair?”

  “I would assume so.”

  My looks matter little to me. Jumping out of bed, I pick up my robe off the floor. I fill the scry bowl with water and run my athame around the edge of it causing it to sing. My athame is my personal spell-working knife, it will make sure my call to Hoda goes through loud and clear.

  “Hoda Chief of Cargil hear my call.” It only takes once before Hoda’s face appears in the water.

  “Princess.”

  “Hoda, are you alone?”

  “No, Mae is in here with me.”

  “I spoke with my Mother, and I need to speak with you alone. Can you please ask Mae to leave the room?”

  Hoda turns and has a short exchange with Mae. I can almost feel Mae pouting from my room. My gifts have amplified without a doubt. Stuff is about to go down. I will increase my safety net in Cargil.

  “Okay, done.”

  “I have a plan. I uh... chose Trey last night. After speaking with my Mother, I realized the importance. I also realize the danger we all face here. I want to know if there is a place we can call all the mystics and warriors of Cargil to. We need to announce my new position, and I would like to interrogate a few important people. With empathy being one of my gifts I think I can catch a liar with ease. I hope that my actions might weed out some of Celeste's supporters. I need to make sure my inner circle is safe. At the best, my energy will allow me to interrogate everyone. However, I'm uncertain that will be possible.”

  Hoda takes in my words and then asks the same question Trey had, “How will you keep them from leaving the hall once we get them in there?”

  I smiled, “Simple, I will cast a spell over it. No one can leave until I drop the wards.”

  “That is a mighty big spell, Princess, are you sure you can do that?”

  "Magic work is all about intent. I intend to increase my safety and save Aster. I know the spell I need to use. It is a basic spell I was taught, I only need to make it bigger. I have all the tools to do so. So, yes I think I can do it. It just needs it to catch anyone trying to sneak out. I'll consult a spell book that Ayla gave me first." I have to stifle a laugh. A year ago, I wouldn’t have been caught dead studying.

  “Okay, will the noon bell work for you?” Hoda asks.

  I nod, “Yes, it sounds perfect. Can you send Vex to my room? I am not sure how I will get to the great hall without someone noticing my changes.”

  “There is a hidden exit in your room, Vex will show you. I will send breakfast to your room. See you at noon bell, Princess.”

  With that, Hoda signs off. It may be a far-fetched idea, and it will take a lot of work, but what other options are there? I will have to watch my back while I train, and I can’t focus, doing that. There will be ambassadors visiting with ally armies, and I need to make sure all conversations with them are safe.

  I stand up and sigh, looking at Bee. Her face is a mix of emotions. She knows there is more going on here than I told her about. I reach up and pull my now long raven locks back from my face. Little Bee is at a loss for words and continues to stare. I look at her as the sadness seeps out of me. “Mother named me heir of Aster.”

  As soon as the phrase leaves my mouth, I burst into tears. I never want
ed this. I never wanted to be Queen. Those were ambitions of Claire and Celeste, not me. Not the sixth born. Bee brings me to sit on the bed where she can more easily comfort me. My little friend will stay with me until the end. She knows there is nothing she can say to make me feel better. So, Bee sits there and combs my long hair with her fingers in silence. After a few moments, I pull myself together to stand again.

  “I will need a dress. I am sure my Mother has a purple one in here somewhere. Something that represents the colors of Aster, don’t you think?”

  “Yes, you are right.” Bee stands and walks toward a wardrobe. She pulls out three purple dresses. One is a lavender with a silver panel down the front. The second is a rich dark purple. The dress has an off the shoulder style that comes to a ‘V’ to show off the curves of my breasts. I know instantly that the second dress is the winner.

  As the youngest of the royal children, it is important to look my age today. The dress is mature and will convey my royal lineage. Although this is not something I want to do, it is something I will do because I love Aster and my mother. My mother who was never present. I slip out of my robe, and Bee helps me into the dress, pulling the laces on the back as tight as she can.

  “It is okay, Dina. It will stretch out as the day goes on. Plus, it is beautiful.” I look down at the intricate dark flowers embroidered into the dress. There are tiny strands of gold worked through each one.

  “We should put my hair up, right?” Bee nods.

  I approach the vanity and sit down in front of the mirror as Bee runs a brush through my hair. She takes no time to pull it into a loose bun on top of my head. She then moves to my mystic tool bag, reaching into a hidden pocket pulling something out wrapped in lots of fabric. She brings it over to me, unwrapping it as she walks.

  “I stuffed this in your bag before you left. I thought that it might be needed at some point to prove your identity if we got into trouble. I never imagined it being used like this, though.”

  She hands me my tiara. It is a simple yellow gold with small stones of amethyst peppered throughout. In the center is a perfect circle of opal. I was born at night on a full moon. Only Claire and I had that claim. My crown shares the same opal centerpiece. I only ever wore it to solstice balls or formal parties. Bee is right I should wear it today. Everyone knows who I am. I need them to respect my station today. The nerves in the pit of my stomach feel like they are ready to explode. I look in the mirror, and I identify myself, but I also see a stranger. My bright-blue eyes stare back and look years older than they were the day before.

  At that moment, a knock sounds at the door, “Who is it?” I ask.

  “I brought food for the Princess,” comes a small mousy voice.

  Bee opens the door. There is a short exchange before Bee carries in a tray of eggs, bacon, and muffins. I smile at the sight, but for once in my life, I am not sure I can eat.

  “You need to eat.”

  “I know.”

  Bee sets the tray down on my breakfast table. My room has everything I would ever need in it. I wouldn't even need to leave if I didn't want to. That is a great idea. I'll spell myself into this room until all of this Celeste business blows over. I smile to myself, knowing that is what the old Dina would've done. But now I am the heir, and for today, at least, I need to behave the part.

  “You know,” Bee starts, “it may be a good thing you are the heir. You can implement changes. Allow mystics more control over their lives. You can allow them to train as warriors if they want. Allow them to drink barren tea without judgment.”

  “Should I also limit the size of their harems? I remember the two who kidnapped me were upset they didn't get larger harems.”

  “Harem size should be based upon the birth station, I agree with that decree of Aster. Otherwise, there will be no men left in Aster for anyone else.” Yeah, Bee has a solid point. There is no reason anyone needs a harem of twelve, except maybe the Queen or High Mystic. I, for one, don’t even want twelve men. I am happy with one–Trey.

  “Can you bring that book that Ayla left for me to read? The one with spells for enchantresses.” Ayla said she didn't know anything about being an enchantress, so she brought me a book she thought would help.

  I have a muffin in my hand when Bee plops the book down on the table. I turn the pages, looking for the spell I need. Everything I read is too simple. I need to ward people into a giant room with one spell. I am over halfway through the book before I find a spell that might work. The book says I need to place six crystals around the building. There is nothing about the size of the crystal so I am not sure it matters. I then need a fire, a pinch of salt, dried lavender, angelica, and white sage. I have all of those in my kit. Only enough to do the spell once though, which means I will have no chance to practice. I hope for a secure area for me to work.

  I go to my Mother’s desk. She has a bowl of crystals in a drawer. I had seen them a few days ago, and knew I could use them. Any crystals would work,if I put my magic into them first. I place the six I have chosen in the bathtub because I don’t want to burn the floor.

  When I reach for my power, I realize I no longer have to reach for anything. The power is just sitting below the surface waiting to be manipulated. I take a deep breath and blow fire onto the crystals with precision. The crystals respond by sucking the flames into their core. When I finish each crystal pulses an orange color.

  I stand, leaving the crystals in the bath to cool. “Okay, now I need to find the book she left on Empathy. It's time to read up on any tricks to lie detecting. I think I have it in the bag but want to be sure I know what I am looking for.”

  It takes Bee no longer than a few seconds to find the book. I take it, turning the pages as I pace around my room. Illness… Love… Hate… Hate may be useful. I skim through the pages about temperature changes and how the emotions react when they hit your senses. Unfortunately, it appears to be different for everyone, making the book useless to me. This entire book is based on practicing and learning how each emotion reacts to your individual magic. Annoying.

  “What time is it?” I ask Bee.

  “Ten thirty.”

  “Ugh, Vex needs to get here soon. I need time to set up the spell.” Reaching into the bathtub, I pick up my orange crystals and hand five of them to Bee.

  “You need to hide these five crystals around the hall. One has to be in the center under a rug, chair, or in a vase. Be smart where you hide them. Meet me behind the stage around eleven. I will scry Vex to see if he is on his way.”

  “Okay, are you sure I can do this? I don’t want them to be in the wrong place.” It is unlike Bee to be so unsure about something, but then again, this is the first time I have ever asked her to help with magic.

  “You can’t go wrong as long as one is in the middle, and the other four are placed one on each side of the building. They don't have to be perfect. The closer to the center you can get the one the better, though. The key is that they stay hidden. On the outside, you can put them under the earth a little or hide them in tall grass. I trust you, or I would try to sneak around and do it myself.”

  I pat her shoulder as I shove my little friend out the door. She turns, giving me a weak smile. Turning back to my room, I pick up the spell book to go through the spell again in my head. My hands began to quiver as I gather the herbs I need and place them in a small purse that hooks around my wrist.

  I may only have one husband, but I can do this. Well, he isn’t a husband yet, but what does it matter? Do I want Trey to be my husband? Yes, absolutely. Anyway, back to the point, I can do this. I need to do this. I have the power to do this. Today, I will weed out some of Celeste’s flunkies.

  There is a knock at the door. No, not the door, the wall. I spin around my large room trying to find it. Knock. Knock. “Dina, can you hear me?”

  I think it is the wall near the windows. I follow the sound to a picture on the wall which pops open and swings out on hinges. Vex walks through.

  “Why didn’t you w
alk right in if you could open it from your side?”

  “I didn’t want to scare you.” It is then that I notice how much the aged dark-haired blue-eyed warrior looks like me. I'm not sure how I missed it all of these years. He took me in, “You are beautiful, Dina.”

  “Stop it, people keep telling me that.”

  “Well, you are. You’re a perfect mix of my mother and the Queen. Absolutely stunning.”

  “Have you spoken with Mother?”

  “I speak with her daily, and she knows of your plan. She said if you think you can do it, she supports you, but to not be too disappointed if it doesn’t go over well.”

  “So, you're aware I am the, um... heir?”

  He smiles, “You should have always been the heir. I am the Queen’s first husband, and you are my only child. Claire may have been first born, but you are the daughter of the Queen and her number one, plus Claire was so dull. I realize I shouldn't talk that way about someone who passed, but it's true. She never had your mother’s spark like you do.”

  I have no idea what he is talking about. My mother has no spark except the one for duty. I roll my eyes as I walk over to the bed and pick up the spell book I need, “We should get going because I need time to set up and work the spell.”

  Vex leads the way. I remember Vex always being large, but I was only a kid. Everyone seems large to kids, but now as a tall woman, I can appreciate just how big he is. He is taller than Trey and every bit as muscled. I didn't even realize he was my mother’s first husband. To be honest, he wasn’t around her often. Part of me wants to ask why, but the other part of me knows it most likely had to do with the harem dynamics. It is hard for men who have no relation to each other to share one woman.

  I follow Vex down stairs that wind their way around the staircase in the hall. At the bottom, we walk through a short hallway before opening a door into a small windowless room. There are two very nice couches with a small table between them. I see a tea tray and a cart with liquor on it. The room has a large purple and gold rug on the floor, and the walls are all wood with intricate designs carved into them. Another notable feature is that the room contains electricity. I guess it has to since it had no windows and no candles, either.