Born In Flames

by Candace Knoebel

  “I am a Draconta,” she said matter-of-factly. “I live with the dragons inside the Obsidian Chasm. We heavily guard the entrance to the volcano to protect it from evil. There’s no way he could get past our defenses. At least, I don’t think…”

  Wow, I thought, staring ahead.

  “So why am I in this realm?” I asked, glancing in the rearview mirror out of habit. Lady Eve only said that it was so I could choose. But why the need to choose? What would have prevented me from choosing?

  “That’s an easy one—because of your importance, it was necessary to keep you hidden and protected from those who would harm you for their own purposes.” She leaned into me, whispering, “Rumor has it, two of The Fates are corrupt. They tried to end your life the night Astral sent you here. If it wasn’t for him, you’d probably be dead right now.”

  The Fates wanting me dead would surely be a reason to remain in hiding.

  “Why don’t they just find me and end it already,” I wondered out loud.

  She looked taken aback. “Because Aurora, you are very special. The powers you harness, they’re one-of-a-kind rare.”

  “How so?” I asked.

  “You have the ability to shift Aurora. You have the power of a dragon and the magic of a Mage in you. And that’s not all. You harness the power over fire. No one in our realm has that power, not even the dragons.”

  I swallowed hard, for once, happy to be me.

  “This obviously puts you in danger. And since the doorway between here and there was sealed with your departure, it was impossible to detect you here. I stress the was,” she finished quickly, glancing out the window again.

  “What do you mean was?” I asked warily.

  “I mean, you were undetectable before you put that necklace on. Now, not so much. It links you to the other realm. It’s a part of you,” she answered. “The Fates…Zordon…anyone who is looking can easily trace it.”

  I went to take it off as if it were a poisonous snake. “Well, here…take it then,” I said, but her hand stopped me.

  “No! The damage has been done, and you need to keep that on. It protects you,” she stressed. “I’ve just been sent as an added bonus since Fenn had to leave,” she blurted out.

  “Fenn? You know him? How is he? Is he okay?” I rushed out, but she stopped me again.

  “He’s fine, Aurora, calm down. Sheesh. He had to return because his presence put you in danger…without training, he could no longer protect you from what will be coming.”

  “But he said it was because he put the ring on,” I replied, confused.

  “No, the ring simply unlocked his memories that were taken from him when he was sent through the portal with you. In a sense it would have put you in danger had you not put the amulet on first, but you did, so you beat him to it. You put yourself in danger, and in turn he had to go because he would have been useless against who has been sent after you,” she explained.

  “And exactly, who is after me?” I asked hesitantly.

  “Not fully sure, but I’ve been told it’s one of Zordon’s men. I don’t think we have to worry about The Fates. They don’t step in unless they absolutely have to,” she replied easily. “But don’t fret, I am fully skilled,” she added with a smile.

  So I had been the reason Fenn left. All this time I had been blaming him…

  “Look, before we go any further, there is something you should know.” She grabbed onto my forearm again.

  Maybe I felt comfortable because she seemed so familiar to me, even down to the gestures she made and the smile she wore on her face. And the way she braced me so comfortingly when trying to tell me something I may not like. It reminded me of somebody…

  “What’s that?” I asked, moving my arm quickly so she wasn’t touching me.

  “When you crossed over, your memories were erased and most of your powers were stripped. When you were reunited with this necklace, you were supposed to have gained everything back, like Fenn.” She paused, then asked, “Did you?”

  “No,” I stated.

  “I figured,” she replied.

  “Why is it so important that I remember everything? Can’t you just tell me? Or can’t you just do a spell to undo it?” There had to be a way.

  “It’s not as simple as that. Crossing through the barrier to this realm was a part of the spell that sealed the doors of your memory shut and bound your dragon form to the amulet. So crossing back over must be what brings everything back. We need three keys to do that.”

  “I’ve already found one.”

  “You did?” She jumped in excitement.

  “Yeah…I found it yesterday. That’s how you found me actually. I was hoping to find Eve, this psychic lady who knows about me. Do you know her?”

  She nodded.

  “Wait, how did you both get here if the door is supposed to be sealed?” I asked.

  “From our realm, we don’t need keys to cross the barrier,” she explained. “We just need very powerful magic. The only downfall is, every time we cross, it weakens the barrier between our realms so it’s highly discouraged,” she leaned in, winking as if I would understand what that meant.

  “Why do I need keys and you need powerful magic?” My curiosity was slowly turning into frustration.

  She shifted in her seat as if moving would help me better understand what she was saying. “My realm is a magical realm whereas yours is not. You need those keys, with their magical energy, to cross the barrier to my realm,” she said very slowly. She paused, waiting for a sign of recognition to appear on my face.

  I grasped the necklace in the palm of my hands, blaming it for all of my recent problems. “I get it,” I said simply, staring straight ahead. Nothing could ever come easy for me.

  I glanced over at her as I turned into the parking lot of the motel. She was fidgeting with the button that rolled the window down, watching it rise and fall and rise and fall. “I crossed over the night Fenn left, that way the barrier would only be breeched once. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to do it without the keys. We Mages sure can multi-task,” she giggled to herself. “By the way, this is so cool.” She was still messing with the electronic window.

  “Totally,” I responded with heavy sarcasm.

  She must’ve heard it in my tone. She stopped what she was doing and looked up. Her eyes filled with understanding. “You know,” she said hesitantly, “you’ve never been alone on this side. My mother’s a Seer and she’s watched over you. Over both of you actually.”

  “Why?”

  “There are higher powers interested in your well-being,” she admitted reluctantly.

  My hands began to tremble as a sense of dread crept in. I tried to clear my throat quietly. “So your mom must be pretty powerful then…to be able to watch over me from the other realm,” I fished. I started to see why she looked so familiar now that I took the time to look at her. “What’s her name?” I asked, trying to hide my suspicions.

  “Eve.”

  My stomach dropped. I went completely still, trying to quickly decide if I should run or knock her out and then run. I knew this was a setup, I thought with disappointment. I slowly reached to turn the car off, hands unsteady with fear. “Aurora, what’s wrong? Why are you so pale?” she asked with concern, eyebrows furrowed and head tilted like a puppy dog. It was a trick, a psychological trick. Either she was a great actress or…she was sincere.

  “Eve. What is this? Some kind of sick joke?” I asked, trying to sound angry though my voice faltered. She looked perplexed.

  My internal struggle was driving me mad because deep down, I was willing to wait and find out. She was the closest thing to my past that I had at the moment. But the being inside of me let the feeling of betrayal take over my sensibility. I could only see the worst.

  “I don’t think anything is funny, do you?” she countered, tipping her brows in wait.

  I stiffened my jaw as I spoke through tight lips. “Eve’s your mother? Are you two some kind of scam artists?
Have you been spying on me or using some kind of witchcraft to get into my head? Because I specifically went to see her today, and she just up and vanished. So how do I know if you two are the ones ‘after’ me or not?” My throat tightened with the possibility of tears.

  With puzzlement, Lexi replied, “No, it is as I have said. She’s been watching you since you were little by the Draconta’s orders. The night I was told that Fenn was returning, I was instructed to help you find the keys so you can return home. I would never betray you. I’m only here for your best interest, Aurora.”

  She leaned into me, staring deep into my eyes. I felt another pull from her and then a sort of calmness easing its way into my mind.

  “Stop it,” I said. I knew she was doing something to me. I could feel the power. My own energy surged inside of me.

  “Stop what?” she asked, never moving from my eyes as a faint green glow emerged from her hands. “Sedatum,” she whispered softly. I thought about pulling my own gaze from her, but I couldn’t. Panic rushed through my blood. This is it, this is it. I’m done for.

  “Get out of my head!” I yelled. A surge of energy burst out of me. I felt my hair standing up like static electricity. When I re-opened my eyes, I saw a blue glow fading from my hands.

  I looked back at her, almost scared to see the damage I may have caused, but saw only amazement written all over her face. Both her hands were bracing her temples as she steadied herself in her seat.

  “You’re extremely powerful, Aurora,” she noted, mystified. “That was a really hard spell to counter, and you literally threw me from your mind. Without chanting, I might add. I’m really sorry if I invaded your space. I just want you to be comfortable with me, not afraid.” She was smiling like I had done something right and not just knocked the shit out of her mentally. Her smile was contagious as I felt my own twist up.

  “I’m sorry. This is just a lot to digest. I mean, I saw your mother and then she disappeared. I wasn’t expecting her daughter to show up.”

  “About that, she had to leave. She’s not supposed to interfere with your fate under His orders, but the Dragon King felt differently. And she agreed with him. So she came and stayed as long as she could, before He found out.”

  “Who’s ‘He’?”

  “His name is Astral. The one I was telling you about who sent you over here. He’s the one who wants you to have a choice. If I’m being honest,” she leaned in to me, her voice dropping to a whisper, “I think he wants you to stay. He doesn’t want you to get hurt. Sweet right?” Her voice picked back up as she practically bounced with giddiness.

  “Astral?” I said, testing the name. It sounded so familiar, but I couldn’t place a face with it. “So she’s not hurt then? Zordon didn’t get to her?”

  “No, she’s fine. I saw her before I ported here,” she reassured.

  I sighed. “What exactly is a port?”

  “A portal is a way of transportation. It’s like moving through time, and it’s how we get around where we’re from. It’s actually…” her words trailed off as she stared in the other direction, worry taking over her pixie-like features.

  “What are you staring… Oh,” I said as I looked in the same direction, “that’s just Mr. Creepy. He actually had this amulet…wait a dang minute. You know who he is, don’t you?” I asked. She nodded and got out of the car. I responded quickly and shut the engine off, following closely behind. This couldn’t be good. “Is he the one who’s after me?”

  I don’t think she was even paying attention to me as she sniffed at the air and said, “He must have followed my mother’s my portal.” She noticed my confused face and quickly explained. “When you open a portal, even though it closes up, its trace can be followed minutes or even hours after, depending on how strong your magic is.”

  A sudden blast of light along with a rumbling earth shudder came from the room in front of us. I stumbled back a couple of steps. Whatever that was, it was so powerful it had blown the door open with a loud crack.

  “Oh fizzle, he just ported,” said Lexi rushing up to the open door, hinges creaking from years of use. There was a weird electrical smell coming from the faint breeze that seeped through the gap of the doorway. Lexi walked up to the edge of it and flattened herself against the wall, peering in from the side. It was weird seeing his door open for anyone to glance into. So unlike him.

  “Aurora, go back to the car.” She was already in a fighting stance. Curiosity overruled and I followed behind as she ventured into his room. I couldn’t help but feel a little triumphant after he ended our conversation today. Now I was inside his home, spying on him.

  But I was instantly freaked out. Pictures of me covered every visible surface. “He’s been here a lot longer than just a few days, Lexi. These pictures go back to when Fenn and I first got here.” I started backing out of his motel room, trying not to lose my lunch. I guess I got what I deserved for being curious.

  Just as I reached the door she called, “He must’ve felt my arrival and ported, that Rotten Harpy. I can still smell the trace of his port.” Her nose lifted in the air, taking in that awful electrical wire smell. I was uncontrollably shaking my head no. I guess subconsciously I thought that by doing that it would make this go away somehow. But it didn’t. This was real, and it was too much to accept.

  “I can’t…” I said, interrupting her. “Look Lexi, I’m going to go take a shower. I can’t…” I gave the room another once over, all the private moments of my life pinned up for prying eyes. “I can’t deal with all of this right now.” Realms, creepy men, portals, it was just too much. My brain was fried. I felt so helpless, so out of control. Dizziness crept in. I braced the rail of the stairs on my way up hoping I wouldn’t fall.

  “Okay, Rory.” I stopped in my tracks at this term of endearment. Not just anyone called me Rory. I hadn’t told her to call me Rory. She must’ve picked it up from my missing best friend while she and her mother “watched” me. Everyone seemed to have “watched” me. And that did it for me. Anger flared up. I was tired of everyone prodding into my life, a life that everyone knew about but me.

  “Fenn called me that, as I’m sure you already know. Don’t…ever,” I said through a low growl. I paused, suddenly unsure if I really wanted to unload on her or not. Instead, I continued up the stairs. Nothing good would come from what I had to say and she was not a verbal punching bag.

  Of course she followed me up the stairs and into the room asking, “You really love him, don’t you?” She was like a bug, a bug that I wanted to smack.

  I turned to face her and said, “I’m going to take a shower now. Help yourself to whatever you see in here. Please do not bother me unless it is an extreme emergency. I will be done in a while. And yes, I do love him. He was there with me throughout my entire life. He helped me become the person that I am and then he had to leave. Because of me, I might add, which doesn’t make it any easier to swallow.” Again she looked confused.

  I grabbed some clothes from my dresser and headed to the bathroom. I wouldn’t be coming out for at least an hour. Turning the water to scalding hot, I stepped in, anxious to feel the comforting burn. I let it all go for the moment. There was no point in trying to decipher anything so I closed my eyes as the mist filled my pores. Chapter 22

  Holy Cow!

  I KEPT TO MY WORD and stayed in the bathroom for at least an hour. After the water ran cold, I put comfy clothes on and opened the door to face Lexi.

  For a brief moment I thought I saw Fenn’s face, my heart jumping with hope, but then I realized it was Lexi’s face I was seeing. She was sitting on the edge of my bed with my Oraculus resting on her lap.

  “What are you doing with that?” I felt immediately shaky and walked over to her with nervous hands, energy firing up inside me. My eyes never left hers as I leaned in and gently pulled it off her lap, prepared for anything that might come. I didn’t want anyone touching my Oraculus—even if her mother had given it to me.

  “We should talk about th
is, Aurora. Do you even know what that really is?” I shook my head no and braced my book to my chest like it was the last good burger on Earth. Eve had never gone into detail about it, but I knew it was as connected to me as Zordon. “You know how everyone has their own Oraculus, written on the day of their birth,” she eased, “well, your case is different. Your Oraculus is only half of a whole. The other half is in the Hall of Knowledge, and it has an owner,” she said gravely. She didn’t have to say it out loud. I knew whose it was.

  “Zordon,” I stated, sitting down next to her.

  “Yes. I wasn’t supposed to say anything, but I felt it’s something you should know, something you should prepare for. Have you ever seen him before?”

  “I have, yes, but not lately.”

  “That’s odd. But it’s not like anyone knows exactly what an Oraculus can do for someone who has it in their possession. Especially in your case since your Oraculus was split in half-the other half being Zordon’s. Our law says that no one can see their own Oraculus until they die and cross over into the Hall of Knowledge. So how did you manage to see him?”

  “I saw him once with Eve. She told me to say Apparatio while holding my Oraculus, so I did, and somehow, I saw him again. That was the last time.”

  “That word, Apparatio, is a spell Seers use in our realm to see what The Fates want to show them. What happened?”

  I filled her in, delighted that she was interested. Maybe she would be able to help me figure it out. I told her about Zordon and Gwenevere and Gabe and all that had happened. When I finished she took a deep breath.

  “I’ve heard of Gwenevere before. They say her disappearance was plotted,” said Lexi.

  “Plotted? To get away from him?” I asked, hopeful.

  “Well yeah. My mother swears that she’s dead, but she said Lady Gwenevere hated Zordon. She was promised to him and had no choice but to marry him.” She leaned in and said in a whisper, “I’ve also heard she was pregnant.”

  I looked up, remembering her clutching her lower stomach before she went to jump.