Avalea shut her eyes tight before turning over. “I did not need to see that.”
* * * *
It took three more days of travel before the sprawling farmlands of Avalea’s village came into view. These lands sat in stark contrast to the arid wastes they’d trekked through. Every area was teeming with life. Flourishing crops and healthy livestock surrounded a town made up of buildings that were a mixture of earth and greenery. The materials were simple, but the designs were intricate. Each building had its own unique pattern of plants and flowers growing up the walls, creating individual mosaics.
As they got closer, Rhuul observed the Omala as they worked in the fields. They looked similar to Avalea, with varying shades of brown skin, long hair, and tall stature, but that’s where the likenesses ended. Many of the Omala had green tresses, the rest had brown, but none of them had the flame of her eyes and hair. She’s just like me. Similar, to her people, but not quite the same.
“Avalea?” One of the Omala stood up, squinting at them as they made their way down the road toward town. “It’s Avalea! Quick, alert the elders.”
Rhuul watched three Omala rush into town, running as if their lives depended on it.
“Kerran, it’s so good to see you. I missed you!” She lowered Ghena to the ground, rushed over to the farmer, and threw her arms around him. In turn, he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close, tilting his head to avoid the flames on her head.
Rhuul felt heat prickling inside the skin of his wings. He spread them wide and gave them a few flaps to shake the feeling. He wanted to rush over and punch the Omala’s face in for holding her with such familiarity, his fists already clenched. This is why I need to leave.
“When the elders returned and told the story, we didn’t know what to think. We sent scouts along the route, but they found no sign of you or the others.” Kerran sounded worried. The look on his face could only be described as utterly sad. Deep wrinkles bracketed his mouth and furrowed his brow as he held her tight, and his voice cracked when he spoke.
Some of the anger Rhuul felt diminished at the sight of the Omala’s sorrow. There was a sense of loss hanging around him, as if a fog of melancholy pulled any joy from the air.
Avalea pulled back, her expression matching Kerran’s. “The others haven’t come back? But … but we never saw them. We have to go back. I need to f—”
“Hell no! I don’t need you coming to me in my dreams again.” Rhuul narrowed his eyes at her and blew out a breath.
“In his dreams?” Kerran raised both green eyebrows and stared at Avalea with a look of surprise.
A small smile spread his lips and she shook her head before she spoke. “Sorry, Kerran. Let me introduce Talloc; he’s a Bruna, and the loud, angry, winged guy is Rhuul. They helped me escape. Rhuul took care of Ghena too.”
“Speaking of which, I’m out of haraka berries.” Ghena turned to Rhuul, held up his empty sack, and smiled.
“Nice to meet you, Kerran. Have you ever met you?” Talloc took Kerran’s form and chuckled when the Omala was rendered momentarily speechless.
“I am Rhuul, and I will be lea—” A strange light caught his eye, and he turned in time to see a man of flames charge forward. In his wake were a female Omala and several children with Avalea’s flaming hair and eyes.
“Father! Mother!” She ran to close the distance between them and held her family close.
An emptiness all but consumed him. Bursts of pain swarmed through his heart as he watched the scene, but he couldn’t look away. It wasn’t the first time Rhuul found the scene of a loving family painful, but it had never been as difficult as this. It was one thing to imagine Lea’s parents together; seeing them, their love, their concern for her well-being, along with the other children hammered home an important point. I will never have this. He took a step away from them and shook his head, biting back the emotions roiling within him. I don’t need this. I need a realm; nothing else matters. He turned around and stared at the road they’d traveled to arrive at the village.
Ghena ambled over and tugged on his wing. “Don’t be too hasty, Rhuul.” He scratched his furry belly and looked over his shoulder at the family reunion. “You rescued Ava. At least stay for a meal.” He paused, pulling his small face into a frown. “If you’re going to leave, at least say good-bye to her.” As quickly as he arrived, he bounded away.
His stomach rumbled, the sound causing visions of roasted meat to enter his head. Food was as good a distraction as any in that moment. I suppose I could have a proper meal, but that’s it. When he turned around, Lea and her parents were walking toward him.
“Rhuul, this is my father, Embral, and my mother, Renna.”
“Thank you so much for saving her!” Renna didn’t delay and wrapped her arms around his waist, squeezing tight.
“I … You’re welcome.” He rested a hand on her shoulder and held her gently as he took a step back. Renna had tears in her eyes, her bottom lip trembling like a sheet in a windstorm. He’d never seen anyone show such genuine emotion. In Karn, every conversation was calculated to produce a desired result. It was rare for him to see such honesty in expression, and he wasn’t quite sure how to react. For the first time in his life, a scathing remark seemed out of place. He turned his gaze to Lea. Her smile was wide and bright, as though she’d never been happier.
The fire elemental intertwined fiery fingers in Lea’s hand, the yellow and orange flames of his body flickering much like her hair.
“My father also extends his gratitude to both you and Talloc. He wants you to know you are welcome in our home.” After she spoke the words, she blushed and cast her eyes to the ground for an instant. Whatever her father shared in that moment, she kept to herself, making him all the more curious about the words that produced that adorable effect in her.
More Omala gathered, and to his shock, none of them looked at Embral with disdain. There were no angry glances, no sneers, no whispers, no judgment. Even Rhuul was looked upon with friendly smiles. Can’t they see what I am? Don’t they know he and I don’t belong here among them?
“Please, Rhuul, be our guest for dinner. We have plenty of room for you to relax and unwind while we prepare the food.” Renna wiped her tears and took the hands of the two small children on either side of her.
“Very well.” When he agreed, Lea smiled at her father and pointed her hooked thumb toward town.
“Are you going to lead the way again?”
“Don’t make me change my mind.” He wanted to remain solemn, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t keep a small chuckle from breaking free of his chest.
* * * *
Home at last, Avalea showed Talloc and Rhuul around her family’s large house. Talloc was soon lost in taking the form of everything in sight, including the toys of her siblings. With the Bruna entertained, she turned to Rhuul. “I’m dying to take a hot bath. Would you like one?” He stiffened, his jaw tight. “What’s the matter?”
“I don’t take baths.” His voice was lower, as if he didn’t want anyone else to hear.
“You what? Why not?”
He spread his wings and lifted them. “Hard to fit these into a tub.”
“They aren’t a problem.” She beckoned him to followand led him down the long hall toward the bathrooms.
“Your father, is he allowed to see his people? Do the other elementals know he is with your mother?”
“What do you mean, allowed? Of course they know. We visit them often. I’m able to communicate with my grandparents easily enough, but it’s not the same with my other relatives. It takes more concentration for me to hear them. Why?” She stopped in front of one of the bathrooms and searched his face. He looked wistful, and his eyes seemed to stare off into the distance. “Rhuul?”
“I was just curious.”
“Curious. Right.” Something was bothering him. It was clear from the way he rolled his shoulders and pressed his lips together in a tight line. She led him inside the room and st
opped next to the tub. The long green basin was formed by two large, overlapping leaves. She looked him up and down before she squatted and placed her hands on the ground. “There are towels on that table over there and I can bring you some clothes too.”
As she talked, she made the leaves grow bigger, higher, and more numerous, until they took over most of the large room. “There. That should be deep enough for you. I added a raised spot where you can lie back without resting on your wings.”
He stared at the tub as if it wasn’t real, making her wonder if his wings weren’t the real reason he avoided baths.
“If you pull this rope, water will flow inside. It’s fed by an underground spring, so feel free to fill it up. Call me when it’s full and I can heat the water for you.” She wanted him to be comfortable, but as he stood in silence for so long, she was uncertain. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. “So, uh, just yell if you need anything. I’ll be across the hall.”
She turned to leave and was surprised when she felt the warmth of his hand as his fingers circled her wrist.
He pulled her close, holding her gaze with eyes that shone with something she couldn’t place. “Thank you. Where I come from, kindness is rare.”
Okay, that’s not what I was expecting. As she watched his face, there appeared to be a mixture of emotions happening all at once. He seemed to move between frustration, sadness, and happiness. His mouth flexed into something that was part smile, part grimace. “Where do you come from?”
His features hardened in a flash, and he took a step back. “Karn.”
“Isn’t that where the Eidon live? How did you end up there?” Rhuul certainly didn’t look like any Eidon she’d ever seen. He had wings for one thing, his skin wasn’t purple and scaly, and he didn’t have horns. The only feature that remotely resembled the Eidon was his bald head.
“Yes, that’s right. I lived there because that was my father’s realm.” He spoke the word “father” through his teeth, as if it coated his tongue in filth.
“Your father is Eidon? But you—”
“I know. I’ve been reminded my entire life I’m not truly Eidon.” He released her wrist, moved to the tub, and pulled the rope. He peered over the edge of the leaves, watching the water rush in.
“I wasn’t trying to offend you. It’s just that I’ve never seen an Eidon like you.”
“That’s because my mother was Celestan.”
“Celestan…” Suddenly his appearance began to make sense, but his existence was quite the enigma. “I never knew such a union was allowed.”
“It isn’t.” His nostrils flared as he unbuckled his belt and dropped it on the floor. He undid the ties at his neck, sighing before pulling off his vest.
From her vantage point, she could see the planes and lines of his muscular chest and abs. His back was just as developed, with brawny shoulders supporting his large wings. His leather pants sat low, giving her a view of the top of his firm backside. Her hands ached to touch him, to run her fingers up his spine, over his shoulders, down his chest, and to his waist, where she’d gladly yank his trousers down. Gods, take it easy! He’s a murderer, remember? “Your parents must be truly in love.”
“I wouldn’t know.” He hadn’t turned away from the tub. His fingers moved seductively, pulling apart the ties at his hip.
She pictured those fingers pulling at her clothes with urgency, searching her, kneading her flesh. Waves of liquid desire pooled deep inside her, making her light-headed. When he started pushing his pants down, she turned her back to him and held her breath for a few moments. “Um, what do you mean?”
“I never met my mother. My grandfather had her killed not long after I was born.” His voice was empty, sobering her.
“Why would he do that? Your father must have—”
“My father stood there and let it happen. A mating between an Eidon and Celestan is not only forbidden, it’s unthinkable. I’m a taint to his bloodline.”
She was about to turn to face him, but her mother called to her from down the hall. “I’ll be right there!” She took a deep breath and walked toward the door, pausing at the threshold before she stepped into the hall. “You’re not a taint.”
She closed the door behind her. She attempted to imagine what life must have been like for him, living in a world of scorn. Is that why he kills without thought?
“There you are. Hurry up and take a bath. The elders have sent for you.” Her mother pulled her by her arm out of the back of the main house, and to her own home.
“I’m going!”
When they got to her front door, Renna paused and held her tight. “Are you all right? Did they … What did they do to you?”
“I’m okay, Mother. My parents raised me to be strong, so I was.” She didn’t want her mother to worry, and even though part of her wanted to recount the experience, in her heart, she wanted to push it down as deep as she could.
She felt the hopelessness creep in, and she pulled out of her mother’s embrace. She opened her front door and walked straight into the bathroom. Shedding her filthy clothes did wonders to lighten her mood, and she tossed them in a corner while her mother filled the tub.
“So, your father tells me Rhuul is your kan’na. What do you know about him?”
She heated the water with flames from her hands before she stepped inside. A long sigh escaped her lips as she sank down until the water touched her chin. The temperature was perfect, chasing away the remnants of her aches and pains. “He’s got a temper, a one-track mind, isn’t good with expressing his thoughts, and he’s a murderer.”
“A murderer? Is the magister after him?” Renna placed her hand over her heart and stared with wide eyes.
“Not that I know of. You should have seen how many bodies I passed on the way out of the Corri compound. A calciphex came for me on the way here. He tried to kill her!”
She heard her mother’s gasp before an unexpected sound filled the air. “Hmm.”
“What? What’s there to think about? He’s a killer.” She looked at Renna, watching as she shook her head.
“I understand your reaction, but he didn’t kill indiscriminately. He eliminated any threats to you.”
“But he … Oh.” As much as it pained her to think about the loss of life, her mother was right. “That doesn’t change the fact that he’s a jerk.”
“He makes you angry.” Renna’s smile was warm, even though her eyes were wary.
“Yes.” She cast her gaze to her fingers and lifted them from the water. “I threatened to set his wings on fire.” She spoke in a whisper before she covered her face with both hands.
“It’s all right, Avalea. You didn’t act on it.” Her mother’s voice was soothing as she rubbed her upper back in circles.
“I was going to do it. He’s so … He has no regard for life at all. Why is he my kan’na? Our life mates are supposed to balance us, not turn us into—”
“Into what?” He mother pulled her hand back. Her features hardened while she folded her arms in front of her chest.
“Mother…”
“You’re part elemental. There’s no escaping that. You spend so much energy trying to fight part of your nature. That’s why it’s so hard for you.”
“I know what I am, but you know what happens when I lose control. Everyone knows what happens.” She wanted to sink under the water and wish the memory away, but there was no escaping it.
“It was an accident, Avalea.”
“People are dead, Mother. They’re dead because I couldn’t stop myself.” A lone tear slipped down her cheek. She fought the urge to break down, not wanting her emotions to overwhelm her. “No Omala has ever killed another.”
“You can’t push down your anger forever. You’ll have to face it and learn to deal with it.” Renna stood up and walked toward the door.
“So you think that’s why my kan’na is here? To push me into madness?”
“I don’t know, but you’re going to have to come to terms with this part of
yourself and that accident. You can do this, I know it.” Renna closed the door on her way out of the room.
She knew her mother meant well, but there was more to solving her problem than a simple desire to make it better. “How many more will die while I figure it out?”
* * * *
When the large tub was full, Rhuul dipped his hand into the cool water and sighed. If he was going to take a bath, he wanted it to be warmer than this. “Lea?” There was no answer.
Instead, one of Avalea’s younger brothers walked into the room and extended his arms to him. “Up, please!” His voice bubbled with excitement. He flashed a smile, showcasing a missing front tooth.
Rhuul had seen children, but he’d never interacted with them. They were always pulled away from him as if they needed to be shielded from his very presence. But not here; this small variation of Lea seemed so happy, he scooped him up, holding him at arm’s length under his armpits.
The little boy smiled and pointed to the tub. Rhuul carried him to the edge and watched as he shot flames from his palms against the water’s surface. The act of directing the flames seemed to take no effort. He was calm and grinning, as if this was an everyday occurrence. Like the other Omala, the little boy showed no signs of fear or hatred in his presence. Rhuul couldn’t help listening for the sound of his mother, wondering when she’d realize where he was, and rush in to snatch him away.
After a few minutes, curls and wisps of steam rose into the room. When he was satisfied, the tiny, flame-haired wonder stopped his fire and clapped his hands. “It’s hot now!”
“Thanks for that.” When Rhuul put him down, he ran out of the room and back down the hall.
He kept his ears trained, listening for any sounds of a potential threat as he sank into the water. All was quiet as he sat down on the raised area Lea had made for him in the deep tub. He’d known her in his dreams for three days, and in person for four. Now she was nowhere to be found. He didn’t know why it felt strange to not see her nearby. He shifted in the tub, unable to feel settled. He pictured her green hair, smooth skin, and sharp tongue. He’d never admit to it out loud, but he missed the feisty woman.
Rhuul's Flame (Realms of Possibilities, book 1) Page 6