Shadow Fire

by Wheaton, Kimber Leigh

  "Celeste is scary," Zane comments with a small shudder. "Brinda though, she seems like a shy, sweet girl. And your little sister, Molly, is adorable."

  "Brinda is wonderful, so is Molly," I agree. "However, both are easily influenced by Celeste, and Brinda tends to turn into a monster when the two of them are together for long. I love Celeste dearly, but her wild streak concerns me. She's dated just about every boy in Verdane. She's gorgeous and that tends to be all the boys see. They're unable to handle her wild side, and they run for the hills after a couple dates. Somewhere out there is a man who'll love Celeste for everything she is, not just her beauty."

  Zane drapes his arm over my shoulder as my mind drifts, lost in memories.

  "Goddess help Celeste when she finds him," Zane says with a snicker. "The man able to tame her will be special indeed." His comment makes me laugh when I consider just how special he'd have to be to tame my fiery sister.

  ****

  Our trek continues for several hours with no monster encounters of any kind. Perhaps Shadow's exuberant frolicking is scaring them away. We've reached the rolling foothills marking the entrance to the mountain range. There's a chill in the air making me shiver a bit even wrapped in my thick, velvet cloak.

  I'm captivated by the full moon. The giant orange orb casts a soft light onto the plains, making it easy to see the path beneath my feet. Zane says we will follow this merchant trail through the mountains to the Zodiac Inn at the top. The grass becomes sparser giving way to the rocky landscape of the mountains. When we reach a point where the path begins a sharp incline, I pause. Releasing Zane's hand, I turn around to gaze at the prairie below. The sight of the plains bathed in the light of the moon is ethereal. So many beautiful sights I've missed living a sheltered life in my village. Zane's arms encircle my waist. With a deep sigh, I lean back into his chest and gaze at the wonder before me.

  "It's beautiful, Zane," I say, purring in contentment. "In spite of everything, I'm so happy right now." His arms tighten around me, and I melt into his embrace.

  "Do you ever just lie on the ground and gaze at the stars?" Zane asks in a whisper. My eyes move from the prairie to admire the glittering sky.

  "When I was a little girl, my father and I would frequently stargaze together. He taught me all of the constellations," I reply, lost in the memory. "We used to camp out on the plains surrounding Verdane during the summer. It was always my father, brothers, and me. My sisters thought I was crazy wanting to sleep outside."

  "I used to escape from my father by running to the meadow and gazing at the sky," he says in a voice tinted with melancholy. "Stargazing put my life into perspective. It helped me realize that what I was experiencing was small and fleeting when compared to the vastness of the sky."

  "You never got to be a child," I say, a dull ache filling my heart for a poor lost little boy.

  "No. My life was filled with unrealistic expectations and cruel punishments. Failure was never an option in my father's mind."

  He lowers himself to the ground, pulling me onto his lap. Turning in his embrace, I wrap my arms around his neck and bury my fingers in his unruly hair.

  "I was learning magic from a young age. Though adept, I was never quite good enough to satisfy him."

  I can't stop the unbidden image of a small boy trying desperately to win his father's approval, only to never attain it.

  "Was magic use outlawed back then?" I ask, wondering why he would be taught magic if it was illegal.

  "Yes. It's not that magic itself is illegal. Using magic without the express approval of Delistaire is illegal." He releases a great sigh. "It's my father's way of keeping all mages under his iron fist. He can ensure no mage will ever rival him in power. It's remarkably easy for him to keep track of us all. Mages have an aura distinctly different from ordinary people."

  "Aura? What's that?" I ask.

  "An aura is the energy surrounding every living thing. It gives off colors depending on natural affinity to the elements. Most mages can be trained to sense the auras around them. The magic within a mage causes their aura to pulsate." He stops and stares at me, his eyes pensive, like he's lost in thought. "Your aura is red, green and white. You have an affinity with fire, wind and light."

  "What color is your aura?"

  "Red, blue and purple mainly. My main affinities are fire, water and darkness; though I'm able to cast wind and earth spells as well. It drains too much of my energy so I seldom use them. Father was insistent we descended from ancient wizards who controlled all elements including light. He tried in vain for years to cast light magic. A complete waste of time; that man is so dark there isn't a gram of light anywhere in his entire essence." He pauses as if trying to figure out how to phrase something. "As soon as you touched the crystal pendant yesterday, your aura started to pulsate. I think it awakened a latent magical ability."

  "The pendant called out to me. I was compelled to put it on as soon as I saw it. The power frightens me." I'm a bit afraid to ask my next question, but I need to know the answer. "What would have happened had I put it on?"

  My question is met with an uncomfortable silence. When Zane breaks the long silence, his strong voice in the quiet night startles me.

  "The pendant belonged to my mother. I think my father used it to subjugate her to his will." He pauses at my loud gasp of surprise. "I saw her try to remove it many times. She would always collapse in gut-wrenching sobs when she failed. It would explain why she put up with so much from him."

  There is such intense anger and pain in his shaking voice. I begin caressing his face, trying to soothe away the emotional turmoil.

  "Do you think he's trying to subjugate me?" I ask.

  "Yes. We have to assume his intentions are nefarious at the very least. I don't know what his role in this is, but I think we'll find out soon enough." His words send icy waves of trepidation through my body.

  "Am I a mage? You said my aura pulsated when I held the crystal. Does it still pulsate?" I ask, shaking in my excitement. Using magic would be helpful on this journey, and it appears we'll need all the help we can get.

  "It still pulsates," he confirms with a tight smile. "Since we share an affinity with fire I can try to teach you to summon fire."

  He stands up with me still cradled in his arms like I weigh next to nothing, taking several steps before releasing the arm under my knees, allowing my feet to meet the earth. Taking my hand, he leads me toward the mountain trail.

  "Your affinity to light is puzzling but fortuitous. Delistaire is highly aligned with darkness. Light spells are his major weakness. Other than my mother, I've never seen a light mage in all of my travels."

  "Is that why he sent the pendant? To control my abilities with light magic?" My stomach is roiling from the terrible truth. "That means he knows what color my aura is. He was spying on me?"

  My whole body shivers when I think about such a despicable man stalking me. Zane stops again and pulls me into his arms. My head rests against his shoulder while I try to banish the images of the sorcerer lurking in the shadows throughout my childhood.

  "I think it goes way beyond that. My theory is he chose you for this quest, not the elders. I think he manipulated the whole process from the beginning."

  My limbs stiffen as his words sink in.

  "But why?"

  "I don't know yet. But I think we'll find out soon enough. My guess is it has something to do with your rare affinity to light."

  He squeezes me against his body for a moment before stepping back. Placing his arm around my shoulders, he leads me up the path. The sky is becoming lighter behind the mountain; it will be dawn soon. My feet obey my subconscious commands to follow Zane up the mountain trail, but my head is miles away lost in unpleasant thoughts.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Yazard Mountains

  The climb up the mountain is much more exhausting than I'd anticipated. My chest is burning from exertion and it's not yet midday. The merchant trail meanders in a snake-like pattern up
the mountainside. Instead of following the trail, Zane opts to climb the rocky ridges the trail avoids. While it does cut the travel distance quite a bit, following the trail would be much easier. When we arrive at a steep incline, he decides to take a break. Sitting with my back against the mountain wall, I close my eyes and try to steady my breathing, to stop the painful burning in my lungs. Zane doesn't seem to be winded at all, raising my ire, which in turn makes my lungs burn even more. He sits down next to me and hands me a flask of water. I drink conservatively not knowing how easy it'll be to find water later. When I hand it back to him, he only takes a few sips before putting it away.

  "I'm already exhausted," I mutter, leaning into his shoulder. He places his arm around me, and I collapse sideways onto his lap.

  "We'll rest here for a while," he says, stroking my back. "I set a grueling pace and you're doing quite well."

  I realize he means it as a compliment and not a veiled insult, so I hold my tongue. Exhaustion has affected my mood in a negative way.

  "The view from up here is amazing."

  "All I can see is the inside of my eyelids," I mumble into his leg.

  His deep chuckle brings a smile to my face in spite of the fatigue. However, I'm unable to fight my drowsiness any longer, and I start to drift off to sleep.

  ****

  The strangest sensation awakens me. My body is cradled in Zane's arms, and I realize he's carrying me. Forcing my eyes open, I glance around to get my bearings. My arms are loosely wrapped around his neck, with my head nestled against his shoulder. When he notices I'm awake, he stops walking and grins at me.

  "Finally awake I see," he says with a hint of laughter in his voice.

  "How long have you been carrying me?" I ask, more irritation creeping into my voice with each word. "For that matter, why are you carrying me?"

  When I start to struggle, he lowers my legs to the ground. I remove my arms from around his neck, cross them over my chest, and glower at him.

  "I haven't been carrying you long, maybe an hour or two."

  His sparkling eyes meet my glaring ones. Two hours? I can barely drag myself up the mountain, and he's been carrying me up the merchant trail for two hours? I don't know whether to be awed by his strength or his audacity. I settle on both.

  "As to why, you fell asleep and I simply didn't wish to wake you."

  "Well, thanks, I guess." What he did was sweet but for some strange reason I feel harassed. "Where's my pack?"

  "Shadow's carrying it."

  Following his eyes, I notice Shadow with my brown pack in his mouth. He trots over and drops the bag at my feet. When I pick it up I notice it's lighter than before. "Zane, why's the pack so light?"

  "Oh, I took the liberty of shifting the heavier items into my pack," he says, his smile fading as I continue to glare. "I thought it'd make the climb easier on you."

  How thoughtful. I feel my ire rising higher at this kind act.

  "I can shoulder my own burden." I try to growl at him in my fury, but it comes out more like an exasperated sob.

  "I never said you couldn't," he replies through a clenched jaw. "Stop assuming I have some ulterior motive and just accept the help offered. Only a fool refuses assistance that's sorely needed." His eyes are still glittering but with anger now.

  "Please forgive me," I whisper, throwing my arms around his neck. "You've been nothing but helpful and kind. I really appreciate everything you've done."

  "I don't think you're useless, helpless, worthless, or whatever it is you assume," he says, pulling me closer against his chest. "I simply care about you and want to do everything in my power to ease your burden."

  "I'm an idiot," I mumble into his shoulder.

  "Perhaps. At times we all are." He releases me and I step away. "Are you ready to continue the hike up the mountain?" He makes it sound like we're on a pleasant excursion.

  My eyes take in the long stretch of trail ahead. I can't help but sigh in resignation.

  "We'll stick to the trail this time."

  Relieved to avoid rock climbing for a while, I grin up at him. He takes my hand, and we continue up the path.

  ****

  The sun is low in the western sky when Zane decides we've traveled far enough for the day. We make camp in a rocky alcove, shielding us from the elements. The view from this height is amazing, and I stand near the edge of the trail watching the light fade from the plains below. In all my life I've never seen such a spectacular sunset. As the sun dips lower in the sky, I can see the shimmer of light play off the water of the ocean in the far distance. Zane stands beside me in silence, allowing me the quiet solace offered by the beauty of nature.

  Once the sun has set, the night air is cold in the mountains. Even with my cloak on, I can't stop shivering. Zane lights a small fire, and I hold my hands out over it. We have little tinder so the fire won't last long. He cuddles up next to me draping his cloak over both of us. I watch in silence as he pulls out a large cloth from his bag and spreads an impressive array of food on it.

  "Bet you've never had this," he says, holding a strip of jerky out to me.

  Blinking at him in confusion, I take the strip of meat and try a bite. While it is jerky, the flavor is worlds apart from the jerky I'm used to eating. It's lighter, tastier, and isn't as salty as the jerky I usually eat.

  "It's fantastic. What's it made from?" I ask, reaching for another strip.

  "Cockatrice," he replies, laughing.

  "You mean the dragon monster with the silly rooster head that can kill with a glare?" I ask, doubt filling my voice.

  "Yes. Cockatrices are common in the southern plains," he replies, tossing some different jerky to Shadow. "Shadow developed a taste for harriers," he says, explaining why Shadow has different meat. "I doubt you'd like the flavor of the harrier jerky." He hands me a strip and I take a nibble before throwing the rest to Shadow. The wolf gulps it down without even bothering to play with it, as is the norm.

  "That was nasty," I say, between gulps of water. "It tasted more like something you'd dig out of the trash than something you'd actually pay for." Zane snickers at my comment as he throws more meat to the wolf. "What is a harrier anyway?"

  "Remember your ugly bunny monster from the other night, the one with the fangs?" he asks winking. I nod fearing the worst. "That was a harrier."

  "People actually eat those things?" I ask, a bit incredulous. "Why?"

  "They're plentiful and quite easy to catch," he replies, popping more of the cockatrice jerky in his mouth. "They say it's an acquired taste, but it's not one I'd wish to acquire."

  "Amen to that," I say, eyeing the blue and white cheese he laid out. "I've never seen cheese like this before."

  "I'm sure you'll like it," Zane replies as I nibble at the cheese. It tastes just like cheddar, and I pick up another piece. "Did you know cockatrices don't really kill with a glare? Something in their gaze freezes their prey making it easier for them to devour it."

  "Sounds even worse if you ask me," I say, poking through the assortment of berries. "Nothing like being eaten alive to brighten your day."

  "You have a very sarcastic side," Zane comments with a smirk. "I find it rather endearing."

  "And I'd comment on how cute that is, if I could shake the feeling of being nauseated," I reply, smirking back. He laughs and starts packing up the leftovers. I grab another handful of berries before he can steal them away. "Want some?" I ask when he finishes repacking the food. He lies down with his head on my lap, a big grin on his face.

  "Sure," he says, opening his mouth. With a small giggle, I place a raspberry on his tongue, watching as he closes his eyes and enjoys the berry. "Can I have another?" he asks, opening his dark eyes.

  "I'm holding them ransom for a kiss," I say, grinning. He smirks and raises an eyebrow before twisting out of my lap and tackling me to the ground.

  "Who's laughing now?" he asks in a husky whisper, leaning into my body.

  "I am," I say, trembling beneath him as delicious warmth
flows through my body. "Shadow ate the berries when you knocked me over."

  He glances at the wolf sitting next to us on his haunches. When his gaze moves back to mine his fiery eyes are smoldering.

  "I don't care about the berries," he says against my lips. My arms wrap around his neck, my fingers entwining in his auburn hair. "You taste divine," he murmurs, licking some stray raspberry juice from my lips. "And you look exhausted," he comments before lifting himself from the ground. He pulls me to my feet and spreads his cloak on the cold ground. "I wish I had something softer to offer you to sleep on," he says as I lie down on my side and cradle my head on my arm.

  "This is fine," I mumble through a rather large yawn. He chuckles and lies down, curling up behind me. "Do you want my cloak to cover us with?" I ask between yawns.

  "No. Keep it, I'm not cold," he replies, draping his arm over my body. "Go to sleep. There shouldn't be anything to bother us in these mountains. At least nothing Shadow can't handle."

  My eyes focus on the dying embers of the small fire. Tiny pops crackle through the silence, the last of the tinder turning to ash. Pretty soon the image becomes blurry as my eyes lose focus. Closing my eyes, I allow my exhausted body to drift to sleep.

  ****

  Zane wakes me before dawn, and we set out along the trail again in the dim light of the moon. My body is sore from sleeping on the hard ground; pain shoots through my injured ribs with every movement. When an herb appears in my line of vision, I take it from Zane grudgingly. It'll make me feel better though the taste might kill me. After I finish swallowing the awful herb, he hands me some raspberries to help rid my mouth of the bitter taste. I pop them in my mouth one after the other and sigh in relief as they drown out the aftertaste from the herb.