Children of Destiny

by Nicole R. Stevens

  Making her way up to the bridge, she walked past the prince, lean on the railing, her back facing him.

  “Why did you come back?” She asked breaking the silence between them.

  “I didn’t want you thinking you were the only one.” He said. She could feel him burrowing a hole in the back of her head. Turning to face him, she placed her hands behind her so they rested between her the railing.

  “I hope you would tell me another way then seeing you naked in the shower.” She said, teasing him.

  “I didn’t think it was a bad way. More direct, maybe not very tactful.” He said with a laugh.

  Pushing herself from the railing, she walked towards him, her hand lightly touching his shoulder, “Thank you.”

  “For letting you see me naked?” He asked, raising his eyebrows. “You’re welcome?”

  “No,” She punched his shoulder where she had been touching moments before. “For coming back. Without you, we may have been overrun by those soldiers.”

  “Maybe, but you wouldn’t have gone down without a fight.” They smiled at each other. “And you’re welcome. For, the help. And for seeing me naked.”

  “Are you two going to keep flirting or are we going to land?” Owen yelled at them.

  “We’re coming in on approach, keep your pants on.” Adriana said. She ran her fingers over the top of her head; there she found a mess of sweat and hair at the top of her head. “Shit,” she said. “I’ll be back, need to clean myself up.”

  “You know I wasn’t going to say anything.” Corbin said. He let go of the breath he had been holding onto since she made her way up to the bridge. Turning his head just in time to feel skin-on-skin contact to his temple. The dirigible tilted left as the steering wheel moved with no one to control it.

  “Braian,” Owen called as he placed Phoebe down on the floor propping her up against the nearby wall. Running over to them, grabbing the helm. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  He ignored his brother stepping over the prince and grabbed a mass of the velvety material from the man’s vest. “Don’t you ever look at her like that again! Do you understand me?” He said, his breathing heavy and his shoulders heaved. “She’s not yours.”

  “I don’t belong to anyone, especially you.” She said. Her voice trying to contain the rage she was feeling as it bubbled to the surface. He dropped the man at the sound of her voice. Making her way over to Corbin, she dropped to her knees. Brushing her fingertips over his reddening cheek.

  “He had no right to look at you like that.” Braian argued balling his fist until the knuckles glowed in a white tint.

  “Exactly how was he looking at me? Like you?” She said. “You lost your right to be angry about shit like this a long time ago. You almost caused the ship to go down. Again!”

  “It wasn’t my fault the first time.” He yelled, his blood boiling.

  “It was your fault.” She said, her eyes narrowed, “If you had a better grip on the wheel then you could have at least saved us some damage! Maybe even saved lives!” She took a step closer to him.

  “Look, I think you made your point.” Corbin said, “I’m not hurt. Might be a little bruised, but not hurt.”

  “If the three of you are done, I’ve landed this bird on my own.” Owen said. He lifted Phoebe into his arms. She moaned in pain and gripped Owen’s shirt. “It’s okay; we’re getting you help now. If these three children are done.” They ignored each other as they walked behind him.

  The stinging of his face caught Corbin off guard; he lifted tentative fingers and rubbed his temple.

  “Hurry up.” She hissed at him before turning back to burning a hole in the back of Braian’s head.

  * * *

  “Who’s there?” A voice resonated through the wooden gates, it reminded Owen of the street performers with their cellos, and it was music to Owen’s ears.

  “My name is Owen. We desperately need help. My friend has been injured, and she’s lost a lot of blood and-” before he could continue the large ornate doors opened just enough to let the travelers through.

  “Come in.” The voice said. He pulled Phoebe’s body closer, taking his first steps into the city with his companions behind him.

  Upon further inspection, the city they spotted from the sky seemed to glow, and once they were past the doors, the surrounding air seemed to radiate a warmth that eased the dull aches in their bones, the slight aches in their minds melted to the ground behind them. Their worries felt so far and yet close to their hearts.

  “Welcome,” the voice bearer said. She wore a white kimono robe trimmed with diamonds that caught the light from heaven and made it dance on the stone walkway beneath her. She extended her arm in greeting, the sleeve too long as it curled over her fingers. Her voice was clear as if she stood in front of him. “Please, come rest, we have been expecting you.”

  “Our friend is injured. She needs help.” He said, holding Phoebe in his arms. His tears threatening to fall down his scaly cheeks.

  “I will take her. Bring her to me.” Another voice filled the air. A man appeared behind the woman; his hair was long and kept in a neat ponytail at the nape of his neck. It was dark as coal and streaked with white. His robe was also white, but instead of diamonds, emeralds trimmed its length. They hit each other as he lifted his arms towards them, his sleeves rolled to hang above his wrists, showing his elegant fingers as he pointed to them. Together they made their way down the path, “No. I need only her.” Reaching out for her, he curled his fingers, clasping them into a fist. Her body ripped from Owen’s arms, landing in the mage’s awaiting hands.

  “Who are you? Where are you taking her?” He yelled, reaching out for her.

  “My name is Kellick and I must insist you four get some rest. Nona, please take our guests to some warm beds, and have a warm bath prepared for Lady Adriana.” He ordered.

  “Yes, my lord.” the woman said as she bowed. Nona turned to Owen and gave him a small smile. “Your friend, she is in good hands. Please, come with me.”

  “How did he know your name?” Braian whispered.

  “No idea.” She followed behind the woman. “It would be rude to, you know, delay any further.”

  “You think she just wants that bath?” Corbin whispered.

  “Yeah.” They agreed.

  * * *

  “Will you please stop pacing?” Braian yelled. Since they were ushered into their room, Owen’s only comfort was his desire to wear a trail into the woolen floor. “I’m worried about her too, but doing this,” he pointed to the floor, “isn’t helping.”

  “I need to know she is okay. This room is making me feel cagey.” He said. The walls surrounding them had been painted white, and each wall had a bed pushed against it. Each bed was dressed with a light blue sheet and overstuffed feather pillows. Each bed had a plush down comforter folded at the foot. A dining table made of a light birch had been in the middle of the room. Until Owen decided it was in the way of his pacing and might become damaged if it stayed in his way. “I’m just too wound-up. I need to see her. What if she’s gotten worse?”

  “I’m sure they would tell us if something was wrong.” Corbin said from the bed he had claimed as his own. It offered a view of the village; small houses peppered the area. Little children peeked around corners to catch a glimpse of the prince as he watched them play. “In the meantime, we need to catch our breath and refocus. The big picture is there is someone out in the world that is trying to kill Adriana and no one seems to know why. Phoebe was hurt because of it.”

  “I hate to say this,” Braian said, taking in a deep breath before he continued, “but I agree with him. Don’t look at me like that.” He scowled at the prince.

  “No, I’m going to go find her.” Owen said. His voice taut from straining to keep his emotions in check. Before they could tell him to wait, he marched from the room.

  From the bathing room, Adriana’s heart twinged at the emotio
n from his voice. She knew he loved Phoebe, more than an older brother did. It was apparent he never considered himself a brother to her. His actions speaking louder than his words. Whether he was asking for the Elfan’s opinion on one of their missions, to making sure she had enough to eat, going as far as giving her an additional ration during meals. He understood that using magic caused the body to become tired and worn. When she pushed herself too far, he would carry her to her bed, and he would stay with her until she was sleeping comfortable.

  “Someone should go with him. It would look bad on us if he killed someone.” The prince said.

  “I’ll go. Someone needs to remind him to breathe.” Braian replied.

  She skimmed her fingers over the water’s surface. The water had been hot when she had gotten in; the steam caused little beads of sweat to form around her nose. Now that the minutes had passed, the water was nothing more than lukewarm and she felt a small chill touch her toes. Excess water cascaded down her pale body as she pulled herself from the bathtub.

  “Are you done in there? Nona delivered clothes for you.” She jerked her head towards the door, her breath caught in her throat. “Adriana?” He asked again. “You didn’t fall asleep in there did you?”

  “Yes, I mean no I didn’t fall asleep.” Her voice came out more rushed than she had meant. “I’ll be out in a moment.” Gripping her towel tightly around herself, she placed her hand around the doorknob. No one had made her lose her breath like that. She told herself to get a grip and to get the clothes left for her. There was no point in dawdling. Shaking off the feeling, she opened the door.

  Corbin had his back to her, looking out the window. The light from the waning sun hit his face just right, and she realized that, he was beautiful. It was unfair that he had been separated from his mother as a child. How life would had been different if he never left? Would they have danced together during the festivals? Could they have been friends? Would Aaron have taken them both away as children? On the other hand, would his father still have come to take him away? These questions complied her forward until she could reach her hand out and timidly graze the back of his upper arm. Her fingers lingering over the soft fabric.

  “You look troubled. Do you want to talk about it?” She asked.

  “Your comrade could be dead and yet you worry for me.” He didn’t turn around. “I don’t know if I should be flattered or angry that you show more concern for me than her.”

  “She will have her hands full with dealing with Owen, and she’s perfectly capable of taking care of herself.” She said.

  “And I’m not.” He muttered.

  “I didn’t say that,” She said. “Look, I haven’t been the most kind towards you and I would like to change that. So please tell me what is bothering you.”

  “I don’t know,” he raised his voice as he turned to face her. “Maybe it is because you stole something from my kingdom, and not to mention you tried to kill me. I can’t tell if you actually like me or if you hate me. My guess is that you have this wall up with everyone and maybe, just maybe I’m getting it to crack a little, but again, I’m not sure.” He advanced on her, matching her step-for-step. “Braian hates the fact he agreed with me. He would rather kill me in my sleep then agree with me, but too bad for him there haven’t been many changes to get sleep lately. I should give him credit though for the punch he gave me earlier just for looking and smiling at you. Watch it-” he reached out as her heel hit something hard behind her.

  The pang of the wooden stool colliding against her anklebone caused her to gasp, twisting her body to brace herself for the fall, her backside taking the impact of the floor.

  “Adriana,” He said, a deep crimson crawled over his features. The cotton towel still clutched in his hand. “Sorry, I didn’t mean-”

  “This isn’t your fault. I should have been watching where I was going.” She said, taking the towel from him. “There are better ways to get me out of a towel though.”

  He wanted to deny her the satisfaction of a smile, but it cracked through. “Hilarious.” A small smile played on his face. “I’m sorry I snapped at you. Are you hurt?” He bent down on his knees, capturing her arms in his hands. “Here, let me help you up.”

  He watched her for a moment as they stood up together. His thumbs gently drawing circles over her forearms. “You should get dressed.” His fingers seemed to dance from her arms, traveling to her neck, to rest on her cheek.

  “I should.” She whispered, staring from his eyes down to his lips.

  “Just in case someone comes in. They might think we are up to something.” He matched her whisper. Running a calloused thumb over her pink bottom lip.

  “Are we?” the question hung there, waiting to be answered, and Corbin wanted to answer it.

  It felt like searing heat in her heart when his lips touched hers. Warmth spreading from the pit of her stomach outward to cocoon around them. It was the kind of heat that makes your stomach hurt. He pressed her naked body flush against him, his hands easing her closer.

  He reluctantly released her lips, taking in a ragged breath, as if he had forgotten how to. “You should get dressed.” He said, remembering himself

  “Not until you tell me what is wrong.” Adriana said, urging him.

  The prince smiled at her, taking ahold of the towel in her hand and wrapped it around her, “At least cover yourself.” He smiled at her. “The last thing we need is for you to be uncovered and have Braian come back. I don’t he will be as forgiving on my face this time.”

  “Consider ourselves even,” She teased. “Now talk.”

  “I was just thinking about my father. He is a very proud man; he would never admit to being sick.” he explained, threading his fingers in between hers, leading her over to a nearby bed. They settled next to each other, her head resting on his shoulder. “A few years ago, he complained of an illness, turns out he had been feeling ill for quite some time. At first, he complained that it was due to the way the palace cooks were preparing his meals, but after changing to a bland diet, he could not deny that it was more than just mild stomach pains. When he became bedridden, he was still acting as king, but I had to tend to everything he couldn’t. Council meetings, military exercises, festivals. Recently he took a turn for the worse. The council has started to prepare me for becoming the crowned king. But I don’t want it. I don’t know the first thing about being a king, despite watching my father all these years. Leadership came so easy for him, and people would watch and listen to everything he would say. And when he asked for something to be done, it was done. No one questioned him.” Corbin stopped and looked over at Adriana. She watched him, waiting for him to continue. “I’ve done everything in my power to slow the cancer, but I can’t stop myself from thinking, he might be dead. What if I’m not there to help him peacefully cross over, or to help his soul into the next world? There is so much guilt that I feel. I should be by his side, but this is important. Whatever this is, it’s important I am here, with you.”

  Corbin leaned his head on top of Adriana. Taking his free hand, he held the emerald necklace between his fingers, “Maybe she’s not as crazy as we thought.” He said with a smile.

  “What are you two doing?” He let go of the necklace and her hand. Braian stood in the doorway, horrified at what he was seeing.

  “How long have you been there?” Adriana asked.

  “Long enough.” He said, clenching his jaw. “I will ask again, what are you two doing?”

  “We were talking.” He said.

  “Talking? I’m sure you were just helping hold her towel up.” Braian muttered.

  “That too.” She challenged. “You missed that part.” Her fingers clutched the clothes from the other side of the bed. “I guess I should get myself cleaned up again.” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes as she looked back at the two men, closing the bathing room door behind her.

  “For the record, she was joking.” He said, “We were just talking.” Empha
sis on the just. He prayed that the blush he felt creeping up his neck would soon cease.

  Braian shouldered past him taking a seat on the table, “Next time you want to talk, do it with more clothes on.”

  “Is it safe to come out now?” Adriana said, opening the door. Afraid of what would be waiting for her on the other side. “I didn’t hear anyone die so I assume you two are being civil.”

  Bathed in a white cotton dress she walked into the room. The dress gathered around her breasts. Gold thread stitched a crisscross pattern around her waist, stopping at her hip where layers of cotton and silk cascaded around her legs.

  “Wow,” Corbin said, his breath caught in his throat. “You look beautiful.”

  “Anyway, all of Owen’s whining paid off.” Braian spoke, ignoring the two of them. “They let him in to see Phoebe. Kellick says in time her body will heal, but for now, she needs to rest and heal. No traveling for a while.”

  “I guess that gives us some time to regroup and plan for an attack.” She said.

  “How about we first go see Phoebe and then see if we can get some answers, like how the old mage knows your name.” Corbin said, shrugging his shoulders in jest. “Just a thought.”

  “Then let’s not keep Phoebe waiting any more than she has been.” She said.

  As she exited the room leaving the two men to follow behind.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Prophecy

  Water crashed and caved in on itself as it came tumbling into the glass.

  “How are you feeling?” Adriana asked, setting the glass on the wooden bedside table. Phoebe sat propped up by two overstuffed pillows in the middle of a large bed. Warm peach colored bedding cocooned and tucked around her.

  “Just a little achy around the middle.” She said. “One nurse told me it was a little touch and go for a bit. But I survived,” She smiled over her discomfort. “I’m just too stubborn to die.”