Falling For Fire

by Talia Jager

  “Eat, Sorin, you’ll need your energy.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I’ll miss you.”

  “I’d say I’ll miss you too, but they’re wiping my memories.”

  She laughed. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault, but Marin, would you look out for my sister? She’s not going to understand.” And I wasn’t so sure my mother would.

  “I will. You have my word.”

  “Thank you.”

  My father visited later that evening. “How are you doing?” he asked.

  I shrugged. “Father, what can I expect in the human realm?”

  “We’re not supposed to discuss details.”

  “Isn’t there something you can tell me?”

  “You’ll just wake up there. You’ll have a place to live and identification to prove who you are. There will be a job waiting for you. The rest will be up to you. Live your life. Make friends. Be happy.”

  “I am happy right here.”

  “I’m sorry, son. I wish there was more I could do.”

  My hands gripped the bars tighter. “Fight them, Father.”

  “I won’t win, Sorin. Too many stubborn leaders. It’ll just make things worse.”

  “She saved Skye! She saved our land!”

  “Yes, she did. But she still broke the law. So did you.”

  “You’re the one who sent me to the Treefolk.”

  My father was quiet. “So you know. There are reasons why the other royals will not reconsider the old laws. They can’t have that brought to light. Maybe if you had more time…”

  “Make them give us more time.”

  “I can’t, Sorin. I may be king, but your mother is the queen by birth. She has the final say. You know that.”

  “Talk to her!” I pleaded.

  “I’ve already tried.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know what else to do, Sorin. The bottom line is that you two broke the law.”

  I threw up my hands and sat down on the bed. My father wasn’t going to fight for me. Although he was a good guy, he was scared of my mother. “It’s okay, Father. I understand.”

  I spent the night angry: mad at myself for not pushing more, mad at my parents for not fighting for me, mad at the laws. If I could get out of here, grab Aurora, and disappear, I would. I had no desire to be part of a kingdom that didn’t believe in love.

  Sometime the next morning, Daisy came in. Guilt washed over me. I stood and walked to the bars. “I owe you an apology,” I said.

  “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about you, planning our wedding, dreaming of our future, and you never had any intention of marrying me.”

  “I am sorry, Daisy.”

  “I don’t believe you, Sorin!” she yelled.

  The door opened, and the guard walked in. “How did you get in? You are not supposed to be here. Leave now.”

  “Gladly.” She glared at me one last time before storming off.

  I tried everything to get the cuffs off, but nothing worked. If I could get them off, I might be able to get out of here and rescue Aurora too, but it was no use.

  Marin brought me dinner. “You look mad, Sorin.”

  “I am.”

  “I know this punishment is hard but try to let go of the anger and think about the good things. Spend your last hours remembering happy times.”

  “But they could change this!”

  “I know, and I don’t agree with what they’re doing, but neither of us can do anything about it. You love the Winter princess, right?”

  “Very much.”

  “Then hold on to that. If that love is true, it’ll still be there even when your memories aren’t.”

  “You’re very wise, Marin. I will miss you and your guidance.”

  Marin smiled sadly. “I will miss you too.”

  Letting go of anger wasn’t one of my strong suits. I sat down and meditated as Aurora had me do when training.

  Once I let go of the anger, I focused on Aurora and how much I loved her. I had to hold on to hope, hope we would find a way to be together.

  “Psst.”

  My head shot up at the noise. I looked around.

  “Over here.” The whisper came from the opposite wall with the window.

  I crossed the room and peered out the small window to find Keir’s head. “Hey.”

  “They won’t let me in, but I had the guard turn his head for a couple of minutes to talk to you.”

  I laughed. “Of course you did.”

  His smile faded. “I’m sorry, bro. This is all my fault. If I hadn’t brought you with me, this wouldn’t have happened.”

  “Shut up! Meeting Aurora was the best thing that ever happened to me. Don’t ever be sorry for dragging me along and introducing us. I fell in love with her the second I saw her.”

  “You’re not mad?”

  An idea sprung to my mind. “Would you like the chance to make it up to me?”

  “Absolutely.”

  I twisted the ring off my finger and handed it to Keir. “Get this to Aurora.”

  “How?”

  “You’ll figure it out.”

  “Okay. Seriously though, you’re not upset I ruined your life?”

  “You didn’t. I have hope.”

  “Good for you.”

  “If you find a way, help Dune. Spar with him or something? Maybe teach him some of your tricks.”

  “I will. He’ll be fine.” Keir looked up. “I need to go. I’ll get this to her. You have my word.”

  “Thank you, Keir. You’re a good friend.”

  “Stay strong, Sorin.” And with that, he disappeared.

  The next morning after Marin had brought me breakfast, the guard came in and said, “It’s time, Sorin.”

  I nodded somberly. I wouldn’t show the tears that threatened to fall as I left my land behind—the land I was to rule someday, the fae I had hoped to join with the other lands. I wouldn’t cry for my little sister who had nobody to look after her the way I did. I wouldn’t feel sadness for leaving my friends or my brother. But when we reached the portal, and I caught a glimpse of Aurora, a sob escaped my throat.

  I would miss her so incredibly much—even if I didn’t know I was missing her. I let a tear fall down my cheek for the love we shared, a love that wouldn’t die, not even by banishment. I swallowed hard, thinking of the life we could have had together. My arms ached to hold her one more time. My lips wanted to touch hers and whisper I love you.

  A large tree stood in front of us with a teardrop-shaped hole in it, but I couldn’t see through to the other side of the tree. Instead, it was blue and wavy like water. The portal. I swallowed hard.

  The counselor stepped up. “Are there any questions?”

  Clearing my throat, I said, “I have one. Will we age like humans? Die? How will that work?”

  “You will appear to age to yourselves as well as to others, but life will reset for you every eighty years. You’ll wake up young and start over.”

  I hadn’t been prepared for that answer.

  “Any other questions? No? Very well then. Prince Sorin of Summer Land…” Vasant announced. “And Princess Aurora of Winter Land. Both being present, I now must ask you to say your good-byes and watch as you go through the portal.”

  My mother hadn’t come, so my brother closed the space between us, and we hugged. “Why her?” he asked.

  “I don’t know, but my heart knows, and she’s the one, Dune.”

  “You always were a sap,” he said with a smile.

  “You can love the one you’re with or you can take a risk and find true love and be even happier,” I said.

  “Be careful, Sorin. I don’t know what’s over there, but it can’t be good or they wouldn’t be sending you there.”

  I hugged him again. “Good-bye, brother.”

  My father approached me next. “Your mother is very upset. She hasn’t slept since this happened. She doesn’t show her emotions, Sorin, but they’re there.”

  “I
know, Father.”

  “She does love you.”

  “I just wish she’d see the possibilities that could have been.”

  “She feels betrayed, son. We both do.”

  “That was never my intent.”

  Father reached over and hugged me. “The banishment is supposed to last through our reign, which means when you’re allowed to come back, we’ll be dead.”

  I thought about the fact that my mother had not come to say good-bye. “I know, but you can change the law and bring us back.”

  My father sighed. “Stop talking foolish. That won’t happen. Be happy, Sorin. Be a good man. Live a good life.”

  “Good-bye, Father.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Aurora

  Seeing Sorin at the portal brought tears to my eyes. He looked so brave, and I wished I could be like him. My body trembled as Vasant spoke. This was it. I was leaving behind the only world I knew and venturing off into one I knew nothing about all by myself.

  My father stood in front of me staring. “I’m sorry if you think I’m taking too long. I’m trying to engrain this moment into my memory. This will be the last time I ever see you.”

  My lip trembled, and I fell into his arms. “My solas. You stay strong out there. You’ve always been smart and quick to learn things; you’ll be just fine. Stay out of trouble.”

  My mother put her hand on my back. “We’ll always love you, Rory.”

  “Then why won’t you fight for me?”

  “We can’t break the laws! We can’t just make new ones!”

  “You could. You could if you really wanted to.” I let the tears fall down my cheeks. “I love you both so much, but I love Sorin too. Choosing wouldn’t have been possible. You made the choice for me, but you could have done something wonderful. Nobody wanted to. Everyone was scared to do something new. And now I’m banished. I’ll never see you again. You’re punishing me for loving someone different than us. You could stop this.”

  They both looked down.

  “And Eira? What about her? Does she get a punishment?”

  “She didn’t break any laws.”

  Of course they’d look at it that way. “So she ruins my life, and she gets away with it?”

  “You made the choice, Rory.”

  I nodded. They were right. I did. My eyes found Sorin, and my heart sped up. I did make that choice, and it was the right one. I hugged both my parents and turned to my sister. “Don’t let Eira win.”

  “I won’t.”

  “If I don’t make it back, find something to use on her so you can be queen. She doesn’t deserve to be queen.”

  She wrapped me in her arms and said, “I will find a way to bring you back. Just hang in there.”

  “Rory!” a voice called out and I turned. Raina was running toward us. Several guards marched over and stood in her way.

  “Let her through,” my father ordered.

  “Your Majesty—” the counselor said.

  “My daughter is being banished for a very long time. We can wait another few minutes for her to say good-bye to her best friend.”

  The counselor nodded, and the guards moved, letting Raina through. She threw her arms around me sobbing. “I should have stopped you. I should have told somebody. This is my fault. Maybe they can banish me? Then at least we’ll be together.”

  “Raina, it’s not your fault. Nobody is banishing you. You and I wouldn’t even know each other if they did. Besides I need you to be here. Help Lumi. She’ll explain later.”

  “How am I going to do this without you?”

  “You’re my best friend, Raina. You will always be. It kills me that I won’t remember you in a few minutes.” I took a deep shuddering breath. “Maybe it’s better, because it would hurt too much. Somehow, I’ll find a way to hold onto the love I know here: my family, you, and Sorin. Maybe I won’t know who I’m loved by, but I will remember that I am loved.” Or at least I hoped I would. I hugged her again.

  Vasant was talking again. “Two of our Spring natural faeries will be escorting the prince and princess through the portal. Verdi will be taking Prince Sorin and Aviva will take Princess Aurora. Once the prince and princess are settled, their guides will return.”

  “Can’t I bring her?” my mother asked.

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “Well, for starters, have you ever been to the human realm?”

  “No…”

  “So there’s that and also the emotional connection. It has to be someone unbiased.”

  Mother nodded and wiped her tears away. Hugging me again, she said, “I love you, Aurora.”

  Even though I was furious at her and knew I’d never see her again, I returned the hug and told her I loved her too.

  Aviva held my elbow. “Let’s go.”

  My wings fluttered behind me as if they knew they were going to be glamoured in a minute. I tried to enjoy how they felt before they’d be gone. I stopped and looked behind me at Sorin and, trying to be brave, smiled at him.

  Sorin shook his arm free and got a whole three steps before guards blocked him. “I just want to say good-bye!” he hollered. “Father?”

  “Your mother will not approve.”

  “You’re banishing us. The least you can do is let us say good-bye.”

  My mother nudged my father. “We can at least do this for her.”

  Father nodded and yelled, “Let them say good-bye.”

  King Verano’s head bobbed up and down. “Fine.”

  The guards moved out of the way, and Sorin rushed to my side. He cupped my face in his hands. “Oh, Aurora. I love you. I will always love you. Always.”

  His eyes were full of love.

  Through my tears, I said, “I don’t regret it. Not one bit. I love you too, Sorin. For always.”

  I lifted my face to his, and our lips touched for one last perfect kiss.

  “That’s enough!” King Verano yelled.

  I held onto Sorin until Aviva literally had to drag me away. I didn’t pitch a fit. I just kept my eyes locked on Sorin’s, tears streaming down my face as Aviva led me through the portal.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Aurora

  My eyes popped open, and I bolted up. My breath came quickly as I glanced around at the bed and dresser and relaxed. I must have been having a bad dream. I was safe and sound in the bedroom of my bungalow. I plopped back down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. What had I done last night that my memory was so hazy?

  After lying there a few more minutes, I stood up and walked out of the bedroom into my kitchen to pour myself a cup of juice. I walked around examining the charming one-bedroom bungalow with its open-beam ceilings and tile floors. I still felt weird, but I couldn’t put a finger on why. I shrugged it off, finished the juice, and got in the shower.

  Standing in front of the mirror, I stared at my reflection. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was different, but my hair was the same white-blonde and blue it had always been. When had I started dyeing it blue? I couldn’t even remember that; just seemed like I always had done it. My face looked the same. Nothing different. Nothing missing.

  I opened the closet door and looked through the handful of outfits that hung there. I grabbed a pair of white jeans and a blue sleeveless top with a round neckline. I ran my fingers over the three snowflakes on my shoulder. They felt cool to the touch; a shiver went down my spine. I thought about when I got them done, but just like the hair, it seemed as if I had always had them.

  I glanced down at the paper on the counter, and my eyes scanned it. It was the job offer from Iekika’s Hair Salon. I checked the date on it and then looked around the house for a calendar. For the life of me, I couldn’t remember the date. Finally, I found a clock with the date on it. The job started tomorrow. So what should I do today? I had nothing on my calendar.

  The job offer asked for me to bring in proof of ID and schooling. My school paperwork was under the job offer and next to those p
apers was my wallet. I opened it and stared at the Hawaii identification card. It had my name: Rory Burkheart, my date of birth, and picture. I glanced at the birthdate and tried to remember turning eighteen, but nothing exciting came to mind.

  I let out a long breath as my eyes swept the room. Even though there were plenty of windows, I felt cooped up. The outdoors called to me. Looking around for shoes, I found a pair of white lace flats and stepped into them. Immediately my feet felt suffocated. Plopping down on the floor, I took the shoes and stretched them out with my hands. “Stupid new shoes,” I muttered. I put them back on, but they didn’t feel any better.

  I tried to ignore the feeling and walked outside. Instantly my spirits lifted, but my feet still protested. I took off my shoes. I could walk barefoot. I walked into the grass, inhaled, and smiled. Much better. Surrounding the bungalow were fruit trees—bananas, avocados, and papayas. I grabbed a ripe banana from the tree and headed down the sidewalk. When I reached the road, I looked both ways. Which way should I go? Town was to the right. Maybe?

  I headed that way, and about thirty minutes later, I reached the town. The air was heavy, and I was hot. I looked around for a place to get a cold drink. It was busy with people, cars on the road, and kids on bikes, scooters, and skateboards. A lot of people stared at me. It was obvious I wasn’t from here. My pale complexion and hair color were dead giveaways. What on earth possessed me to dye it blue? Whatever it was, I did like it, so who cared what these other people thought.

  A sign that said Frozen Sweets stood out. Frozen Sweets. That sounded good. The cold air hit me when I opened the door, and I let go of a sigh. It felt wonderful. I walked in, sat on a stool, and waited to order.

  “No shoes, no service,” said the lady behind the counter. She had dark hair and a nametag that read Anela.

  I looked down at my bare feet. “Sorry,” I said, putting my shoes back on.

  “Are you waiting on someone?” she asked.

  “No. Just me.” I thought about my friends. Most of them had gone their separate ways, and we didn’t keep in touch anymore. I wasn’t fond of phones so I couldn’t get a hold of anybody anyway.

  “What do you want to order?”