by Kira Stüssy
He didn’t answer for a while, choosing to pause and stare at the empty fireplace, but when he did he spoke calmly and surely, “I know everything seems really screwed up right now, but it’ll get better.”
“How do you know?” I controlled my rapid breathing and looked up at him.
“Because it always does.”
*
I stood in front of the mirror that hung on my wardrobe when the knock came at my door. I wasn’t expecting any company, but when I had visited Caspian earlier I had alerted him of my plans with his new friend. Maybe he just wanted to check on me before I left?
“Come in!” I called, twirling again to view all angles of my chosen outfit.
The door flung open to reveal Ash, eyes blazing.
He stormed towards me with such intensity, I could physically feel the heat rolling off of him, “Mirabelle, I…”
But I was not about to play his games, “What? Come to apologize?”
He paused, blinked, and shook his head ever so slightly, “Look, I know this morning I said some things…”
“Yes?”
“We both did. You aren’t blameless you know.”
“Is this your way of saying sorry? Because it sucks.”
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, “How about I bring up some dinner and we can discuss some things, like you wanted to?”
I stopped staring at my outfit and actually looked at him, angrier than I had ever been with him before, “No, Ash. Your timing is awful.”
The fire left his eyes, dimming to their usual aloofness, “What do you mean?”
“I mean that I have a date.” Lie.
“Like, with a guy?”
I rolled my eyes, “Duh. Now, I’m trying to get ready and I have to leave soon. So…”
But he ignored my dismissal and instead plopped down onto my bed, a distant look in his eyes that I didn’t like. He opened his hand and a small ball of fire ignited, hovering just over his palm. The ball floated in the air, swooping and spinning at Ash’s command as he spoke, “So, who‘s the poor chap?”
“You could try being nice, you know, at least once a week.”
“Nah, there’s no fun in kindness. Who is he?”
“His name is Roman, he’s a Wielder.”
The ball paused mid-dive and Ash looked up, “Roman? As in, Roman Castell?”
“Yeah, know him?”
At the mention of ‘Castell’ the ball burst into a wild blaze for a moment before Ash, realizing his toy was spiraling out of control, vanquished it altogether. He clenched his teeth as he answered, “Sort of. You’re going on a date with a Wielder? That’s highly illegal given that you are known to the public as Elemental.”
I shifted uncomfortably, scared that he might call my bluff, “Well, I have to go.”
“Mirabelle, I…”
“At first I wanted to give you a chance. I was so sure there was a good person in you somewhere. But I was wrong.”
He stared straight ahead, not caring to respond. I left him there, motionless, on the edge of my bed. I stomped out of the room and closed the door behind me, fighting not to look back. But at the last minute, right as the door was an inch from being completely shut, I snuck a peek at him, taking in his dark features which starkly contrasted against his tan skin and the unrecognizable look of vague sadness on his face. A part of me considered flinging the door open and apologizing right then and there. I strongly pondered the consequences of ditching Roman. But as soon as I thought it, I rebuked the idea. Turning to face the hall, I heard the door click behind me and I walked away.
*
The air on Center Hill blew mild and pleasant.
I sucked in a large breath of fresh night air and smiled dreamily, finding interest in the way I could smell the blossoming flowers from the Elemental Kingdom while also catching a burnt whiff from the stormy Wielding Kingdom. The longer I stayed in Nostos, the fonder I grew of the strangeness and beauty of the land. Center Hill, despite the fact that the demented Court lurked beneath its grassy soil, had become one of my favorite spots to study the new subjects I took. I never grew tired of twirling around and around, drinking in the marvelous views that Nostos held in store. I found odd loveliness in the separate Kingdoms, each of them with their own unique spell on me. I could endlessly stare at the point, right above the hill, where the four skies of the Kingdoms met and often tried to pinpoint the exact place where they all collided.
“Hey there.”
I turned around grinning, distantly brushing the place where my Knowledge merged with my skin, “Hey.”
Roman’s short blond hair had been slightly ruffled in a try-to-be-messy style and he wore a vibrant blue shirt that not only matched his eyes but made them pop even more than they already did. His handsome face still had a boyish curve and his cheeks burned pink in the soft summer breeze. He held a small wicker basket in his hand.
“I brought the nourishment.” Without any warning, he plopped down onto the ground and opened the basket top to reveal an array of snacks and beverages that appeared so scrumptious, my mouth watered. “I thought we could picnic?”
“Sounds good to me.”
He reached into the basket and pulled out a small loaf of bread and ripped it in half, offering me one part. I accepted gratefully and chomped down on the chewy goodness the moment it was placed in my hand. It registered in my mind, as the bread filled my mouth capacity, what Ash had said one time about my miraculous ability to inhale food. He always acted impressed and sometimes even challenged me to a race during one of our private meals. But I figured he was one of the few people who appreciate speed eating. After that first bite, I purposefully slowed down a little.
“So,” Roman said as he handed me a small canteen of orange juice, “what is the human world like?”
“That’s pretty vague. Might take me a while to answer that one.”
“Alright, that’s fair. Uh…what about school? Is it pretty different than here?”
I couldn’t help but notice that his style of speaking was much less formal than that of the Elementals even with the identical accent. I found it strange that in a country where everyone is close enough to walk from Kingdom to Kingdom, they still don’t use the same style of speech, “Yeah. Extremely different actually.”
“Which do you like better?”
I thought about it, “I guess here. Learning about magic is a bit more interesting than Pre-calculus.”
“I’m going to pretend that I know what the heck that is and agree with you.”
I giggled and coughed, taking a sip of juice which I could identify as being made of Sweet Violets.
“How do you like Nostos so far?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I miss the human world and my friends there but…”
He looked at me seriously, “But here feels right? Like home?”
I nodded.
He leaned back on his hands and looked up at the sky. It felt strange to have someone actually ask me how I felt about Nostos. So far, everyone had basically been ordering me around or downloading an overwhelming amount of information into my brain. The only person who ever asked how I was doing was Caspian, and he didn’t count seeing as he’s my brother. But for Roman to deliberately wonder and seemingly care about my thoughts could be called a new and much appreciated gesture.
After a moment I imitated him and gazed up at the point where the worlds met.
*
The water swayed and pulsated with the movement of Caspian’s hands as he motioned back and forth, around and around, exercising his control over the element.
The night air felt good on his bare back as he crouched next to the palace’s stream, hoping to improve his powers. Ever since he had received his Knowledge, Caspian’s love for water had increased to the point of pain whenever he wasn’t near a stream or pond. When he tried to sleep at night, only thoughts of when he could swim again and when he could go practice his Knowledge were achieved. He wore a black bro tank, allowin
g his blue feathered Knowledge to stretch out behind him.
When Mira barged into his room earlier in full freak out mode, he’d been worried. He couldn’t even imagine how frustrating it would be to not know your Knowledge. Caspian found that his newly discovered power began to be a central part of not only him, but his happiness as well.
The joy he experienced whenever he manipulated water was unexplainable and purely amazing. The tug that he had once felt when using his Knowledge had lessened now to the point of barely being noticeable.
Focus, focus, focus.
It felt as if a string attached from his hands to the trickling creek and he watched cheerfully as the water surged upward like a geyser. He felt powerful and in control. With a broad grin, he swept his arms and witnessed the tiny tsunami come crashing down.
*
Red blood dripped from the open wound on Ash’s hand.
It was his fault, really, but he did not attend to it nor did he care that he was hurt. He merely repositioned the punching bag and began whaling on it again, feeling the gash open wider and wider. Sweat dripped down his forehead, wetting his scalp and coating the back of his neck. The training facility remained completely empty tonight, perfect for letting out some steam.
Which was great considering Ash had more than a little resentment to punch out.
In a sudden burst of frustration, having barely budged the bag with his jabs, he jumped up and kicked the stubborn thing with all his might. It didn’t move an inch.
“Stupid!” He glared at his emotionless foe and shoved it only to collapse against the leather bag and sigh with exhaustion.
“You know, they say it’s a sign of insanity when you start yelling at inanimate objects.”
Ash looked up from his embrace with the punching bag and saw Erion stride over, fists jammed into his pockets and a solemn expression on his face. When he reached Ash he looped his arms under his armpits and pulled his friend to his feet. All Ash wanted to do was fall over and pass out, maybe not wake up for another couple of years, but clearly, Erion would have none of that.
“What are you doing here exactly?” Erion asked sternly, in his no-monkey-business voice.
“Clearly, I am having an argument with this idiot.” Ash gestured to the punching bag, “He started it, I swear.”
“Yeah well I’m ending it. Seriously mate, what’s up?”
“Nothing.”
Erion stared at Ash’s bloody knuckles, eyebrows raised, “Yeah, I can see that.”
“What are you doing here, Erion?”
“I saw you leave. You looked distraught. Thought I should see if something was up.”
Ash ruffled his looming black Knowledge and shook out his stinging injured hand, “Well you thought wrong. Go home, I’m fine.”
“Is this about Mira?”
Ash didn’t answer.
“Figures. I’ve known you for seventeen years and never have I seen you like this. What happened?”
Ash ignored his friend and walked away from the punching bag over to the medical table in the corner of the room, looking for some tape to fix up his hand. He opened the drawer, found what he was looking for, and tore off a sizable piece. He wrapped his knuckle tightly and watched as the blood slowly began to seep through the white bandage.
Erion appeared beside him, increasing Ash’s irritation level. But Erion spoke past Ash’s glare with genuine concern, “Look, I know you don’t want to talk about it but let me just say this: if you want something, go get it.”
Ash met those sky blue eyes, sharp anger and fear pumping through his veins, “You know very well why I can’t do that. Do not mock me.”
“I’m not mocking you, idiot! I’m being serious.”
“It wouldn’t be fair to her.”
“Do you not think it should be her choice?”
“She doesn’t know.”
“She knows enough. Do not let something good slip through your fingers; because once she’s gone, she won’t be coming back.”
And with that Erion spun on his heel and walked out the door.
*
“Thanks for asking me to do this.” I said as Roman and I stood in departing.
“Same.” He flashed his white teeth at me and I smiled back.
I punched his shoulder, feeling more comfortable around Roman after only an hour of talking than I ever had with most people I had met in my entire life, “You’re a good listener, has anyone ever told you that?”
“Maybe once or twice.” He grinned and socked me back, “Not to mention, you kinda have to be a good listener when you can’t get a word in whether you wanted to or not.”
“Are you saying I talk too much?”
“I didn’t say anything of the sort!” He laughed and I easily joined him. I glanced at the sky overhead and noticed that the Elemental quadrant had developed to an almost pitch black shade, the time had slipped away from us.
“Well, see you tomorrow.”
He nodded and said, “Who is he?”
“What?”
“Who is the guy you’re into?”
I blinked, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Roman chuckled softly and made a tutting noise with his tongue, “Don’t pull that, Mirabelle Daily. This entire time you’re mind has been elsewhere. So I figure that you are either stressed or having romantic thoughts...or more than likely: both.”
“You have no shame, do you?” I could tell by the determined gleam in his eye that I was not getting away with this, “It’s complicated.”
“Does he know you like him?”
“I don’t even like him. He’s annoying and rude and cocky. I think I might actually hate him, to be honest.”
“Sure, you do.”
I sighed, “We aren’t exactly on good terms right now. By the way, you’re weirdly intuitive for a dude.”
He placed a hand on my shoulder and looked at me with his electric blue eyes, “Look, Mira, I have had my fair share of relationships. I’ve learned quite a bit. I see it as being only fair to help the less experienced by giving valid advice.”
“Oh, so you’re some sort of love guru?”
“Well, as the Prince, many girls are simply lining up out the door for my hand, you know. So yeah, sort of.”
“Prince?”
He bowed, a smirk on his face, “The one and only. Well, for Wielders that is.”
“Uh, well that was unexpected.”
He grinned, “Listen, if you have feelings for someone, whether it be hate or love, I find that it is best if those feelings are right out in the open. It prevents confusion.”
I laughed, slightly in shock at this news, “Well, Your Highness, you think I should tell him?”
“Yeah.”
“That I hate him or that I like him?”
“Hm. Both.”
“And who the heck drops a bomb like that out of the blue? ‘I’m the Prince of Wielders’, you couldn’t have snuck that in during class at all? Or maybe sometime in the past hour?”
“I’m a huge fan of the element of surprise. But you have important business to attend to, so goodnight.”
Roman hugged me abruptly with a quick goodbye and I trotted down the hill, my stomach twisting in knots and my mind as jumbled as it had ever been.
*
Ash dashed out of the training facility and wove through the empty Elemental streets.
His feet pounded against the uneven cobblestone path. No matter how hard he pumped his arms and urged his legs to move quicker, he felt that he moved in slow motion. His Knowledge ached to spread out and glide in the air, but he knew the rules. He would have to remain on foot despite the overwhelming urge to take off.
Only half a mile away now; he could see the candlelight streaming from the palace windows and the magical ivy that grew along the stone walls…now only a quarter of a mile…only feet away. He sucked in a deep breath, his face salty and muscles sore from exertion. He bounded across the drawbridge and through the front e
ntrance without a single pause or hesitation. His bloody hand complained achingly.
A soft voice in the back of his mind argued, screaming at him that this was a terrible idea. He knew what he was and he knew he could not put Mirabelle in a position where he would be bound to hurt her. But that voice soon became drowned out by the icy determination that had overcome his brain. Erion’s voice echoed in his mind, If you want something, go get it. He ran up the spiral staircase, taking two steps at a time. He distantly realized he dripped with sweat, he was disgusting and probably smelled like a sewer.
But he did not care.
He stopped sprinting when he came to the landing and bathed in the warm light pouring from her propped open doorway. From this angle, he could barely see the sliver of her small frame as she sat at her vanity, trying in vain to tame her wild mane of red curls. Irritated she ripped the brush from her crimson tangles and sighed.
Ash, once again, found himself hopelessly in awe of her easy beauty and the way she barely noticed she possessed it. He admired her subtle confidence that allowed her to be witty and striking while not being arrogant. All Elementals were beautiful by human standards, it was part of the description. But something about Mirabelle gave her something extra, a trait he could not put his finger on that marked her as uniquely lovely. Maybe her scarlet colored hair and the way her looping curls cascaded down her back. Perhaps her eyes, such a startling shade of gray, they could have been made up of morning fog. Her snow white skin, rose red lips, or petite stature? And her Knowledge, which floated wispy and delicate above her shoulders, more dazzling and special than anything he had ever seen. Ash really could not pinpoint it. And he could care less that she was some sort of Wielder and Elemental hybrid. All he knew was that she was special and he had been pretending for far too long that he did not see that.
A floorboard creaked beneath his weight and she froze in her seat. Ash’s heart throbbed horribly, creating the urge to both burst in and run away simultaneously. She set the comb down, probably wondering who lurked just outside her door. Ash knew he had blown his cover. In his life, he had always stayed away from others, worried about what his proximity might do to them. The only people who ever dared to be within a few feet of him were the Wilmots, seeing as they were the most stubborn Elementals in all of Nostos and swore he was more a danger to himself than anyone else on his own. Erion had always been there for him, had always given him the best advice even when Ash plugged his ears to try and tune him out. But Erion had never failed to be right.