Ember (23 page)

When I looked over he was leaning against the
fence on his elbow, head cocked sideways towards me.

“That was quick,” I said, a witty response
once again eluding me.

He held his position, head in hand. “Just
formalities.”

I smiled, then winced slightly. “No trouble
then.”

“Nothing we haven't taken before . . . ,” he
glanced towards the trees, “a
lot
of times before.”

I raised an eyebrow. “All that girl
socializing in town?”

Then his blue eyes were on me again with a
crooked grin. “You're never gonna let go of that, are you?”

A blush and a glance down marked the end of
my teasing. Trying to spare what poise I had left, I cleared my
throat and looked back up. “So, I heard you are quite the
archer.”

He looked pleased, but shrugged it off
warmly. “I'm alright.”

“Can I see?” I asked eagerly.

He leaned up smiling. “Only if you promise to
let me show you how to do it properly afterwards.”

I grimaced instantly, sparing a glance at the
bow in my hands. The deal might have sounded appealing to any other
person, but I
hated
being taught things I couldn't do well,
too many opportunities for embarrassment.
Of course, I did
accept it willingly with magic. . . .

Ikovos interrupted my thoughts. “Okay, we'll
make it harder. Only if I can hit the target.”

I eyed him now. “Right, you can probably hit
it easy.”

He considered this. “I'll let you pick which
one.”

“Alright, deal,” I said, knowing full well
that I would have would have given in to his suggestion with or
without the bonus offer.

He reached for a bow as I looked out ahead.
They were all so far away. When I glanced back at him he was
waiting for me . . . closer now, bow in hand. I looked out once
again. I didn't want to make it too hard so I decided on one about
one-hundred yards away.

“That one,” I said, pointing to it.

He nodded to me . . . slowly, picked up the
arrow . . . slowly, then, so quick I couldn't even see it, the
arrow was out. It whipped through the air and hit the target dead
on in almost a split second.

My mouth dropped, then I looked at him. After
a moment he gave me a more devilish grin than I'd gotten from him
yet. It made me lean back a little.

“I knew you would be able to hit it easy. . .
.”

He dropped his bow and started walking
towards me. “Pick a harder one next time.”

I scrunched my nose as he stopped behind me.
There won't be a next time if this is what I have to do
afterwards.

With the same wicked grin he looked out
ahead. I grudgingly did the same.

“Wanna try for the one I just did?”

I laughed sarcastically. “How about that
one.” I nodded to the closest, it was still at least twenty yards
away.

He passed me an arrow. “Not very confident
are you?”

I smirked without looking at him. “You just
noticed this?”

He chuckled. He always found my attempts at
satire amusing.

“Okay,” he said, “first rest the shaft
against the middle of the string above the handle, then put the
nock of the arrow between your index and middle finger.”

Nock . . . right.
I did what I assumed
he meant.
What else can you do with an arrow?

I tried to keep my hands steady, but Ikovos’s
close proximity had my coordination more than a little askew and
the arrow was shaking visibly. He didn't seem to notice though, or
at least he didn't mention it, I wasn't brave enough to check his
face.

It didn't help any of this when he wrapped
his hand around mine. “Like this,” he told me, rearranging the
arrow between my pointer and middle finger.

I cleared my throat. “Alright.”

He released my fingers, but his voice got
closer, right in my ear. “Now the important part—” I felt the
breath of his smile “—the part you were doing wrong before, you
need to pull the string back further, all the way really.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

Then I heard . . . or rather
felt
, him
move back. Apparently his way of telling me to go.

I did, pulling back as hard as I could on the
string. There was a point where, once I had passed it, it was much
easier stretch. It felt right, and when I couldn’t get it any
tauter I released.

The arrow went farther this time . . . much
farther . . .
too
far. The aim was way off, but the small
shaft had sped so fast and high through the trees that is was soon
out of sight.

I was about to question Ikovos about this,
when I felt a burning on my wrist. I looked down at it and saw a
red mark. The skin was scraped off slightly, but I think I'd burned
it more than anything.

Ikovos must have followed my gaze because he
quickly reached for my bow, dropped it, and grabbed my left arm.
“Shoot. Sorry, Evelyn. I should've gotten you a guard.”

I smiled. “No, it's nothing. I can barely
feel it.”

He seemed to ignore my words, concern still
covering his face as he examined it.

After quite a while like this I sighed.
“Ikovos, it's fi—”

I was stopped when he placed a hand over the
burn. It was cool at first, then light . . . like a breeze. That’s
when the glow first appeared, somehow both familiar and
foreign.

I'd seen Ikovos use magic before, but it was
much stranger this time. I don't think that
before
I’d been
completely convinced that the whole thing wasn't a dream. Besides
that, at this point I felt like I'd known Ikovos forever . . . and
seeing the blue smoke drifting off his hand now, onto
me
no
less, was an incomparably . . . odd experience.

When he released the mark was gone, and apart
from a cool tingling my arm felt completely normal. I touched the
spot myself then looked up to see Ikovos smiling.

“Feel better?” he asked. Something on my face
must have troubled him because his features turned back to concern.
“What?”

I realized then that I was sort of not doing
the breathing thing. I took in some air. “Sorry,” I shook my head
clear, “I just wasn't expecting the . . . I mean I've seen magic
before, but . . .”

His grin resurfaced. “It wasn't the first
time.”

I knew immediately what he meant, what
I
meant. He hadn't just used magic, he'd used it on
me
. Then the second part sunk in and my face perplexed.

He tossed his head towards the trees. “You
don't think you could have shot that far without some help. . .
.”

I looked back out. “Oh. . . .” Then I looked
at myself like I was some sort of unknown entity. Then I just
looked back to him, shaking my head. “You need to warn me about
these things, Ikovos.”

It came out less critical than I would have
liked and he mocked a serious face. “Yes, ma’am.”

I just rolled my eyes and was about to ask
him what type of spell could make an arrow shoot further when his
gaze flitted past me.

My body rushed, sunk, and stiffened at the
prospect of Jaden. When I turned around I saw it was all for not, I
loved Cornelius, but he didn't quite have the same affect on my
heart-rate.

“Hi, Master,” said Ikovos.

Cornelius smiled, but the usual warmness was
absent. “Hello, you two. Up to some archery?”

We both nodded.

He chuckled. “You know, I wasn't half bad in
my day.”

Ikovos shook his head and gave me a face.
“He's not half bad
now
.”

I giggled, imagining the robed man with a
bow.

Cornelius joined me. “Yes, well . . . Ikovos
has long since surpassed me.”

I looked to Ikovos and he faked a proud grin,
then I turned back to Cornelius. “Between, magic, fighting, and
archery I'm beginning to think he's good at everything.”

Cornelius smiled, but when his eyes turned to
Ikovos, all humor vanished. “Not everything.”

Ikovos frowned and I backed up a bit, sensing
the sudden turn in conversation. “Such as?”

Cornelius’s brow narrowed fully now.
“Listening to orders for one.”

Ikovos looked like he might rebuttal, but
Cornelius raised a hand. “Spare your brilliant excuses, I‘m not the
one responsible for your punishment . . . but I do feel I’ve earned
the right to your obedience on these matters.” I swallowed at the
severity of his tone. “Whether you are in agreeance with the treaty
or not, you owe it to Thoran, and to all the Masters, to respect
our decision and follow in line with it.”

The boy sighed solemnly, lifting a hand to
scratch the back of his head.

“You and Jaden need to realize that the other
boys look up to you, especially the younger ones. Do you want them
believing that it is alright to take off without notice as you
did?”

Ikovos’s expression was firmer now, resolved.
“No. You’re right.” He met his eyes. “I’m sorry, Master.”

Cornelius nodded once, grimly, then lightened
almost immediately. “Well, despite the trouble you ran into it
turned out alright.”

Trouble.
Even now that I knew the two
boys were safe, the word made my stomach turn. I had to ignore it
as Cornelius continued.

“The new information about the . . . that you
discovered was,
important
to say the least.”

I could tell Ikovos was proud under his
reserved exterior.

Suddenly Cornelius threw a finger out. “But
make no mistake, if you two are caught going out of the borders
again, no amount of information will save you.”

It sounded like a death threat. Ikovos
gulped, once again very serious. “Yes, Master Cornelius.”

I gulped too. I hadn't seen Cornelius act so
strict before, I wondered if
I
would eventually be held to
such harsh reprimand.

All fear disintegrated when Cornelius smiled
to me again. “Well, I must be off my dear, much to be done. I hope
things are going well for you here.”

It wasn't a question, but an overwhelming
urge to affirm burst out of me. “Oh yes, it's everything . . .
everything I thought it would be.”

There was a brief pause, then he nodded his
recognition warmly before looking over to Ikovos, stern face
resurfacing. “If I’m not mistaken you have somewhere to be . .
.”

“On it,” the boy acknowledged easily.

Cornelius eyed him, then me, lifted his brows
up, and sighed. All before heading back over the hill.

I narrowed for a moment in confusion, then
turned back to Ikovos. He was looking down as if in thought.

There were a good many things, from the most
recent conversation alone, that I wanted to ask him . . . but I was
stopped by the picturesque expression. Jaw locked tight, eyes deep
and focused. My head cocked in curiosity that he should be having
it now.

He must have noticed the movement, because he
quickly brought his gaze up to me.

I smiled hesitantly. “Where do you have to
be?”

He tilted his head not understanding for a
moment, then threw a hand out. “Oh.” Big smile. “Dish duty.”

I winced.

“One of the many joys of disobeying the
Masters,” he sighed.

I nodded. “I’ll try to remember that.”

He joined me. “Yeah, otherwise you might get
in trouble for all of your horrifically unruly behavior.”

It actually took me a moment to realize he
was patronizing me. I furrowed, and he smirked.

“I'd better go now,” he said. “I'll see you
at dinner though, right?”

I took a breath, distracted by the new
dilemma. Simple and stupid, I didn't want Ikovos to go. “Okay,” I
drawled.

He grinned at this, till I started to turn
red.

“All right, go on.” I mumbled.

And just like that he was off.

I was surprised to see it was already getting
dark, but decided to try the bow thing once more.

It went further than my first try, though
nowhere near what I had done with Ikovos. The extra distance must
have been due solely on form. I was pretty happy about that and my
smile held until I entered the study, that's when the small smile
turned into a wide and completely unsubstantiated grin. A grin,
that is, due to the lack of green flames and the reinstitution of a
different color.

I walked over and plopped down into the couch
excitedly. Then I leaned forward, crossing my elbows on the table
and resting my head on them, just inches away from the fire.

Somehow it seemed like I'd never seen them
before . . . but that's how it worked. Always new, more entrancing
every time I saw it . . . the longer I looked at it. Though
technically, it was exactly how I remembered, a deep maroon at the
base, streaming up into shades of dark red, and ending in a
piercingly, vivid, orange.

I sighed and my breath made it flicker
significantly. Apart from that though, the large flame was
constant, unwavering. After I don't know how long I leaned back
sideways onto the couch, still keeping my eyes on it.

I'm not quite sure what was going through my
mind as I studied the beautiful flames. It was almost as if there
were too many thoughts swerving around beneath the surface to allow
my conscious mind to focus on just one.

The next thing I was completely aware of was
the dim light pouring through the window and the realization that I
had slept through the entire night without a single nightmare. My
first response was elation, followed by slight horror because I had
promised Ikovos I'd meet him at dinner.

I jumped up from the couch so quickly that
black spots dulled my vision, then rushed into the bathroom. I
wanted to hurry down for breakfast, but a look in the mirror told
me I definitely couldn't get away with skipping a shower again. It
was quick though,
very
quick. By the time I was out and
pulling on one of Sophie's custom outfits, all horror was gone.
Replaced with unshakeable anticipation.