Touch of Flame

Ravina was having lunch with Malachi when she heard a commotion outside. She paused turning her head to where the sound came from and then looked at Malachi.

“Keep eating. I will be back.” He said rising from his seat. He left her behind in a rush.

Since something didn’t feel right, Ravina followed him and she heard the voice of people yelling outside as neared the exit.

“Are you going to take the human as your queen, King Malachi. We as your people need to know if you will put us and yourself at risk for that person!” They demanded.

So the time finally came, when his people would make an uproar, and now was a perfect time after Malachi got injured and she was the one who brought the danger here.

“Who I take as my and your queen will be my decision alone because only I know who my breedmate is,” Malachi spoke to them.

She came closer to the door and peeked outside. Many people were standing in front of the porch. She knew this would happen eventually but she was still so tired she hoped it wouldn’t be now.

Pulling her shoulders back and straightening herself, she snapped herself out of the tiredness. She had gotten lazy lately. She didn’t come here to enjoy herself and for things to happen easily. She was here with a purpose, bigger than her and her needs.

Ravina paused. Where did she suddenly get these thoughts from? She spoke as if… as if… she frowned unsure of why she was suddenly dramatic over this.

“Not dramatic,” a voice in the back of her head whispered. “It is your mission in life.”

Her mission. So she would live and die for it.

“Yes,” the voice whispered.

She looked ahead at the people and Malachi. “We will not accept her as our queen,” they said.

Ravina tried to see Malachi’s face to know what he was thinking at the moment.

“Then, will you not accept me as your king?” He asked. “Do you have someone in my to challenge me?”

They became quiet. Malachi’s brothers joined his side and she was glad about that.

“A dead king can’t protect us and your breedmate is bringing danger to you,” one of them spoke.

“It is in our dragon blood to protect our breedmates with our lives. Why are you talking about it as if it is something new?” Saul asked with his usually harsh tone.

“If I may interrupt,” people turned their heads and Ravina recognized the voice. Dias came forward carrying Nelly in his arms and with Georgia by his side. “Aren’t we judging our future Queen too fast? A queen is supposed to be the caretaker of the clan and the king. Is there no one amongst you who has received her care?”

An eerie silence fell and then a few people began to step out from the crowd. Ravina recognized them all. They had come to her with their illnesses.

“What has she helped you with?” Dias asked one of the ladies who stepped forward.

The woman told them how Ravina helped her cure her stomachache. The rest filled in with what she helped them with and then the peelers came up. Things were positive for a while with people praising her and defending her but there were those who insisted that she was only fooling them.

People began to argue among themselves. Knowing where she was hiding behind the door, Malachi suddenly turned around and came to her. Pushing the door open further he grabbed her wrist with a frown and pulled her out. He took her to stand in front of his people and she froze when they all stopped arguing and fixed their attention on her and Malachi.

“This woman…” He began with a voice she had never heard before. It was so thick that it weighed on her lungs. “Lost her father. MY father killed her father.”

Ravina felt a sharp pain in her chest. Truly as if something cut through her. “OUR clan killed her mother. OUR people killed her people.” He continued.

Her heart slowed as the air thickened.

“Yet she has helped you. Yet she has saved me not just once or twice, almost getting herself killed in the process.” He turned her around to show the scars on her back. Ravina heard small gasps. “She got this in the process.”

Ravina closed her eyes, her fingertips turning cold. She wished to disappear.

“Don’t tell me she is putting me in danger,” he told them. Wrapping one arm around her he led her back inside.

Ravina couldn’t feel her feet as Malachi led her to her room. “I am sorry,” he whispered.

He helped her sit down on the edge of her bed as the cold now traveled up her limbs. She knew it was someone in his family who had killed her father. She suspected it was the father but she had avoided the thought just to get through the days.

Was she supposed to leave her father’s name and carry the last name of the clan and the man who killed her father? She wanted to laugh hysterically.

So that was the price for peace?

“Ravina?”

She looked up at Malachi. He watched her concerned. “Where you there?” She asked. “When it happened.”

His jaw clenched and he looked down. What was she expecting? Him and Saul followed Khaos everywhere.

“Did your father plan it with you and Saul?” She asked.

He looked up at her again. “I did not plan it. I-I truly had no hatred toward your father. I didn’t want all of that to happen.”

Taking a deep breath, she tried to swallow the large lump in her throat.

“I was a coward. I truly was and I paid for it. I still am paying. When your father came to us, he awakened the courage in me and I tried to reach him after he left. But things had already taken a bad turn. Then my sister found out she had a human breedmate. I thought having more people mate with humans would bring us together so I was encouraged by it. It made me want to seek peace more than ever so I did look for your father everywhere.” He paused taking a deep breath as well.

“I had to do it discreetly. Play along until I completed my mission to discard my father who wanted to make my sister a breeder. There was no other way. My father had more power than I have today. If not for my brothers help I wouldn’t have been able to kill him.” He continued. “I know I only have myself to blame for all those things. I waited too late and it hurt the people I care about. The innocent ones who did nothing paid for my sins.”

Her cheeks were wet and her chest tight.

“I know I have treated your family and your people with cruelty. And all the cruel things I said, it was me trying to escape my guilt. I know I should take responsibility for my actions instead.”

She nodded slowly. To what, she wasn’t sure yet. Her mind didn’t know how to respond to this. It was just quiet.

“I know nothing I say can fix things. I’ll do better instead. I don’t want to continue down the same path and seeing you bravely stand up and protect your people, has helped me a lot.” He paused and she couldn’t see his face clearly to know what he was thinking. “I’ll leave you to have some time for yourself.” He said and then walked away.

Ravina was glad to have some alone time. She needed the quietness for a while and she took the covers to wrap her cold body in warmth. As her mind remained empty for a while, just staring ahead, she began to feel tired. The quietness lulled her to sleep even when she didn’t want to. She knew nightmares awaited.

Or maybe not. This time she found herself standing barefoot on a stormy day near the sea. She was wearing a white sleeveless dress that looked old and she looked out as if waiting for someone.

Something in the sky caught her attention. A flying dragon came and landed on the stones, taking the shape of a female. Then she waited beside her as she looked out into the sea.

A man rose from the water. “He is here,” the woman said.

“Who?”

“The one to help you in your mission.”

And who was that? She looked ahead as the man stepped closer and slowly she frowned. She knew him.

Ares.

What was he doing here? The one to help her?

He stepped closer and closer, his green eyes glowing like emerald stones. He looked a bit different. Like a monster in human form. He stepped onto the stones, also barefoot, and water dripped from his clothes.

His strange eyes settled on her, looking at her with a strange recognition. A slow gentle smile curved his lips. “Your highness.”