Touch of Flame

Malachi talking like a gentleman was funny, and Ravina got the laugh she needed to handle this festival. It wasn’t as bad as she thought. They could go wherever they wanted, buy things, watch shows and dances, and eat delicious snacks all while chatting. There were fires and lanterns lighting up the surrounding area. The shops sold antique and mystical stuff that she hadn’t seen before. The sellers would call out to advertise their items and try to sell them. Ravina felt bad ignoring them, but she couldn’t buy everything.

As they got away from one seller, another jumped right in front of her with a mirror. Ravina gasped startled, and Malachi instinctively slapped the mirror out of the seller’s hand. It fell and broke, and in the brief moment she glanced at it, she saw the reflection of Arshan in one of the pieces.

“What are you doing?” Malachi hissed.

The seller, who was an old man, went to pick up the mirror, ignoring Malachi’s question. He gently tried to put the pieces together.

“Careful. You might cut yourself.” Ravina said hurrying to help him pick up the pieces.

The man looked up at her as he sat on his knees. “I can fix it if you want to buy it,” he simply said with a passive voice and expression.

He gave her an odd feeling. “I will buy it,” Ravina smiled looking up to see Malachi.

Malachi stood there with a suspicious frown. Was he having the same odd feeling as her?

The old man picked up the pieces and hurried back into his store. He put the mirror on the table and then held his hand above it after putting the pieces back into place. Closing his eyes, he moved his lips in a silent chant. Ravina moved closer, curious to see what he was doing. She witnessed the broken mirror mend and become whole again.

Shocked she looked back at Malachi who kept his eyes on the man. What was he?

Opening his eyes, “it is done,” he said, picking up the hand mirror. “This is a special mirror. It won’t show you what you only want to see.”

He held it out, and Ravina took it hesitantly. She looked into it and simply saw her reflection this time.

“Alright,” Malachi said placing coins on his table. Then he put his arm around her and led her away.

“What did he do?” Ravina asked.

“He is a witch. Don’t get involved with them. They are tricky people with strange minds.”

“A witch?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t know they lived among you.”

“They live among us all. They can live wherever they please.” He reached for the mirror and inspected it. “Do you want to keep this?” He asked.

“Do you think he did something with it?”

“You never know with those creatures.”

Ravina looked in the mirror. It had a nice golden frame, and she found herself looking beautiful as she looked into it. “It is just a mirror.” She smiled.

Malachi said nothing but allowed her to keep it. “Do you want to make a sacrifice to the spirits?” He asked.

He had explained to her earlier what the festival was about, but she didn’t feel comfortable sacrificing anything.

“Does it work?” she asked.

“No. It is nonsense,” he said. She could hear from his tone that he had tried it many times before but never got results.

“It works.” A familiar voice spoke.

They both turned to where the voice came from, and Chanan stood there with a smile. “If it doesn’t work, it is because you are not making the right sacrifice. People want to gain health but not quit bad habits. They want great achievements without loss. They want it all. The meaning of sacrifice is to sacrifice,” he explained.

“What do I have to sacrifice for love?” Another familiar voice came from the distance.

This time, it was Nazneen. She came walking toward them like an exotic dream, draped in burnt orange and adorned with golden jewels. She wore a golden crown with amber stones matching her eyes, and her silken black hair fell in nice waves down her exquisite body. Ravina found herself spellbound once again. She was caught by that amber gaze lined with thick black lashes.

She had tattoos down one side of her waist and a fine golden chain around it. Her skirt hugged her finely curved hips and then flowed down. Her top had a heart neckline, which complimented her full breasts. She knew what suited her. She could look ravishing yet sophisticated.

Chanan turned his attention to her. “Love is sacrifice, my dear. If you haven’t sacrificed, you haven’t truly loved.”

Nazneen frowned thoughtfully and then nodded.

Chanan frowned as well. “Do I know you?” he asked her.

“We met a few times. I am Nazneen.”

“Naz… neen.” He said, looking thoughtful. “From the X-clan.”

She nodded.

Chanan looked at Malachi, and they exchanged a few looks. “Well then, princess Nazneen. I hope you enjoy your stay here. You are welcome to come by the temple even though I know you have a very good priestess.”

“We clearly don’t share the same opinion about her,” Nazneen said.

Chanan chuckled. “A good parent is not always likable.”

She frowned, looking insulted. “A parent?”

Chanan just walked away with a chuckle and a shake of his head. Nazneen folded her arms over her chest and watched him walk away with a frown that only deepened. Ravina tried not to smile.

“Did he just call me a child?” She asked, turning to them.

Ravina tried to keep a straight face and wanted to say something nice when Malachi just blurted, “Yes,” with a shrug.

Great. And here she was in the middle of this strange hostility between the two. They gave each other a look of distaste, both of them exuding an aura of power as if fighting without physical contact. The tension became thick, and then Nazneen broke it abruptly with a pretentious smile.

She turned her attention to Ravina. “Have you danced?” she asked her.

Ravina panicked. “No, I am not…”

“Come on then,” she said as she grabbed her wrist and dragged her away before she could finish her sentence.

Oh no! Save me, she wanted to yell for the first time.