Page 29 of Heiress of Fire

“Of course it is, Ron. How can you say that?” she argued, freeing her hands from his grasp.

“No, it’s not. You just got here, you are the most vulnerable when it comes to this woman. Let Beacon take the lead. He’s older, he’s much more experienced in this sort of stuff. You can stay back and be safe,” Ron argued.

“Yes, I just got here. But I’m being trained by one of the best Soldiers of Castellum. I’m getting better every day to the point that I’m going to be lifted as a Soldier next month,“ Davina asserted.

“Stay out of this, Vivi, let us take care of it.”

“Do you not think that I can do this?” she asked.

But she found him hesitating with for an answer.

“Okay,” she said and took a step away, toward the door. He immediately grabbed her hand again.

“Don’t leave, Davina. We need to finish this conversation,” he said softly.

Anger sizzled under her fingertips.

“I know I just got here, I know I’m not a Soldier yet, but that doesn’t make me less competent to do this than you.”

“It’s not that, Davina,” Ron sighed as he brushed a hand over his hair.

“Then what is it, Ron? I’m capable. I’m always training. I’ve come to best Leilani in our duels. I need to do this because what if—” Davina stopped herself, tears stung her eyelids.

She was not about to cry in front of him. He was not going to see her tears stain her cheeks. Not again, never again. No one was going to see her pain ever again.

But her parents opened so many wounds and she continued to live unaware of how to close them. “What if my family is next? You know they don’t train their powers. What can guarantee me their protection if I don’t fight in this war for them?”

“What if something happens to you, Vivi?” Ron asked and reached for her cheeks. “Worst case scenario, we go to war against this woman. How am I going to protect you on the battlefield? I know that I would not be able to live with myself if something ever happened to you.”

Davina shoved his hands away from her. “I will not be a coward and hide on the sidelines.”

“You won’t be a coward, you would be smart.”

Davina’s face reddened with anger, heat trickled into her lungs and down her fingertips.

“Be smart, Vivi.”

Davina’s eyes flared purple. Her fists sparked into purple flames, crackling loudly. “I don’t expect you to understand, but I have siblings to take care of. They have chosen me as their protector, and I will not fail them. As the eldest daughter, it is my responsibility to make sure that Bellatorm is safe enough for them to live in.”

Although she was covered in flames, he didn’t take a step back. He didn’t even flinch, and it unnerved her. Davina sighed with defeat as she shook her head.

Ron stood still with a clenched jaw. “Your flames are wondrous to me. They are not a motive of fear to me.”

She gritted her teeth before stomping onto the staircase, ignoring the enchanting glimpse of the reef that surrounded her as she made her way up.

Davina left dark bootprints over the steps, they sizzled as she passed through them. She stepped into the Grand Archives burning bright violet. Each Soldier and the Chief Leaders turned to her with confusion.

“Don’t worry, he’s fine. Just a bit messed up in the head,” Davina huffed through her burning flames.

Leilani pursed her lips, her blonde hair ruffling as she shook her head. Davina sighed, not wanting to disappoint her best friend. While Leilani was friendly and calm, Davina was the complete opposite. She was impulsive and fiery, she knew it. Since they met, Leilani’s warm personality helped Davina’s temper subdue. Leilani’s disapproval of her flames manifesting caused Davina’s heart to move with guilt.

She pulled the heat of her abilities into her chest, forcing the fire to disappear. The burning heat turned into a comfortable warmth that spread throughout her entire body. Her eyes scanned the men’s faces. All of them with widened eyes.

She turned to Snow, who had her usual judgmental stare. Davina could feel the heat wanting to come back, but she couldn’t stand staying another minute in the Archives; around her friends, around people. Davina sighed and rushed out of the library.

TEN

Bright lights illuminated the training room, a black mat surrounding the entire floor of the two-step stage. It was one of the simplest training rooms, on the lowest level of the castle, near the entrance of the fortress. Today, they would all be going through a test at the request of Chief Leaders Isaiah and Amir, and Master Abigail. Hundreds of blades, swords, staffs, spears, bows, arrows, shields, and throwing weapons lined the walls of the training room.

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