Page 119 of Fate and Flame
“I’m glad you were never raised here, Temir.” Gaea faced me. “I’m sorry for everything your life put you through, but it made you a hell of a better person than your father.” She stormed out of the room. Greeve followed closely behind her.
I turned to walk out, and he stopped me.
“You could stay. The gods have allowed it.”
I shook my head. “I’m not like you. I would never let the weak suffer while I stand by. I have a family. One that will defend me to my own father who cannot see past the end of his nose.”I closed the door and followed my team out of the house and back into the city.
“What now?” Gaea asked, throwing her hands in the air.
I quickened my step. “Ara said we don’t take no for an answer.”
“That was a firm no,” the drac added.
“Was it?” I asked, continuing down the bridge as the guards came running from Heva’s home. “Time to make a scene.”
Gaea grabbed my arm, understanding what I meant.“Where to?”
“Can you take us both?”
“Of course.”
“The middle of that main road should do it, then.”
Greeve lunged forward and we were gone. We landed as if dropped from the heavens. The crowd scanned the skies, trying to figure out where we had come from.
“A show, then?” Greeve asked, pulling out his favorite sword.
“Indeed,” I answered, doing the same.
“A draconian,” I heard someone shout.
“Heva?” someone else asked.
We began. Our swords clashed as Greeve took his time. He made a show of dancing around me as I blocked his moves and tried to press him back. No matter how much I’d been relentlessly training, I would never have his skill. His precision. Especially as he called his magic forward and began to cleave around the street, striking my sword, cleaving away, zooming up behind me, cleaving away. It became a show as Gaea started moving through the crowds with her own magic, whispering about the draconian fighting Heva’s lost son.
The streets overflowed with fae calling out, cheering, and exchanging coins as they bet on us. On our show. I held my sword high above me and took a knee, forfeiting the match to the better opponent. Some in the crowd began to boo.
But Greeve landed beside me and held his hands up. They quieted, eager to hear what he might have to say.“Today we have come to ask your leader for help. Not only for ourselves but for the world below. A world where draconians like myself ride wild beasts into battle.”He waved his hand for me to continue.
I stepped forward. “A world where a child, stolen away in the night, can be raised in the evil king’s castle and still be good.”
“A world,” Gaea said, landing beside me, “where a fae with magic can still find love and friendship and happiness.”
“Down there,” Greeve continued. “It’s not everything the rumors say. There are still fae worth fighting for. This great world has made a promise to us. But we need help in order to see that promise through. We come now, asking you to beseech your leader to join the fight, before the fight comes to you.”
The guards were pushing their way through the crowd and were nearly upon us.Taking a knee, I knelt before them. Greeve did the same. Gaea followed directly in the center. We bowed our heads in unison as she placed her hands on our backs, and we were gone.
“Do you think it worked?” I asked, standing as we landed at home.
“We did our best, didn’t start a war with them, and put on one hell of a show. If I know Ara, she’ll appreciate the dramatics.” Gaea smirked. “See ya later?”
I nodded, and in a snap, they were gone.
“Just the guy I wanted to talk to.” I turned to see King Fenlas walking up to me in the hall. He put his arm on my shoulder casually. “Got a minute?”
“Sure,” I said, taken aback by his relaxed nature. He’d always been like this, but it seemed so bizarre coming from a king.
We walked into his study, and his pile of books had doubled. He seemed happier though. Lighter.
