Page 142 of Crimson Promises
I dug my heels further into the ground.
“I thought my powers weren’t for offensive techniques. They can’t actually hurt anyone if they’re just shafts of light. Wouldn’t I just end up healing my enemies rather than defeating them?”
“I said that it isn’t meant to be channeled for offense. Not that it couldn’t be. I stand by my first rule that you must always try to run. But if you can’t, while we can assume your healing powers won’t melt someone gifted with fire magic, I think you would have a deeper well of power to draw from. I want to teach you to leverage that well and throw everything you have to stun or knock back your opponent. Like gravity, the weight of your power is not a thing to be messed with, and strategic and tactile decisions can give you numerous advantages in a life-or-death scenario.”
“Gotcha. But before we get started with your next torturous plan, you owe me two questions.”
“I owe you one. Obliterating the rock to smithereens wasn’t part of the plan.”
“Fine.” Demanding an answer to my earlier questions was at the tip of my tongue. An entirely selfish question blurted itself out instead. “Have you ever been in love before?”
“Love is a dangerous emotion. One I have intentionally stayed away from.”
“Surely, there must have been someone.”
“There was one, once.”
I couldn’t help the drop in my stomach at his admission. “What happened?” I pressed.
Ben’s gaze was transfixed on a spot a few feet away on the ground.
“Her name was Sara,” the low pitch of his voice surprised me. “She showed me kindness during a time of unbearable pain. She was a ray in what I had assumed was going to be a future shrouded in pain and torment. I had been sure death would not be far behind. She was a reminder that somewhere in this universe, kindness, generosity, and goodness existed. Sara was an Ordinary, like me. We bonded over our shared experiences and, more importantly, the desire for change and the belief that it was possible.”
His swallow came out obstructed and broken, like he was choking down shards of glass.
I wanted to wrap my arms around him to soothe his obvious pain. But he was wrapped up in memories and anguish from another life.
The only thing I could do was offer my silent support, standing from where I was.
“Whatever was between us was doomed before it had a chance to live. Turned out she wasn’t who I thought she was. Everything was a lie, all for her own selfish means. She tried to right her wrong, though it cost Sara her life. Since then, I’ve prioritized pleasure over love. At least that way, it avoids any unnecessary suffering. I’m on my own, and I always will be.”
This time, I didn’t hesitate to reach out to grip his arm. “I’m sorry your life has been filled with so much heartache.”
He shrugged off my touch. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. It wasn’t your fault, and like I said, it was many years ago. It doesn’t bother me anymore.”
The way he kept his body facing away from me said something entirely different.
“Ben—”
“I believe I’ve answered the question in full. Now, it’s time for you to run.”
“Run?!" His request had me confused. "Are you nuts? I’m not going to run into the forest. There are things in there that could eat me!”
“The best way to learn is under pressure. Ten.”
“You can’t be serious!” I crossed my arms over my chest. I refused to run into a dark and dangerous forest.
“Nine. Will you be the hunter or the prey, Aurora?”
I spun on my heel and took a deep breath before I left the comforting light of the clearing and entered the blanket of darkness. I crept through the dark forest, my heart pounding in my chest. I knew Ben was out there somewhere, searching for me.
With every stride, I pushed further into the thicket, my breath coming in ragged gasps. Branches whipped against my face, leaving thin lines of fire in their wake. I could almost feel Ben's presence behind me, a ghostly pursuer urging me faster, deeper. The forest was alive with a hoot of an owl and a faint call of a wolf had me pausing for a second I knew I didn’t have.
As I moved silently through the trees, I tried to focus on the task at hand. The further I moved away from the clearing, the more I couldn’t shake the feeling I was being watched.Probably Ben trying to scare me into using my powers properly.
My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat syncing with the chaotic symphony of the wild.
Adrenaline was a bitter taste on my tongue as I darted past trees, their ancient trunks like sentinels watching my mad dash. Roots seemed to reach for my ankles, and I leaped over them, driven by the primal instinct to survive, to evade, to not become prey.
