Page 3 of One Last Promise
“That’s because you don’t want to see it.You are just like her.”
“I find myself barely remembering her these days.She’s like a dream in so many ways.”
“You are the part she left behind.You’ll always have that.”
“I wish I could have saved her.”The words burned on the way out, and had for all the years I had been without her.Having me made her weak.Deep down, I blamed myself.If I hadn’t been born, Duska would have had the power to defend herself.
“You’ve got to stop blaming yourself.You were too young to go into battle.”
“I could have been trained.At least I could have donesomething!”
“We’ve been through this, Alora.YouknowDylin females aren’t allowed to train for battle.That, and you are theprincess.The only way you’ll be able to join the next war is if your powers surface.”
I was part of the Dylin bloodline, a descendant of the very first light wielder over four billion years ago.It came with a lot of responsibility, including immortality.If anything happened to my father, the power of the light would fall to me.It wasn’t a responsibility to be taken lightly.My mother and father had bound themselves and shared the great power when my grandfather relinquished it over three hundred thousand years ago.The only way for my bloodline to die naturally was to give your power to your heir.
It was the reason a strong Dylin had to be promised or fated to me.In my state right now, if the great power were to come to me, it could destroy me.I simply wasn’t strong enough to channel it.With my own powers and promised mate, however, the power of the light could be shared.
Most normal Dylin lived for around thirty thousand years, but those gifted with some of the original bloodline had immortality.Most of the distant descendants, like Noor, had special abilities.I was grateful that I had an immortality that included her.It made me wonder how we were related.We could possibly be very distant cousins.
The market was lively as we glided across the courtyard.It was mostly food stalls today.Fresh fruit, nuts, dates and dried meats were all on display.
“Why is there nothingshiny?”Noor sighed, picking up some apricots and paying for them with the gold coins from her pouch.
“You know the jewellery stalls are usually every second Monday.I don’t know why you are so surprised.Why do you need a new necklace so badly, anyway?You have around twenty already.”Noor began to blush.Holy Ether!Had someone finally turned her head?Was she trying to impress them?“Noor, is there something you need to tell me?”I gasped, grabbing her arm gently.
“It’s nothing, really, but I have felt a small connection with Lito.”He was Xavier’s second in command.Lito seemed like a fairly decent male.I hadn’t had that many dealings with him, other than watching him train with Xavier.“Why are you giving methatface?”Noor questioned.I hadn’t realised I was even pulling a face.I had been fascinated by the laws of attraction for quite a while now.What made someone commit themselves to another?Not a single male had caught my attention, not even Xavier, who I had been promised to.Don’t get me wrong, he was an attractive male, with a strong, muscular body, short, dirty blond hair, and dazzling light brown eyes, but Xavier hadn’t ignited anything inside me that would allow him to lie with me.
“How do you know there is a connection?”
“You kind offeelit.”
“Where do youfeelit?”Why was Noor being so coy?
“Oh, I don’t know, Alora.Stop questioning me!”It was a simple question to me.There had never been anything that Noor and I couldn’t talk about.How was this any different?
“Tell me!I demand to know!”Using my authority wasn’t something I was proud of, but I wanted answers.
“Okay!Okay!”Noor spun around and pulled me into a side alley near the market.“You feel it downthere.” She motioned towards her sex and I gasped.That wasn’t an area forourpleasure until we found a male to lay with.
“Please tell me you haven’t tainted yourself, Noor!”Dylin females couldn’t bring themselves pleasure.To do that would offend Nantu and the Holy Ether.
“NO!Of course not.I wouldneversacrifice my powers!”Relief washed over me.Little was known about the consequences, but powers and souls were rumoured to have been taken in the past.“It’s an urge.That’s the only way I can describe it, and I’m desperate for Lito to help me calm it.”
“You’re still making no sense,” I giggled, pulling her back into the market square.The hood from my cloak fell to my shoulders.A few faces around us gasped as they realised who I was.
“Princess Alora!”They all began to chant around me, reaching out to touch my silver hair.“We are so honoured.”When Noor got pushed out of the way, I called out to her.The mob was growing larger and more aggressive.“Praise Ether.You will be our saviour.”I was becoming lost in a sea of bodies as they all tried to reach for me.
“Stop crowding the Princess,” a strong male voice called.My eyes snapped up to see Xavier pushing his way through the crowd effortlessly.“Give her some room!Anyone that touches her will answer tome!”When he lifted me into his strong embrace, I wrapped my arms around his neck.“How many times have your father and I told you that you must bechaperonedwhen you visit the market?”he scolded.Worry lines appeared on his forehead as he gazed down at me.“I have a pending war raging with General Nox.I can’t afford to be worrying about you, too.”
“I’m sorry.I was with Noor.”I motioned behind me where she had suddenly appeared.
“You can’t send a female to do a male’s job, Alora.”
“Alora and I have been to the market plenty of times with no issue.I do havepowers,Xavier!I’m more than capable of looking after her!”
“It shows,” he seethed towards her.“Can you give Alora and I a moment?I need to speak with her inprivate.”Noor didn’t give him so much as a glance as she stormed off, using her powers to kick some dust into his face.
“You really should try harder with her,” I suggested.He was still carrying me, so I gathered he was taking me back to the palace.
