Page 8 of One Last Promise
“Oh, I would like to see you try!”She pulled the power of the wind between her hands.“I’d love to blow that pathetic flame of yours out.”
“Is that a challenge?”When he narrowed his eyes at Noor, I knew I’d have to intervene before a fight broke out.
“Xavier, stop it.”Pushing at his chest, I made him look down at me.“I am doing nothing wrong.I’m having a few drinks with my friends, in thesafepart of the tavern.No harm has been done.”
“Until your powers manifest, youarein danger, Alora.You know this.You can’t keep sneaking out.You’re acting like a commoner.”
“Is that such a bad thing?I love my kind as they love me.”I wasn’t going to be some caged creature.Xavier didn’t hold that kind of power over me...not yet anyway.
“If your father knew...”
“He’snotgoing to find out!I’ll never forgive you if you tell him.”His face looked perplexed.“It’s a few drinks and a bit of dancing.You can’t deny me that,” I pleaded, touching his chest softly.
“Will you allow me to watch you from a distance and keep you safe?”It wasn’t ideal, but I didn’t want to leave the tavern yet.
“Yes,” I sighed, removing my hand.
“Then I’ll escort you back to the palace when you are ready to leave.”Nodding, I motioned to the others to make our way back to the bar.
I needed more wine.
****
IT WAS SAFE TO SAYthat by the time Xavier escorted me back home, I was under the influence of the wine.He gripped my waist tightly as we both rode on his light leaper, Soleil.Light leapers were captured just outside of our lands at a young age, with the help of Jarious, Xavier’s other right hand man.Jarious could manipulate light and sun creatures into doing his bidding.It was easy to make the beasts hand over their young when Jarious was inside their heads.Only supreme Dylins were assigned the beasts, usually those that would go into battle.Light leapers had the appearance of a gigantic cat but with a longer neck.They came in a variety of sizes.They all had large paws with claws sharper than any dagger, and ranged in colour from pure white to a sandy yellow.Their sharp fangs could cut through anything.As a species, they were deadly from adolescence, but if a Dylin befriended a beast, it would purr like a kitten, sealing the bond.Soleil had been Xavier’s beast in battle for over five hundred years.He was white with a few grey stripes on his back.As we rode, I ran my hands through the soft hair on his back.Soleil made a low purr.
“He likes you,” Xavier whispered against my neck, pulling me closer against his body.“Soleil only ever purrs for me.He must know we are promised.These are sacred animals, full of power and ancient magic.”
“Must you bringeverythingback to us being promised?You knownothingabout me!”The wine was making me bold and confrontational.“You make no attempt to get to know me and win my heart.As a princess, don’t you think I deserve that?”
“Why would I need to woo what is already mine?”The nerve of him...treating me like I was his property already.“When your powers begin to manifest, you’ll understand that I’m the right choice, Alora.Power seeks power.You’ll be drawn to me.”
“You are so sure of yourself,” I snapped, shuffling a little.The heat of his body against mine was making me uncomfortable.
“I’m your father’s general.Zohar trustsmeto lead his army against the Noxlin scum.There is no greater honour other than to claim you as my own.Why wouldn’t I be sure of myself?”
“Don’t you wish to know anything about me?”
“We have an eternity to learn about each other once we are bonded.”Soleil turned right and the palace came into view.The midnight sun cascaded a beautiful pink haze over the marble.This was the darkest Dallethas ever got.We never saw a night sky, unlike the lands of the Noxlin.They were set in eternal darkness with a touch of twilight, depending on the time of the year.“Are you attracted to me at all, Alora?Do you findanymale attractive yet?”I might have been over fifteen hundred years old, but without my powers, I was still classed as a fledgling.“Have you hadanydesires?”
“Do you honestly think I would tell you if I had?”He gripped my waist painfully, making me turn to look at him.His eyes were a burning fire as I gazed into them.“You may be the general, but I out rank you.I’m the Dylin princess, and you will stop these advances towards me or I will speak to my father!”
“You have been spending too much time with Noor.You are getting her attitude.”His hands on me loosened a little.I took his statement as a compliment.We rode in silence the rest of the way.Xavier helped me off his beast, and I slid down his strong, muscled body.
“Sweet dreams,Princess,” he called as I stormed off towards my bedchamber.Xavier had been wounded by my words, but I knew it would take more than that to make him back off.
I sat in my chamber as my maids attended to my hair and helped me dress in my sleeping robes.I ushered them away after that, needing to be alone with my thoughts.
I had immortality, yet I wasn’t in charge of my own fate.What right did my father or Xavier have to take that from me?I knew my bloodline gave me certain obligations, but what if I didn’t want to be promised or bonded to anyone?
I wanted to be a warrior.My only desire was to avenge my mother’s death and take down the Noxlin bloodline.As I lay with my thoughts, my eyelids grew tired.Soon, I found myself dreaming of happy times, when my mother, Duska, had been alive.
“Those look beautiful.Who are you making them for?”my mother asked Noor and me as we sat near a stream, making daisy chains.We looked so young.
“You, Mother,” I beamed, holding one of the chains up.She knelt down, allowing me to place it over her head.Her golden hair glistened in the sun as it fell down her back in ringlets.Her cool, ocean blue eyes sparkled with humour.
“I have never had such a treasure!”She caressed my cheek, looking at me lovingly.“You are the best of all of us.Never forget that.You, my child, can achieve anything you set your mind to.”Touching the daisy chain in my hand, she turned it into pure gold.“For you, my beautiful Alora.Keep this with you and we’ll never be apart.”Placing the gold daisy chain around my wrist, she kissed my cheek.“Noor, you must always look out for Alora.Do you understand?”Noor nodded, her eyes wide with bewilderment at watching my mother turn flowers into pure gold.“You two will need to depend on each other one day.”She turned back to me.“And you, Alora, must make me a promise.”
“Anything, Mother.”
