Page 78 of Queen of Fire

He was walking faster than I had ever seen him, his handsballing and unballing repeatedly as he did so. I called out to him, and he skidded to a stop, turning with a look of shock on his face.

“Yes, love?” He asked, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked down at me, “I thought you were going to get changed.”

“I am, but I have a question.” I said through puffed breaths, this morning’s training had begun to settle in my muscles, “Have you drank the water recently?”

Cyrus lifted an eyebrow, blinking a few times in surprise at the randomness of my question.

“No, I don’t think so. Why?” His smile was bemused as he questioned me, and I felt my cheeks flush.

The strange taste from my water this morning still burned at the back of my throat, but if Cyrus had not had any he would not know what I was referring to.

“No reason, I just thought it tasted a bit off.” I shrugged, laughing lightly, and lifting a hand to pat his chest, “I will see you later,”

Cyrus nodded as I turned away from him again. By the time I had reached the staircase again, he had disappeared down another hallway, towards his own office, and I did not miss the sound of a door slamming as it echoed through the hallways and into the lobby.

39

Kira

Alexandre’s presence was a welcome comfort in the dim light of my office.

The grey sky outside offered no reprieve for the sun to break through, and the lit candles could only cast so much glow. Thankfully, someone in the castle had the right mind to light my fireplace, and as I pushed open the door to my office, I relished the warmth.

Gracie, Alexandre, and Leo were already sitting on the couches, trays of goodies having already been dropped off by a staff member while I had been getting changed. My leather training leggings had been replaced with linen trousers and a thick, woolen jumper. I smiled as I stepped into the room, letting the door close behind me with a soft click.

Alexandre smiled at me as I crossed towards them, and I let myself relax for the first time in days as I slipped ontothe plush couch next to him.

The office door opening barely registered in my mind as I tuned in to the conversation that they were already having. Gracie was filling Alexandre in on all the details of the wedding, everything from the rope tying to the flowers, she was gushing over it all. Alexandre was sipping at his tea and nodding along with her, a small smile on his face.

A steaming mug of tea appeared in front of my face, and I jumped slightly, taken aback at the suddenness of it. I took it in my hands, turning to thank the person that had entered beforehand, but they were already disappearing back through my office door, a black cloak floating out behind them as they all but sprinted from the room. I frowned, my eyes staying locked on the door until it had swung closed fully before I turned back to my friends, confusion written all over my face.

“Did you see that?” I asked them, sniffing the tea in the mug. It smelled of nothing more than my usual lemon and ginger, and I sipped at it cautiously.

“See what?” Gracie asked around a mouthful of cake, and Leo shook his head.

“Nothing, I think I’m seeing things.” I sighed, taking another sip of tea, and relishing the warmth that spread through my throat and into my chest. The air had been quick to turn cold once the rains had arrived, and while it was still warmer than it would be at home, the chill had gotten deep into my bones today.

Alexandre rubbed my arm in comfort, and I smiled at him gently, letting my head lull to the side and rest on his shoulder.

“How is Emily?” Leo asked from his space on the floor. His legs were crossed under himself, and he was staring at his father as though he thought he might disappear if he looked away for too long.

“Ah, Emily.” Alexandre sighed, sitting forward, and placing his now empty tea mug onto the table in front of him, “She is thriving in chaos.”

Leo and Gracie both laughed, nodding their heads as if that was to be expected, but I frowned. Emily had always hated chaos, more than anything she just wanted to be in control and prepared for anything.

“She misses you, of course.” Alexandre kept talking, looking at Leo with a smirk, “And you, Your Majesty.”

“I miss her too,” I nodded, clutching my warm mug to my chest, letting the heat seep through the skin of my hands.

A thick, leaden feeling had begun to settle in my stomach, and I tried to swallow around the lump it was causing in my chest. I was used to missing Emily, of course I was, but with Alexandre here now, the longing for the only mother figure I had ever known was multiplied, and I ached to be wrapped in one of her hugs.

Alexandre smiled at me, helping himself to another mug of tea from the still steaming tea pot on one of the trays. His voice floated around the room on a cloud of lemon scented steam, and I let myself sink into the couch cushions as I listened to him.

A strange, pulling emptiness had started to form at the base of my spine, and I frowned to myself as I sipped at my rapidly emptying mug. Turning my mind inwards, I tried to focus on my breathing, pulling myself away from the spreading feeling of nothingness coming from my back.

The twinge that I often felt when I searched for my magic was weaker than I had ever felt it, and a surge of panic had sweat starting to form on my hairline. It had never felt this weakened, not since the first time I had tried to connect with it during a lesson with Leo, and the more I reached for it, the farther away it seemed to get.

“Kira?” Gracie’s voice pulled me into the room again, and I snapped my head up, my eyes taking a second to focus on her.

---