BURNING FATE

Between Fire and Memory

Third Person POV

Sia stepped out of the room, gently closing the door behind her.

The soft click sounded louder in the stillness of the penthouse. Exhaling, she leaned against the marble counter, palms pressed flat, mind racing with memories and worry.

"She'll be fine," came a calm, familiar voice.

Sia turned to find Elvis standing by the dining table, adjusting cutlery with quiet precision. A gentle warmth danced in his silver-flecked eyes.

"Why don't you eat first?" he said, nodding toward the table. "Even a fae needs her energy."

She nodded with a sigh and approached the table slowly, then paused.

Her eyes widened at the spread: moon-glazed petals over crystal greens, buttered root slivers, a fae favorite stew that shimmered softly with starlight. The scent drifted up - floral, citrus, and something ancient, like forgotten summer rain in the glades of Eldwyn.

"You made all this?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Elvis smiled. "Thought you could use a little cheer."

Sia's throat tightened. She hadn't tasted anything like this since the last Summer Solstice at the Faerun courts. Before everything changed.

A gentle hand came to rest on her shoulder. Warm. Steady.

"You can ease up now, Sia," Elvis said softly. "You've carried this burden alone long enough. We'll help you protect Ember. I believe she is the one we think she is... though we may need answers only you can give."

She nodded silently, lips pressed together, and let him pull out a chair for her. She sank into it and picked up the spoon. For a moment, she just held it, letting the warmth seep into her fingers before she began to eat in quiet, thoughtful bites.

Elvis sat across from her, silent, his eyes never leaving her face.

Halfway through her meal, the bedroom door opened with a soft creak. Both Sia and Elvis looked up.

Raegan stepped out, moving with the kind of controlled stillness that betrayed the tension in his chest. The door closed behind him with a low thud, but it was his heartbeat - sharp, fast, and loud, that echoed through the magically sensitive walls of the penthouse.

Sia arched a brow. Elvis gave a knowing smirk but said nothing.

Raegan avoided their eyes and walked straight to the refrigerator. He pulled out a sealed container, removed the lid, and reheated the contents with a flick of his fingers elegantly, and precisely, with a practiced control on his dragonfire. The subtle crackle of heat hummed under the silence.

He carried his plate to the table and sat down, his breathing finally slowing.

Elvis casually reached toward Raegan's plate with his fork.

Smack.

Raegan slapped Elvis's hand away without even glancing up. "Get your own damn plate," he growled in a low voice.

Elvis chuckled and rose. "Touché," he murmured, walking into the kitchen. "Must've been a hell of a moment."

Raegan said nothing, too focused on his food.

Sia continued eating, though slower now, watching both of them with quiet curiosity. By the time Elvis returned with his own plate, she had already finished.

After the meal, they moved in sync, clearing the dishes, and rinsing with practiced ease. Silence hung over them, not uncomfortable, but heavy with unspoken questions.

Raegan found himself staring at the closed bedroom door.

"She fell asleep before you even finished heating the food," Sia said gently, folding the dishtowel. "She's exhausted. It's been... a lot."

There was a tinge of guilt in her voice.

Raegan didn't speak for a long moment. Then, finally, Elvis did.

"The magic that was masking her... it's unraveling," he said. "It's not your fault, Sia. You've protected her for years. And now... you have us."

Sia sighed. "You don't understand, Elvis." Her voice trembled faintly, though she didn't let it break. "She's been working with Raegan for months. And neither of us noticed. She was supposed to unveil soon after she met her mate." She looked between them, frustration flickering beneath the surface.

Raegan frowned. "You're saying... I should have triggered it?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "You're her mate, Raegan. We can all see it now. But the signs were dormant all along. Her powers didn't even flicker around you all these days... not like tonight."

Elvis crossed his arms, thinking. "Maybe the masking was deeper than we thought. Or maybe... something interfered with the bond forming."

Sia looked at Raegan. "Did you feel anything, even before tonight?"

Raegan's eyes narrowed, recalling. "A pull," he said quietly. "An instinct. But I dismissed it. Thought I was imagining things. She felt... familiar, but not magical."

"She's more than magic," Sia said. "She's prophecy."

"And prophecy doesn't wake gently," Elvis added. "It roars."

They all looked at the door again.

Behind it, a girl slept. One who had no idea the world would soon bend around her.