Chapter 8 – Flames in Her Veins
646 Words
The sky above the Fire Kingdom roared with clouds shaped like wings—ominous and beautiful. Below, in the palace’s hidden training courtyard, Zira stood barefoot on warm stone, firelight flickering in her palms and frost lining her lashes.
She was shaking.
Again.
“I can’t—” Her breath hitched as her fingers sparked with red, then hissed blue. “It won’t stop.”
Kaelion was the first to move. “Easy, Zira. Breathe.”
Kale remained quiet, standing like stone beside her, his cold gaze never leaving her trembling hands.
She was both fire and ice… and something more.
The courtyard had seen countless warriors train. But none like her.
***
They had decided she needed to start basic defense training—just enough to ground her. But the moment she stepped into the circle, the air shifted. The ground sizzled where she stood. Flames spiraled one second, freezing mist the next.
Unstable. Uncontrolled. Dangerous.
Still, she kept trying. Over and over.
Until finally, her knees gave in.
“I’m going to hurt someone,” she whispered, pressing her forehead to the ground. “I’m going to hurt *you*.”
“You won’t,” Kale said, voice low.
“You might,” Kaelion added with a smirk. “But only a little.”
She looked up at him, blinking.
He knelt beside her and nudged her with his shoulder. “Besides, I think you secretly want to set me on fire.”
A reluctant laugh escaped her lips.
Kale handed her a thick, ancient book. The leather cover glowed faintly. “You learn fast. This should help.”
Zira took it, fingers brushing his. A jolt ran through her. Again.
Always with him.
Always that spark.
***
Later, in the main palace halls, she walked alone—until she *heard it*.
The whispers.
They weren't loud, but they slithered through the walls.
“Did you see her hands?”
“Flame and frost? That’s not normal.”
“She’s cursed.”
Zira clenched her fists.
She could hear *everything* now. The walls, the staff, even footsteps two floors up.
It wasn’t just her power.
It was her *senses*.
Overwhelming. Maddening.
She fled, tears burning her eyes, until she found the library.
***
The library—now called the *Obsidian Archive*—felt safe. Dark but warm. Endless shelves of forgotten truths. She curled up in a corner with the book Kale had given her, trying to read while her skin pulsed with energy.
Moments later, both princes entered.
Kaelion flopped down beside her dramatically. “Learn anything, oh mighty flameheart?”
Zira groaned, hiding behind the book.
Kale raised a brow. “She’s overwhelmed.”
“I can tell,” Kaelion replied. Then, softer, to her: “But you’re not alone.”
Zira looked between them. “What if I lose control? What if I hurt someone?”
“Then we’ll catch you,” Kaelion said.
Kale nodded, quiet as always. But his eyes—his *presence*—said enough.
As they read through more scrolls together, Zira gradually relaxed. The warmth of the fire. The chill of ice. Both around her.
Kaelion leaned over and whispered, “You should see the way Kale looks at you when you’re not looking.”
Zira blinked, caught between a laugh and a blush.
Then—*a laugh*.
Soft, sharp, and unfamiliar.
It was Kale.
Zira turned, stunned. “Did you just…?”
Kaelion stared at his brother. “Did *you* just laugh?”
Kale cleared his throat. “She said something ridiculous.”
“No, no. Mark the day. Kale actually has a *soul*.” Kaelion winked at Zira. “You’ve worked a miracle.”
Zira laughed too, this time freely.
And in that moment—between
books, banter, and uncertainty—she felt something settle.
Maybe… just maybe… she wasn’t as lost as she thought.
- Writer
