Silver and Earth
793 Words
Chapter 3
ELIANA
The ground beneath me split in two, and I erupted—silver flames spilling from my veins.
Tears blurred my vision as the flames raged. Mother had been right; this needed to be contained.
The silver fire was cold, colder than death. It didn’t burn—it destroyed. I watched as it coiled around the oak beside me, and the tree decayed instantly.
This was death, not magic.
I reached out, desperate to stop it, but my hands passed through the flames like smoke. If I failed, if they reached Mother… I couldn’t even imagine the consequences.
I drew a deep breath, forcing my mind still. Slowly, the flames ceased. Looking down, I traced the cracks in the torn earth with a hand—and the ground knitted itself back together.
I am an earth bender. And this… flame? Can I even call it that?
Mother stared at me, her face pale, eyes wide as if she’d seen a ghost.
“Mother,” I whispered. My vision swam and darkness claimed me.
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I woke on her lap, her hand brushing away her tears.
“Mother, are you okay?”
“I should be asking you,” she murmured. “You were as cold as the dead minutes ago. I’m sorry for hiding everything, but Eliana… whatever that magic is, it’s not what Bor needs. It’s cursed. Evil.”
“But I can learn to control it,” I said, lifting myself from her lap.
“You can’t control something like this. Those silver flames could destroy all of Bor,” she shouted.
She had a point.
“I’ve been feeding you sea worm’s blood for years. Rubbing it on you. Imagine how powerful you’d be without it…” Her words hung in the air.
I froze. Following that stupid frog to the cave had been a mistake. Whatever was in there caused this.
“Enough about magic. Tell me about House Soryn.”
Before she could answer, I blurted: “After winning the last game, how did you escape the wrath of the other councils? The Soryns were trapped in their own house with magic. How did you get out?”
“I didn’t let them trap me,” she said. “I can create illusions, yes, but I can also turn off magic—or briefly steal someone’s power.”
“So that’s how you suppressed my magic?” I asked, understanding dawning.
“If you could turn off magic, why not mine?”
“It doesn’t work that way,” she said.
She continued, “I stole their magic and broke the barrier that kept us from leaving Soryn.”
“Didn’t the council see your face?” I asked.
“They did. But they only saw what I allowed. None of them know my true appearance.”
“Tell me about the curse on Soryn,” I demanded.
“Remember the tales I told you as a child. Our blood was carefully weaved to prevent the curse from finding loopholes. For years, Soryns married only within the house. The people couldn’t marry outside to keep the curse strong—until I married your father. Your blood is mixed, so the curse shouldn’t affect you or Lys.” She paused. “Though having two powers makes you… more at risk than Lys.”
I could barely breathe.
“If the curse is in my blood, then I’ll be part of the games? I have no preparation, no powers! How am I supposed to compete with trained Soryn nobles?”
“We can’t be sure yet. I’ll have you trained,” she said, placing her hand over mine. “I will not let you die for my sins, Eliana.”
She rose and moved to the wall, her hand pressing against a corner stone. A hidden door slid open.
“How many secrets are you hiding?” I thought.
“Stay here,” she instructed. She lifted a lantern and disappeared down the passage. Six minutes later, she returned, holding a gold necklace with a green emerald at its center.
“Take this,” she said, placing it in my hands. “It’s a siphon—a control for your powers. It absorbs excess energy. But be careful: if it fills too much, it could burn.”
I examined it. A faint name was engraved on the back: Assiya Soryn.
Mother’s eyes hardened. “I must see your father. Our people have been acting strangely. One last thing—stay away from the Blackrunes. The heir, I saw you with him at the ball… they bring nothing but trouble.”
She left, and I was alone with the necklace. Blackrunes were trouble, yes—but so were Soryns.
- Writer
