Chapter 2
Three pairs of eyes narrowed curiously at a dark carriage in front of their home. As they drew closer, Aurora stopped mid-step and debated going farther. She knew the carriage. It was that of the leader of the Cerean Clan, and her father, Dominik Solen. Seeing his carriage was never a good sign. The fact that it was there at all set her on edge.
“We can always turn back and claim that we got lost on the way home,” Bryant suggested with shifty eyes.
Natara shook her head with a wry smile. “Something tells me they would see through that ruse.”
Aurora nodded solemnly. “Yes, they would know better. They would also expect better of us. We cannot have them thinking that we have spent the last twelve years of our lives out here practicing only to lose our way.”
Bryant sighed and conceded to the truth of her words. “What could Master Dominik want out here at this time of night anyway?”
“Yeah, I would have thought your father would be curled up with his mistress.” Natara added, her tone dark.
Aurora’s deep blue eyes flashed at the comment. Her father had been notorious for keeping company with several outsiders. She knew she was not his only child, but she was his only pure-blood child making her the only choice as an heir. She hated being related to him, but there were just some things she could not control. His affairs grew to be more wildly known when the Chosen Ones were sent away. She hated him almost as deeply as she hated Lord Theron. To her, he was just as evil.
White fire still flickered in her eyes, but she remained calm. “That man is no more my father now than he was the day I was born. He hated that his only pure blooded child, and heir, was not male, but even more than that, he feared having a daughter who could be stronger than himself.” Her thoughts took a darker turn as she thought more about her father.
“I am not the only one he fears, though. Our Power is the reason why we are out here. The stronger we are, the more of a threat we are to him and his dream of being the all powerful one. See, out here in these woods…” she paused and swept her arm toward the path they had come down. “We are too close to the side of Shadows. He hoped we would be attacked and destroyed. The fool actually believes the power will die with us.”
“As long as Theron is threatening this country, our powers will just be reborn in another,” Natara returned with a shake of her head as the door to the cabin opened and a head with black and red hair peered out at them.
“Might as well go on in; Sapphira has spotted us so we could not get away if we wanted to,” Bryant muttered, forcing a smile and waving to the teen at the door.
Aurora arched an eyebrow. “Are you so certain we could not?”
He turned toward her and smirked as they continued to the cabin. Bryant pushed open the door and paused to allow Sapphira, Natara, and Aurora to enter before him. Dorian looked up from his place by the fire and Sapphira sat down near him as Monique stood to greet them.
“Aurora,” she started, but was quickly interrupted by her daughter’s cold voice.
“To what do you owe the honor of your presence, Master Dominik?” A man with dark hair, and grey eyes turned to face her, standing tall and proud. She never backed down from his look and remained in her place as he stepped toward her. She moved back only when he reached out to lightly touch her hair.
“Daughter, you sound so cold-hearted for one so young.”
Her eyes flashed again. “How dare you call me ‘daughter’ when you have forsaken me all these years? I am not so young anymore. I am old enough to know a great deal more than you realize.”
He had to admit he was impressed by her strength and courage. His eyes flickered over to her mother. “Such a shame, in the days of war, children must become adults long before their time.”
“Aurora, your father has come here tonight on important matters. Matters which involve all of us.”
“Another battle is near?” Bryant asked, tensing.
“Not quite, though I do not doubt that will be the case soon,” Dominik responded, keeping his gaze locked on Aurora. It had become a battle of wills between them, and he was not ready to back down. He was determined to show his daughter her place. She was just as determined to show him she was not the weak child he continued to think her to be.
“A special summons from the King was received earlier today. He wishes to speak with all of us,” he explained further. The group watched them with uneasiness. Ever since he had refused to grant them permission to join the war against Lord Theron, Aurora had silently waged a mental war with her father. They knew how much it meant to her to show him she could push him back if needed. A soft rumbling growl could be heard from both father and daughter and Aurora’s hand went to her dagger. Sapphira noticed the movement and jumped.
“I do not understand, Miss. Monique,” She spoke quickly, keeping her eye on Aurora’s hand. Dorian and Bryant caught her gaze and slowly moved into the defensive. When she was certain she had captured their attention, she continued. “What could the king possibly want with us?”
“That was not told to us,” Dominik answered, finally giving up his battle with Aurora and turning his gaze to Sapphira. “It was only said that he wished to speak with Monique, myself, and the strongest of our clan.”
“One does not need psychic visions to know he is wanting our help, Dominik,” Aurora’s voice still gave away her barely leashed temper as she dropped her hand once more. “The way this war is going, it was only a matter of time. I do not know why you are bothering with the King’s time when you are only going to give him the same answer you gave our own people.”
Dominik turned back to face Aurora. “You are not afraid to speak your mind, I see.”
“There is little I fear anymore.”
“Is that so?”
Aurora’s deep blue eyes narrowed, her voice low. “I have seen battle, violence, and death. I have seen the effects of punishment and torture. I have been to the Shadows and back. Yes, Master Dominik, I have very little to fear.” The room stood frozen as the weight of her words sank into Dominik’s mind. Father and daughter stared coldly at each other. No one else in the room dared to step between them. Without warning, she gave a sarcastic laugh. “What I find so humorous is that we are not allowed to remain inside the village because of who we are and the Power we control, but the moment someone asks for your strongest warriors, we are to be ready at a moment’s notice.”
“Aurora,” Dominik snapped in a stern tone. Her friends watched as she refused to flinch under his piercing gaze. She remained tall and noble. She carried in her return stare all the honor in her blood. She never lowered her gaze as he spoke. She showed him no fear. They then saw the anger her response to him created. Dominik seethed. “You may have come far in your lessons, but you still lack respect.”
“I save respect for those who deserve it.”
“Enough, Aurora!”
The teen flinched and stepped back at the angry tone of her mother’s voice. She hated her father with all the passion in her soul, but her mother she loved, respected, and feared. Tender she had been when Aurora needed her to be, but she was not a pushover either. When she used her commanding voice, everyone knew to listen or face the consequences.
There was a pause as they waited to see if Aurora would defy her mother, but as with the others, the teen knew enough to keep her peace. Monique faced Dominik. “We will have to go into the village to receive proper clothing for the audience with the king. We will be there early in the morning.”
“Very well, I will see to it the dress shop is open and expecting you. My home will be open for you to use to prepare yourselves afterward. We will leave early afternoon in order to make the dinner appointment.” Monique nodded. Bryant and Natara glanced at each other while Dorian and Sapphira shared a sigh. Dominik turned back to his daughter. “Daughter, I expect you to show the king more respect than you have shown me”
“That will not be a problem, father,” she returned coolly. Looking up at her mother she added, “I am not hungry this evening. I will not be joining you for tonight’s meal.” Without another word, she turned and brushed passed her parents. They watched in silence as she walked down and disappeared into a room at the far end of the hall.
*****************************
Aurora paid no attention as the door swung open gently behind her. Soft footsteps approached her, yet she made no effort to acknowledge the new presence. She glanced, uninterested, beside her as a small plate of food was placed near her.
“I thought I would bring you a little something in case you felt hungry.”
Aurora sighed and looked up into bright jade eyes, now soft with concern. “Thank you,” she said softly.
Sapphira brushed a few strands of her red and black hair off her shoulder and sat near her friend in front of the window. “Aurora, you know I will always stand beside you, no matter what…” Sapphira started, before nervousness made her stop. She realized that even though she wanted her friend to speak to her, she had no idea how to get her to open up.
“Yes, I know.” There was a sigh and Aurora glanced out of the corner of her eye at her friend. “If you have something to say, please, just say it.”
Sapphira frowned before taking a deep breath. “I just have to ask. What exactly happened to bring about the animosity between you and your father? I mean, besides the whole putting us out here in the woods and attempting to deny you your place as heir.”
Aurora swallowed hard. It was difficult to explain her emotions. She held so many deep inside she had no idea just where to start. Staring at the stars, she knew she would have to explain the things she knew. She just was not sure if she would be able to.
“You know how every little girl looks up to her father? Admires him and wants to even marry someone like him one day?” Sapphira nodded and pulled her knees to her chest, hugging them as she listened. Aurora took a deep breath and let it out as a soft, wistful sigh. “That just is not the case with me. He let it be known right from the start that he did not want a daughter to take his place as leader of this clan. He was livid when he noticed the mark my mother had kept hidden for the first four years of my life. But that is not the entire reason.” Aurora sighed again and bowed her head, her hands folding themselves on her lap. “Syrus told me a few things before he died that struck me, but did not surprise me.”
Sapphira gave her friend a confused look. It was not like Aurora to talk in riddles. For her to do so, meant that her words were not going to be ones she wanted to hear. Syrus and Aurora were the two people Sapphira knew to listen to within the group. They knew more than anyone else seemed to know. Since his death, Aurora had acted as though she was only one half of herself. It had never occurred to her that there had been some unfinished business between the two Chosen Ones. She nervously bit on the inside of her cheek as Aurora continued to speak.
“He once told me that he overheard his parents talking about the direction the clan had gone in after Dominik’s father stepped down. I guess Master Dayton has had some concerns about his son’s ways. You and I would not know, but the generation before us would remember clearly. They remembered the calm and peace. My grandfather was a good man. How he could have been a part of bringing Dominik into this world, I guess no one really knows. Dominik is cold and heartless whereas his father was not.” Aurora shook her head to clear her thoughts and bring herself back to the point she was attempting to make. “Anyway, Syrus’ parents were not sure they wanted to continue following Dominik and there were talks between them and others breaking free.”
Sapphira frowned as she tried to grasp her friend’s words. “You mean a separation among the clan?”
Aurora nodded. “Admittedly, I did not know much about the order of the clan. My mother has been trying to teach me the ways of our people for years.”
“It is kind of hard when you cannot be there to see how things work first-hand.”
“I know. That in itself causes even more problems for me. I only knew that we were powerful and strong. I also knew that I was different. That there were six of us who were more different than the others. I did not like being treated differently. It was bad enough being Dominik’s daughter, but to have this extra weight on my shoulders made things even worse.”
“But you never used to speak to Master Dominik the way you did this evening.”
“I have not exactly seen much of him since he sent us out into the woods either.”
“Very, true.” Sapphira hesitated again before pressing the subject one more time. “So, Syrus’ family; they suspected Master Dominik of misdealings?”
“Not just his family. I guess while we were asleep, Syrus had been going into the village to follow him on his late night excursions. The things he saw Dominik doing… Syrus knew no one would truly believe just him alone so one night, he asked me to come along. I had not been completely shocked by what I saw, but it was unnerving just the same. Syrus had been spying on Dominik when he was secretly meeting Lord Theron.”
“Aurora!” Sapphira’s eyes grew wide as she struggled to keep herself upright on the ledge by the window. Her heart pounded wildly at the accusation. “You cannot be serious! Do you realize you speak treason against Master Dominik?”
“I speak nothing but the truth,” Aurora insisted, her eyed flashing. “I know what I saw. I tried to tell my mother. That did not go over too well. She still wants to believe the best in him. She refuses to see that he has changed from the man he used to be in her eyes.
“Sapphira, think hard. Think back to our first real battle. Two months ago; who all were among the dead at the end of it?”
Sapphira gave her a questioning look. The battle was one she had avoided thinking too much about as it was the last time she had seen her parents alive, but the look in her friend’s eyes was so intense, she pushed aside the sudden grief and thought back as she was asked. “Syrus, his mother, father, my parents…” Her voice trailed off as the weight of the truth fell heavily upon her.
“My mother, and Bryant’s father as well.” They turned to the soft voice at the door as Dorian moved from where he had been listening silently until that moment. A solemn look held in his usually warm brown eyes as he made his way to them. Aurora moved to allow him space to sit beside her. It had become common for them all to meet in one room or another just to talk after the day was done. Reaching out, Aurora placed a hand on his upper arm in comfort. Seeing the wounds his mother had endured in that battle had been much for him to take. Bryant had been helping Dorian try to heal his mother when Zelos Harper’s death occurred. They did everything they could, but unfortunately, fate had other plans in store for both parents.
“They were all people who had planned to separate from the clan. And they were all families and parents of … well, of us. Except for my mother. I saw Dominik protect her,” Aurora remembered. “He did what he could to make sure she was not hurt. However, all of us who had family left saw them fall in that battle. It was a test for us, as well as a warning. Go against him and lose everything.”
Sapphira shook her head, still attempting to deny the words she knew in her heart to be truth. “After that battle, he sent us here. He said it was for the safety of the clan.”
“More for his own safety. He felt it better we were not there so he did not get caught in his next rendezvous. We pose more of a threat to him and his power now than we do to Lord Theron, himself.”
“If this is true, then why did he accept this invitation from the king?” Dorian asked with a frown. “It does not make any sense.”
“I think I understand,” Sapphira responded quietly after a moment of silence. “The king would have asked for us, for our help in ending this war, meaning that he could unknowingly tell Master Dominik his strategies. Not only that but Master Dominik would be able to get a feel for how things really are among the king’s army. Once he has this information-”
“He can report it back to Lord Theron and tilt the battle into the enemy’s favor,” Dorian finished as the realization began to dawn on him. Aurora nodded and sighed as Sapphira stood and began to pace the floor.
“You have known this all along?” Sapphira asked suddenly, stopping and looking directly at her friend.
“About his betrayal to our people? I did not learn this until after the battle. Since then, yes, I have known.” “Then we have to do something about it,” Dorian said grimly, his gaze cast down at his clenched hands.
Aurora nodded again. “And we will; when the time is right and we are ready. We will succeed where the others did not.”
“I take it you have a plan?” Sapphira countered, placing her hand on her hip while arching an eyebrow.
“You can say that.” Aurora stood and moved from the window. Dorian took over her spot as he watched her place a hand on her forehead as she went deep into thought. After a moment, she took a breath and looked up at them. “Dominik will attempt to make up our minds for us as to how to proceed in this war. He will attempt to tell the king some story about why we should not be a part of it. We will have to counter that story. We are the ones in control, now, not him. The king needs help. We can give him that help.”
“I just hope you know what you are doing, Aurora. Going up against Master Dominik like that; if he finds out, it could be all over,” Dorian cautioned, concern radiating from his spirit. No one wanted Theron to pay more than the Chosen Ones did for what was done to their families, but they all knew they had to be careful. With their clan’s master an enemy to their people, anything was possible.
Aurora nodded and gave him a light smile. “I guess it is time to see just how well I can make decisions then, huh?”
Dorian stood and walked over to her, tenderly taking her hand in his. “Hey, you know you have us no matter what,” he assured her with a hug. “For now, though, I have to get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”
Sapphira nodded and left her spot at the window to make her way to her bed. “That we do. Good night, Dorian.”
“Night,” he said with a wave as he left the room. Aurora crossed the room to her own bed, pulling her nightgown from under the pillow and quickly dressing. Sapphira, who had already done the same, hesitantly approached her.
“Do Bryant and Natara know about this?”
“Not yet. I had no intention of telling anyone this soon.”
“What made you change your mind?”
“Besides what happened here tonight?” Lapis eyes met jade ones with fierce determination. “I had a vision a few days ago that made me think. I saw a confrontation against Dominik. I saw that several more of our people would be hurt. However, we are about to be a full group once again. Syrus’ powers were reborn in another and we will be meeting that other person soon.” Aurora shook her head in silent frustration. “The time to act is nearly upon us. We will have to be ready. I will explain everything to Natara and Bryant in the morning on our way to the village. For now, Dorian is right. We all just need our sleep.”
Sapphira hesitated a moment before turning back to her bed. “Hey Aurora?”
“Yes?”
“What is going on between you and Dorian anyway?”
Aurora looked up sharply, her eyes wide with shock. “What do you mean?”
Sapphira glanced over her shoulder with a smirk. “Are we seeing a possible pair up between you two?” She suppressed a chuckle when Aurora’s mouth opened and closed with no sound being heard. “I mean, it is obvious to all of us that he is… a little more than infatuated with you.” She squealed and jumped when Aurora laughed and threw her pillow at her.
“He is just a good friend, Saph. Like the rest of you. I can trust him. I can count on him.”
“But?” Aurora’s eyes saddened as she seated herself on her bed. Sapphira returned her pillow and watched as her friend held it tightly against her body. “There will never be another one for you, will there?”
“I cannot be sure of that now, Saph. I have not seen anyone else for me.”
“What about a spell? We could try one to see what happens.”
“No,” Aurora refused softly with a shake of her head. “There are some things a person is not meant to know until it is revealed by Fate itself. Who one falls in love with is one of those things.”
“But I hate seeing you so sad all the time.”
“Is it really all the time?” She looked up at her friend, curiosity filling her gaze.
“Only to those of us who can see in your eyes to know the truth. You appear calm and controlled, but those of us who know to look deeper, are always able to see the truth.” Sapphira say down beside her and placed an arm around her shoulders. “Hun, you loved him. You always will love him. No one will ever fault you for that, but Syrus would never want you to remain alone forever. He would want you to move on and find another who could give you everything he would have been able to and more. That person is out there. One day you will look up and he will be right there in front of you.”
“You make it sound like a fairytale come true,” Aurora returned with a roll of her eyes.
Sapphira grinned. “Who knows, maybe for you it will be. Hell, you could find yourself married to a prince.”
“Me and a prince? Yeah, right, now you are dreaming,” Aurora laughed as she gave her friend a playful shove off her bed. “Go on, we need some sleep before morning actually gets here.” She heard her friend’s soft mocking laughter as she rested her head down on the bed. Her smile faded slightly as she thought over Sapphira’s words. Me and a prince… no, it could never be…
© Lady Aurora
