Soul Blaze (4 page)

“Now!” The man holding my wrist roared, and I
screamed as I was pulled into the mirror with him.
~Chapter Five~
“Don’t you dare!”
“Let her go, Jettais.”
“They were going to
kill
her.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. They weren’t going to kill her
immediately.”

There was a dull thud, skin on skin. Someone had
punched someone else. There was an outraged squawk,
and pressure I hadn’t noticed on my wrist lessened.

“You’ve made a grave mistake,” someone else said, a
woman. An old woman at that.

“I don’t doubt it,” I now recognised the voice of the
man who’d pulled me through the mirror. “What you’re
going to do to her is worse than death.”

Terror ripped through me. I struggled to open my eyes,
but they were too heavy. My body lay immobile on the
cold floor.

“We need her to regain consciousness before we can
begin,” it was the woman’s voice again. The other male
voice had yet to speak again. “Otherwise her subconscious
will fight us.”

“Don’t you understand it yet?” Jettais, the man who’d
pulled me through the mirror, snapped. “If they were after
her as well, that means she is –”

“It means nothing,” the older man finally spoke again,
though this time his voice was filled with cold anger. “It
only means they suspect the same as us. It proves
nothing.”

“And how long until she accidentally kills you?” Jettais
replied dangerously. “If she is who you suspect, and you
try to do this, she could kill you.”

“It is a risk,” the older woman admitted. “One we have
accepted.”

“Here’s hoping,” Jettais snarled. “Who are you two to
decide this? No, you know what, I’m done with you. I’m
done sitting back and watching you both rule as you see
fit.”

“Tread lightly, Jettais,” the older male voice warned,
and I felt goose pimples rise on my arms. “It would not be
wise to cross us.”

“Cross this,” I heard Jettais spit back. There was a loud
crack and suddenly the air was filled with heat and smoke.

Someone swore, the old woman I think. My head
thudded but I still lay immobile on the floor, unable to
open my eyes. Suddenly, I realised that someone was very
close to me.

“I’ll be back for you, my daughter.” I felt Jettais press a
kiss to my forehead. Then he was gone.
The fire was closing in. I felt immeasurable heat start to
press on my legs.
This is it, I thought hopelessly. I die paralysed on a
floor.
With that morbid thought, I sank into the darkness yet
again.

When I awoke, I was kneeling. I blinked sleepily, my
eyes clearing, and I could make out the familiar pattern of
my pyjamas, cartoon cows on pink material. I moved
slightly, and noticed a heavy weight around my right
wrist. My left arm also had the same weight attached,
keeping away from my splint. As I lifted my head, I
realised I also had on a heavy metal collar.

I looked around as much as I could. I was in a dingy
cell, facing a wall of metal bars, through which I could see
the bottom landing of some stairs. The only light available
was being issued from torches in heavy brackets on the
walls. My hair hung around my face in greasy tresses.

How long had I been unconscious? And where was I?

As though answering my question, I heard someone
start down the stairs. A short woman with pure white hair
piled on her head came into view, looking all the word
like someone’s kind grandmother if not for the scowl on
her face and the burns on her robe.

“Good. You’re awake.” I shuddered as I recognised her
voice. “You’ve given us a lot of grief, Sky. But that’ll be
over soon.”

“Who the hell are you?” I asked quietly. I decided it
was best not to swear at her, though I was sorely tempted.
“What are you going to do with me?”
She eyed me off.

“I suppose it doesn’t hurt to tell you considering it
won’t matter soon. I’m going to take your magic. Again. I
don’t know how you regained it, but it doesn’t matter
either way.”

“So what? You’re going to kill me in the process?” I
decided to skip over all the ‘magic’ crap, considering she
was obviously insane anyway.

“It’s a dangerous process,” she said, standing outside of
my cell, her hands clasped in front of her. “I’ve never had
to take it twice.”

I swore all of the worst words I knew at her, venting
some of my frustration and terror.
“Charming,” she said when I paused for breath. “Now,
shall we begin?”
She opened the cell.

“Don’t come near me,” I said quietly. I could feel the
fire in my veins beginning to burn. My fear was activating
it. “Don’t even try to touch me.”

“Hold still,” she said, ignoring me. She held her hand
up and I saw something begin to gleam on her palm.

Power surged through me. I immediately flung my
hand out to protect myself, the chain links tearing from
the floor like paper. The power that I’d somehow conjured
lit in my hand like a white hot fireball. Fear flickered in
her eyes.

“How did you do that?” she demanded, though I could
hear the tremor in her voice.

Instead of answering, I tore the other chain out of the
floor so that both of my arms were free. Then I stood up,
the collar around my neck only tugging slightly before the
chain that anchored it to the floor broke as well.

The woman lifted her hands in front of her, and I saw
the gleam of fire in both of them. Before I could think, I
flung both of my hands forward, and she was engulfed in
white flames.

The fire was taking too much of me. As the tongue of
flame subsided, I felt my limbs grow heavy. The cell,
which had burst into brilliant light due to the fire, grew
dark, the torches extinguished. I saw the woman fall the
ground, her robes charred and smoking.

I teetered, struggling to regain my balance. I could hear
people yelling, and footsteps began to thunder down the
steps towards my cell. Someone came barrelling down, a
young man with golden hair. He took one look at the
woman on the ground, and then looked up fearfully.

His expression changed immediately.
“Sky?” he asked, but I was gone again.
~
When I woke, I was tucked into a warm bed. My eyes
flickered, and I took in the high, vaulted ceiling.

There was a knock at the door. I sat up warily, still
wearing my cow pyjamas. I searched the room for some
kind of weapon, but besides the bed, it was empty.

“Come in,” I called nervously, banking on the hope that
a hostile visitor wouldn’t bother knocking on the door
first.

The door opened, admitting a young woman around my
age. Her hair was rolled into a neat bun, but her large
brown eyes wide. Her fingers shook as she lowered the
tray she was carrying onto my bedside table.

“Here you are... miss,” she said, her soft voice showing
none of the tremor in her hands.

She scuttled out of the room before I could question
her. I lifted the lid of the tray off cautiously. So they were
buttering me up with breakfast now, were they?

Well, it worked. I wolfed the toast and eggs down, and
then swung my legs out of bed. The stone floor was cold
beneath my feet, but I ignored it and padded over to the
door. I tested the handle, but it was locked.

There was a window at the foot of my bed. I
approached it and tried to pry it open, but it refused to
budge. I fought down the rising feeling of claustrophobia,
and instead laid my forehead against the glass. Directly
below me was a beautiful rose garden, and beyond that, a
large field bordered by a forest. As far as I could see, there
were no buildings, no roads, and no sign of civilization.

I hit the glass experimentally, wondering if I could
break it. Though I’d have a difficult job getting down the
wall.

“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting,” I jumped as the
old man spoke behind me. His eyes watched me, and I
suddenly felt exposed. “Please, dress. We have much to
discuss.”

I didn’t take the bundle of clothes he offered me.
“Where’s my Dad?” I asked, for I now remembered the
whispered words of the man.

The man didn’t reply. Instead, he put the clothes on my
bed and swept towards the door. I could sense anger
rolling off of him in waves, but I didn’t care.

“My father,” I said loudly before he got to the door.
“Where is he? I want to see him.”

He ignored me and left the room. The door swung back
into place, and I heard the lock click loudly. I stood where
I was, my heart thudding in my chest.

My Dad. My father, who I’d never met before in my
life. Was he here somewhere? Was he the reason behind
my missing year?

I crossed my arms, tucking my shaking hands against
my body. Eventually I crossed the room and held up the
shirt the man had left on my bed.

It was a white shirt with half sleeves. I shot a furtive
look around the room before pulling off my pyjama shirt
and pulling the white one on. The top was loose, but I
quickly laced it up and tied it off. The sleeves were loose
and comfortable.

Encouraged by this small success, I pulled on the deep
green breeches and the calf high black boots. My hand
went to my hip, and I realised I felt like I was missing
something.

The door opened before I could work it out. I glared at
the man who entered.
“You could knock,” I told him distrustfully.

He didn’t reply, instead walking out and leaving the
door open. I took this as my cue to follow, and, keen not
to spend the day in the room, I took it.

I followed him down a short corridor and then up some
stairs. He opened a door for me and held it open until I
walked through it.

I was standing before a large oak desk. Above it, a glass
bar filled with small green stones presided over what was
obviously an office. As I watched, the stones trickled to
the right, levelling it out somewhat; it had been leaning
perilously to the left.

“Greetings,” a voice said dryly from the corner.

I turned to see the old woman I’d fried. I stood
awkwardly, trying to figure out if I should feel guilty or
not.

“I’m fine, thank you for asking,” she said, standing up.
Her robes were clean and pure again; the soot and burns
from last time we’d met were gone. “My name is Netalia.
You don’t remember me.”

“Am I supposed to?” I asked.
Her mouth twisted slightly in what I think was a smile.
I immediately trusted her less.

“No, you’re not,” she said, as though it was a victory.
“The man behind you is Iain. We are the Masters of this
Academy.”

She let the sentence trail, as though I was supposed to
be impressed.
“You answered none of my questions there,” I informed
her. “Where is my father?”
Uncomfortable silence fell. I crossed my arms.
“I’m afraid I’m unaware who you’re talking about,”
Netalia said finally.

“The man who set you on fire before I did,” I retorted,
beginning to get frustrated. “He... he said that I was his
daughter.”

I went red as I said it. I could feel tears beginning to
burn. I wanted this to be true so desperately and as much
as I was trying to hide that, I knew it was gleaming
through.

Netalia stood, her demeanour changing immediately.
There
was the kind grandmother that I’d first confused
her with.

“I’m so very sorry, dear,” she said, taking my hands in
hers. “But that man isn’t your father.”
My heart sank. There was a lump in my throat and I
swallowed awkwardly.
“Who was he then?” I asked, trying not to let my voice
wobble.

“Someone who meant you harm,” she replied, looking
into my eyes. We were almost exactly the same height.
“We tried to detain him, but he got away.”

“You were trying to do me harm as well,” I said, pulling
my hands from her grasp. “You almost succeeded.”

“A misguided venture,” Iain said behind me. He pulled
out a chair and gestured to it. I hesitantly sat. “We were
trying to figure out if you were the right person for a task,
and we went about it the wrong way.”

Guessing that was about as much apology as I was going
to get from them, and considering I’d set Netalia alight, I
said:

“And? Am I the right one for this ‘task’?”
The two exchanged looks. I watched them warily.

“Yes,” Iain said. “You are the one we’ve been searching
for. We’re sorry that we had to bring you from the human
realm.”

“The what?” I couldn’t hide that I was out of my depth.
“You’re in an alternate realm,” Netalia informed me.
“Currently in the Stanthor Academy. We’ll get to the rest

of the geography later.”

“The task is relatively simple, though you may have
some moral qualms about it,” Iain continued, not giving
me a chance to think over what Netalia had said. “But now
is not the time to discuss it. We want to give you the
chance to settle in, explore a bit. There will be certain
places that you will not be allowed to venture, but we
want you to know that this is not your prison, and we are
certainly not your keepers.”

That made no sense, but I wanted to keep those
privileges so I stayed quiet.
“I want to go home.” I told them.
“We know, dear. You’ll be allowed to return to the
human realm when you complete the task.” Netalia said.

“Then tell me what the task is now, so I can get it over
and done with,” I snapped. “Why all the dancing around
it?”

“Netalia will take you to the library first. She will stay
with you and escort you anywhere you need to go.”

I didn’t budge, though I’d obviously been dismissed.
“I want to go home,” I told them firmly. “Who are you
to take me out of my life to do your bidding? Home.
Now.”

From the look on Iain’s face, he was working to conceal
the fact that I’d greatly pissed him off.
Good.

“The thing is, dear,” I noted the fact that the ‘dear’ was
very forced. Netalia went on. “Without the man who got
away, we can’t send you back to your realm. We’re
hunting for him, though. We will find him and send you
home.”

I saw the catch immediately.

“Let me guess,” I said slowly, leaning my hip against
Iain’s desk. “You’ll conveniently find this man when I
complete whatever task you want me to do.”