who could talk to us depending on our element. Since she was the one, all the animals should be able to talk to her, not just, in this instance, Erion which was the element the butterflies flew under.
I waited for the butterfly to fly away before I carefully emerged from the shadows and into the light. Impressed, I watched her look at me, her small frame held straight, and her chin pointed in the air. The wind picked up and her long, chestnut colored hair danced around her face. I knew what I looked like. Tall, intimidating, dark hair, black eyes, and pale skin, I knew where my scars were from battles, and they weren’t pretty.
“Milady.” I bowed to her. “I am Hallet, King of the Fire Elements. You need only to speak it, and I will make sure you have whatever you need.”
“It’s you…” she whispered.
Standing up straighter, I knew I had never met her before.
“It’s really you.” Her voice grew stronger, and she reached out for me.
In that instant, a memory triggered in my head, and I knew it was her, the exact same gesture. The one who had been with me in the field, dancing in my fire glow. It would stand to reason that only a Goddess would be able to build my fire and not get burned.
I placed my hand in hers, and her warmth spread through me. I knew in that moment there was no way I would ever let go.
“I’ve seen you in my dreams, my whole life.”
Her sweet voice soothed my battled soul.
Her large eyes searched mine. It took all of my power to keep my eyes black, to not give in and let the fire burn through them. Right now I looked human, mortal, I looked like her, but to allow my eyes to glow red with heat would show her too much, too soon.
“Then it would appear you have the upper hand here. As had I dreamt of you, I would never have allowed myself to awaken.” I brought her hand up and kissed it, inhaling the scent of her skin.
“Where am I?”
“Aimsir, a land of magic and wonder.”
Her head tilted to one side, but she didn’t say anything. Turning from me, she looked back at the door she had traveled through. She had to look up at it, as it stood well over twenty feet tall and was filled with bones and skulls. I would expect it could look overwhelming to someone who hadn’t been brought up with it.
“This is unbelievable.”
She moved back toward the door, and for a moment, I panicked. What if she went back through it and left me, left us? She was the one to unite us, to stop all this fighting. She couldn’t leave.
I knew I was faster than her, well, faster right now. Once she came fully into her power, there would be no competition. For now, I kept a close eye on her. If she went to open it, I’d stop her. I couldn’t lose her now. There was too much at stake.
“I’ve never seen anything like this.” She ran her hand over the bones. “A huge door in the middle of nowhere. Not to mention one that has water flowing from it, cool air creating clouds, vines twisting through it; I can see them growing. And fire. Fire burning, its glow is so warm.” She walked around the back of the door. “But then there is nothing over here. There should be. Do you know what’s on the other side of this door?”
I shook my head. We all wondered where the door led – what kind of magic was on the other side.
“My uncle’s attic. A huge empty space with only two doors. One to get in and this one. This,” she pointed to the door, “this is a seven foot, plain, pine door where I come from, where it needs a key to be opened. Nothing even close to this. I don’t think there is anything in the world close to this.”
“Do you want to go back?” I wasn’t sure what made me ask, and I knew I might not want to know the answer, but there was no turning back.
She fumbled with something in her pocket before she shook her head. “No, no, I don’t want to go back. At least not right now. Now I think I’d like to learn more about your world, this Aimsir.”
I had to give her credit,