Memories of Prophecies by Davis Ashura

Author:Davis Ashura [Ashura, Davis]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Heroic Books
Published: 2021-03-25T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Five

Over the next few days, Cinder remained caught up in the joy and brilliance of winning the Unchained Trial. He had been confident going into the tournament, but actually succeeding still left him with a heady sense of accomplishment.

Shortly afterward, it was time to get back to work, and on the next rest day, he stood in the basement of Firemirror Hall, staring at the chevrons on Misery Gate. By now, there was a familiarity to them, odd in some ways, and he felt like if he stared at them long enough, he might be able to translate the meaning of the symbols.

A faint hint of cinnamon broke Cinder out of his reflections. Anya.

She spoke an instant later. “Why am I not surprised to find you here?”

Cinder turned about and watched as the princess descended the stairs. She wore her camouflage ranger’s gear, a shoke at her hip, and a bow and quiver of arrows in one hand. Obviously, she meant to enter the Foe and train against the spiderkin.

He hadn’t seen or spoken to her since the Unchained Trial, and he wondered if she would want any company when she entered the Foe.

As she continued her descent, Cinder frowned, perturbed by her for some inexplicable reason.

Seconds later, he figured it out. It was her clothes. While Cinder had a similar outfit—all the Seconds had been given a set—Anya wore hers with an unmatched aplomb. Hers were loose enough to provide proper range of motion, but they also accented her curves in a way his never would or probably should.

She continued down the stairs, her movements graceful as a dancer’s.

An imagining surfaced in his mind, one in which he danced with Anya at the Duchess’s Banquet. It was next week, and in the vision, she wore a lemon-yellow dress, one ending a few inches above her knees.

“I have to admit” she said, “I was impressed by your performance during the Unchained Trial. Did you learn to overcome our lorethasra through your training here?”

Cinder smirked. His win had surprised everyone. The woven had bet on the outcome, and all of them, dwarves included, had lost a lot of money wagering against him. Only the humans had believed in him, and as a result they had made out like bandits. Cinder was grateful he had been smart enough to bet on himself, too. He needed the extra money.

“You didn’t think I could do it?” he asked.

“I wasn’t sure. I hoped you could. I felt like you could.” Anya grinned, reaching his side. “And you proved me correct.”

Cinder chuckled. “I don’t think I overcame Cariath, so much as lucked into a win.”

Anya shook her head. “It wasn’t luck. You defeated Cariath. You overcame him and his skills.”

Cinder wanted to reply, but Anya stood too close, inside the boundary of his personal space. A warning bell clanged in his mind. His breathing hitched. He shouldn’t stand so near to her… and she shouldn’t place herself in such close proximity to him. He shifted away from Anya, gaining distance and, hopefully, perspective.

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