Playing with Fyre by Cara Bristol

Author:Cara Bristol [Bristol, Cara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cara Bristol
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

O’ne cupped the tiny flame flickering from the draft of a portent. Significant change drifted in the breeze, more monumental than the death of a monarch, the coronation of a new king, a near-war with Earth, or migration to another planet.

She stoked the fire, feeding it with her breath, trying to see more, but she couldn’t. There was only the whispering hint. She’d been wrong before—not often—but possibly she’d misread the omen. She prayed so.

H’ry would be halfway to Earth by now. The white-yellow flame cooled to red as desolation swept over her. Of his future she could see nothing, although she checked often. After seeing the shrouded image of his mate and children one time, she hadn’t been able to call forth the vision again.

She caught L’yla’s scent and pinched out the flame. The acolyte brazened into the room with an assertiveness and confidence both gratifying and troubling. Until the completion of another temple, they had few duties, so why not grant the acolytes freedom? She’d given them leave of their devotion, telling them to let their dragonesses fly. They would never have another opportunity to see Elementa.

She wished for them to avoid the mistakes she had made. They needed to be sure of their motives, their desires. There could be no doubts, no half measures. They should spread their wings and see what the secular world had to offer. Afterward, they would return to the cloister with renewed gratitude and commitment—or they would renounce their vows and not return at all.

After initial and vocal reservations, L’yla had embraced the furlough with alacrity. She’d explored the First City and beyond, congregated with dragons not of the temple, and had traded her gown for a gray jumpsuit. Already outspoken, she’d become more talkative, her boldness bordering on improper. She’d embraced her freedom so wholeheartedly, it raised concerns.

Would L’yla return to the cloister after the furlough, or would she decide secular life held more appeal? If L’yla failed to return, it would break the circle of twelve needed for the rebirth. Another novitiate in training would have to fill in, and it would be difficult to prepare someone else so quickly. On the other hand, perhaps that would be for the best. L’yla had never struck O’ne as being suited for the role.

But who was?

Unworthy.

“The others have gone exploring. R’nay and I are leaving now as well. Do you need anything before we go?”

“No, I’ll be fine.” She dismissed her with a flick of her wrist.

“Princess Helena is sending food.”

“I will eat if I am hungry.”

“Elementa has an abundance of lava worms. They are best when eaten live. My dragoness loves them. Shall I bring you some?”

She remembered the pizza she had shared with H’ry. The food had been…terrible. But the company had filled her in a way nothing else had. “No, thank you.” She waited for L’yla to leave, but she showed no signs of budging. “What it is?”

“You have not ventured out of the palace since our arrival two weeks ago.

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