The Phoenix and the Dragon

Part One - Chapter Twelve

Part One ~ Fire and Ice

Chapter Twelve ~ Princess

"I hate you." I spat, pulling on a pair of boots I had had thrown at me, as the supreme asshat himself -Orion- had appeared in my room just after noon, stating that if I wanted to really get out and about like I had said yesterday he was going riding today.

He just smirked, leaning against the door. His bloody bat wings once again invisible- although I had a sneaking suspicion from the ever so unbalanced way he had leaned back, it was a new thing for him to be lacking them.

Throwing my hand up in a crude gesture I straightened the boots, then looked over myself in the mirror to the armoire that had been replaced as I slept.

Despite the horrific place I was in, their clothes weren't half bad- in fact the dresses here did not require under layers, or corsets, and were obviously not made by mortal hand like all clothes were back in Terrasen and the world I called home.

Shaking my head I hissed silently, this place and all of its beings and belongings could not sway me from returning home.

I glanced at Orion, who was studying me in silence.

An impulse came over me, a stupid one, but without giving it a second thought, I imagined my mind empty, without those flames and icy winds I kept imagining, biting at any dark claws that came near when I least expected it.

I felt them now, and saw a flicker of surprise cross his face as I felt those claws soften as they fell onto the barriers of my mind without resistance. And then, without so much as a flicker of forethought to what I was doing, I imagined the most horrendous screaming, throat-tearing wailing of sonless mothers and mates who have lost their other half in battle of stories.

Orion flinched slightly by what must have been a sudden surprise, and I felt those black claws retreat, followed quickly by my flame and ice returning to beat of any remaining darkness.

Striding over to him I patted his arm, "Stop waiting for my to lower my guard, you won't get a chance."

Looking out of my door to the hall I frowned- "Now, where's the exit in this place."

Orion, who I couldn't see, let out a puff of a laugh which tickled the hair on my neck, and gripped my arm, making me turn to him.

"Oh there's no exit on this palace for you."

I had one second, studying his chiselled jaw, long- straight nose and high cheekbones for a sign of what he meant before there was a sucking in my ears, and my vision disappeared to pure darkness.

A weightless dark too, it felt like there was no longer gravity holding me, instead a silent ageless dark pressing in on all sides.

Opening a mouth to scream, I felt his free hand clap over my mouth and felt a leg brush next to mine as he took a step towards me.

And when his leg stopped, bright light appeared with a shocking start, along with air and wind, making me shut my eyes and slap away his hand.

Coughing I hissed and ripped myself free of his grip, pulling away so fast I tripped on the earth beneath me, and fell flat on my ass.

Orion chuckled shaking off his hand in comedic pain, watching as I patted the ground, realising it was definitely not the marble palace we had just been in, and instead was a grassy cleaning somewhere.

"Guess I should have told you not to breathe before I winnowed."

Winnow? What?

Blinking my eyes against the light I rubbed my arms over my mouth, his scent lingering on my skin in a way I hated, "What are you talking about? And what was that dark place? And where are we?"