All I Need ✔️

Chapter 71

Safania's POV

I woke up the next morning to sunlight streaming in on my face. It took me a moment to remember where I was and what had happened the night before, but once I did, I realized that Cassius was no longer next to me.

I sat up and found him sitting at a table, reading while nibbling on a piece of bread. Hearing me stir, he glanced at me and smiled.

"Good morning beautiful," he said. "Come get some breakfast."

I sat down at the table and looked at the food in front of me, realizing that I was starving. The selection was significantly more varied than at the camp, but for some reason all I wanted was the syrup off to the side. Slightly self-conscious, I drizzled the syrup over everything – bacon, eggs, oranges, bread. I saw Cassius raise his eyebrows, but thankfully he didn't say anything.

Cassius watched, amused, as I devoured the plate in front of me. "Safania?" he said finally, causing me to look up. "You had mentioned in one of your letters that it was going to take you longer than normal to train, and that you would explain the next time you saw me."

I sighed. I had completely forgotten that I still had to tell Cassius what I had learned about my marks.

"Well...marked women, first of all, don't refer to themselves that way," I told him. "They call themselves elementalists because they...we have control over the five different elements. The marks on our backs show which ones we control. Most can control one. My mom can control two, fire and air. And two women at the camp can control three. That was the highest number of elements a single person could control...until me. I can control four. Fire, earth, air, and water." I looked up at him, nervous to see his response to the news.

Cassius didn't react immediately. "You can control four elements?"

I nodded.

"And as far as the women know, you're the only one in the world who can do this?"

"I'm the only woman they're aware of who has ever been able to do it," I told him.

He nodded thoughtfully. "So you need more training because you have to learn each element."

I nodded.

"Saffy, that's incredible."

"Really?"

"Of course," he answered easily, as though it should have been obvious that he would react this way. "You're special for so many reasons, but to be the only one in the world capable of something...that's amazing."

I looked down at my plate. "I was worried you would be upset about having to spend even more time apart."

"Well, I'm not thrilled about that part. But this is important. You told me awhile ago that me being king was my destiny. This is yours."

He grabbed my hands. "Like I said Saf, we are going to make this world a better place. Both of us."

I looked at him and mustered a weak smile. He was so encouraging, so understanding. But I knew that our challenges were far from over.

"Do you need to go check on your mother?" he asked me, changing the subject.

I shook my head. "Not yet. She shouldn't be up until noon."

"Noon?"

"It takes a lot of energy to fly Cassius," I pointed out.

He smiled. "I suppose it does. Can you do that?"

"Gosh, no," I said quickly. "Controlling air requires a calm mind, which is not my strong suit. I can produce as much air with my abilities as you can by just blowing on something."