The Wolf Of The Moon & Sun

Blue Tigers (74)

IRENE POV
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I was reluctant to leave, but I had to find Ethan. I felt bad, postponing finding him for so long. If I found he had been dead, I wasn't sure what I'd do. I felt so strongly about leaving, so why was I sitting at the fire and eating dinner? I had said I was leaving and yet I stayed, and all he had to do was ask.

This dinner was silent though. I picked at the fish, ripping the tender meat from its body. And then I just stared at it in my fingers for a little, like I was waiting for someone to say it was ok to eat.

I looked up at him, and he was shifting the other fish that were cooking over the fire. He was silent as well. His eyes glanced up and met mine, and I looked away.

"How do you feel now that the curse is gone?" He asked as I ate the bit of fish I had picked at.

"Weird," I answered. My body felt lighter and cleaner, if that made sense. I felt fresh. "But good," I clarified.

"Show me your magic," he requested. I hadn't used it since we got back and the truth was, I was scared to.

I didn't even need to try to know it was going to be easier. It felt like a lid was poorly twisted on, anything inside could easily escape just from a little bit of force. "What do you want to see?" I asked, putting the fish down onto the small leaf plate next to the fire.

"Butterflies," he answered, his eyes as bright as they had been when he first heard of it.

I cupped my hands together and just a slight thought of them came to mind. They began to pour from my hands, fast, then faster. At least twenty fluttered around before I decided it was enough. Ares waved his hand of the fire to put it out, not even caring that the fish had not been finished cooking.

The cave still glowed, the light from my magic illuminating the area. I could see him in the bright light of blue. The butterflies looked different, less pixelated. It was as if real monarch butterflies were flying around, leaving particles of blue that released from their bodies.

He tried to do what I had, but he couldn't. Not even a spark of magic formed in his palms. "How do you do it?" He asked, as he looked up at me.

I wanted to say I didn't know; that I just could. That was the truth, but I had always hated when Delilah or Isabel would say that to me. They never took their time to teach me, they just told me their thought process and how they did it. If I didn't get it the first time, that was it. They'd just shrug and run off.

I crawled to him until I was sitting right in front of him. I took his cupped hands and flatted them a little, so the bowl was not too deep. I had taught Daniel to do it, accidentally. I'm sure I could teach Ares.

"Close your eyes," I ordered, and he obeyed. His body calmed. "Imagine your magic and how it would look to shape it into butterflies."

I released his hands and watched them attentively.

He did as told. I wanted him to do it. Part of it was for my own selfish desire. I wanted him to remember me every time he made a butterfly, every time he saw one. And, if he ever found out about my legacy, he'd know that a relative of Wrath and Mercy taught him something, something he hadn't known.

There was a spark in his hands, golden glitter swirling inside of his palms. My face lit up as a small golden butterfly flew from them. I looked up to his face, his eyes still closed. His eyebrows frowned, "Stop that," he demanded, opening his eyes and dropping his hands.

"What? You did it!" I gestured to the butterfly. He still didn't look pleased. I frowned as well.

"I didn't do it," he denied, "You made me do it."