Bright Flame, Deep Shadow (lesbian story)

Flick

It feels wrong to escape during the memorial service for Hestia and Professor Martel, but it's the best chance we have, so we take it gladly.

Only one night has passed since I first woke after my fight with Tanvik, but I'm already far stronger than I was, thanks to the Healers. I let them all think I was still too sick to walk, though, so they didn't think twice about leaving to go to the service. There's a guard in the corridor, but they took my knife so they think I'm stranded in the real world. More fool them.

All my things, still neatly packed in the trunk, were returned to the Academy along with Grumach, who came to take up a position as Acting Head while Tanvik recovers. It's not hard for Bella to sneak into my room and take what we'll need. All I have to do is lie back and let her sort everything out. We'll never get my knife back, but Bella has the one Martel gave her, and it'll be enough.

When we're certain everyone is packed into the training hall, mourning their losses, Bella appears at the end of my bed. I finish pulling my boots on and stand, fastening my plain black cloak over my shoulders. It should have bronze embroidery at the hem, since I graduated, but that doesn't matter now. Anyway, the more unremarkable we are, the better.

The halls of the Royal Shadow Academy of Oskany are devoid of people as we hurry through, hand-in-hand and hidden by the black veil of the Shadows. The walls pass in a blur of grey stone and later, when we emerge into Lour Castle, red brick. I used to feel safe inside these walls, like I was among my own people and nobody could ever hurt me. Then, I was one wolf in a huge pack. Not any more.

I'd like us to take our time in the woods, maybe sit by the creek for a while, but there's no time. We have to put as much distance between us and the Academy as we can. As soon as the Healers return to find me gone, the hunt will be on and we'll be running for our lives.

Bella hid our supplies in Davorin's cave, where we landed when he brought me back. That was only two nights ago, but it feels like two lifetimes.

We travel light, two packs between us stuffed with spare clothes, blankets, and bread and dried meat filched from the kitchens. I'm helping Bella secure hers on her back when the rocks around us vibrate with a deep growl.

"The dragon," Bella breathes. She's gone rigid, too terrified to even reach for her knife. "It was chained up when I dumped the stuff here, but—oh gods, it's coming."

A shape takes form out of the gloom, prowling towards us, but then it stops and I hear the unmistakable scrape of heavy chains against stone. The dragon's eyes are reflective in the dark, like a cat's, and it ruffles its wings in a way I'd say was irritated, if I knew a thing about dragon body language.

"Flick, get back!" Bella cries as I start towards it, my steps cautious, but the dragon only watches me warily.

"Easy," I say softly, and I think the dragon understands. It keeps its head meekly low, though its neck is long enough for it to touch the ceiling, if not for the tight leather collar around its neck, which is fastened to a heavy chain held by a massive metal stake taller than I am driven into the ground. Had the collar been there when I rode on this dragon's back over the sleeping countryside, or is this just Davorin's way of making the dragon submit to him?

I kneel next to its head. "Bella, pass me the knife." I whisper, so I don't startle it.

"We don't have time," she says tensely, but she gives me the knife anyway.

It takes me a few minutes to saw through the thick leather, and the dragon's gleaming eyes watch me the entire time. When the collar finally falls away, it stretches its neck, hisses, and Bella just manages to dive out of the way before it barges past her on its way to the sky.

Sometimes, as we walk the banks of the River Winter, I think I might see a great winged shadow circling above us, but when I look, it's gone. In the afternoon the sky clouds over, and I see no more phantom dragons.

"Where will we go?" Bella asks as we walk. We haven't let go of each other since we left the cave, and our joined hands swing between us with every step.

"I don't know," I confess. I'd been so caught up in the act of escaping, I'd never spared a thought for where we'd escape to. "Somewhere we don't have to hide."

"Astia?"

"Maybe." We could go anywhere. Oskany won't be safe, not unless we go somewhere empty and barren like the mountains up north, but if we keep following the river downstream we'll get to Wintermouth, and from there, the world is ours. As long as we don't run into Grumach. I feel a pang of guilt as I think of my parents back home in Mordensea, of how ashamed they'll be when they hear what I've done, to myself, to them, and to the Domneva family's reputation. We could visit them, since we're going south, but what could I say? No, I'll write to them as soon as I can. It'll be easier that way, and safer for everyone.

"We could join the Flames," Bella says absently. "We have inside information on Shadow education."

I snort. "We're everything they hate. They'd probably kill us."

"Do you think they'll kill Ardyan, if he decides to go and join them?"

"I don't know. They didn't kill Davorin, did they?" Even so, I hope Ardyan sees the Flames for what they really are, if Davorin is any indication. I guess it was easy for Ardyan to get caught up in the mystery and rebellion, but he should've seen what I did when I heard about Hestia and Martel, and when I saw that chained-up, sad-looking dragon in a dark, cramped cave.

It's always the brightest flames that cast the deepest shadows.

~~~~~

A/N: Aaaand that's it! I'm actually kinda sad to finish this story because I really enjoyed writing it. There's one more chapter with like my comments and stuff (like I did with Soulless) which I'll publish tomorrow. Thank you for reading!

A/N (8th June 2018): How has it been 3 years since this story was finished? And it's still getting hits?! This is honestly more attention than I ever thought something I wrote would get. Every time I see someone's added Bright Flame, Deep Shadow to their reading list, or voted, or even every time the hit counter goes up, my day gets a little brighter. If you like this story, please do consider checking out some of my others--especially The Watcher, which is entered for the 2018 Wattys (or will be after I've posted 5 chapters)!